Entry without a fee is common, with strings
Six festivals on the register state that entry is free, among them Runway's festival and its Gen:48 challenge, Astana and the Chroma Awards, and the African AI Film Festival is free for Africa-based and student filmmakers at any deadline. From 5 source pages, read 2026-09-25; no maker pays to be listed.
Established festivals charge, and charge more as deadlines pass: Sundance encourages early entry to pay lower fees.
Free entry often comes from a sponsor with something to gain, usually attention for its tool.
Where a festival's own site says nothing about cost, check the submission platform before assuming it is free.
| Festival | Rule | What the rules say |
|---|---|---|
| Runway AI Festival | Fee | No entry fee |
| Astana AI Film Festival | Fee | Free for everyone |
| Chroma Awards | Fee | No purchase or payment needed to enter |
| African AI Film Festival | Fee | Free at the regular deadline, with a small late fee; always free for Africa-based and student entrants |
| Sundance Film Festival | Fee | Entry fees that rise from the early to the late deadline |
Inclusion rule. Readings from the register cited on this page. Order. The order they are discussed in.
1The wording in the rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY AND NO ENTRY FEE, PAYMENT OR PROOF OF PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE.
Runway AI Festival, official rules for film
Submissions to AAIFF 2026 are free for everyone.
Astana AI Film Festival, home page
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS COMPETITION.
Chroma Awards, official rules on Devpost
Always free: filmmakers based in Africa, and Student & Emerging entrants — at any deadline.
African AI Film Festival, home page
We encourage you to submit your project as early as possible to take advantage of lower submission fees.
Sundance Institute, 2027 submissions FAQ
- How to enterNo entry fee
- FAQFree for everyone
- Official rulesNo purchase or payment needed to enter
- Fees and deadlinesFree at the regular deadline, with a small late fee; always free for Africa-based and student entrants
- FAQ 1Entry fees that rise from the early to the late deadline
2Producing the entry with AI
For an entrant reading “Entry without a fee is common, with strings”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:
Typically 60–120 seconds, always 9:16 vertical, ending on a hook. SceneMixer's episode outlines are generated with that pacing, and setting a project to 9:16 makes every segment vertical (the default is 16:9).
SceneMixer, How to Make ReelShort-Style Dramas with AI — “How long is a ReelShort-style episode?” (read 2026-10-13)
16:9 landscape (SceneMixer's default) and 9:16 vertical (the usual short-drama frame), chosen per project.
SceneMixer, Seedance 2.0 in a Real Short-Drama Pipeline — “Which aspect ratios does the pipeline generate?” (read 2026-10-13)