Which AI film festivals offer cash prizes?
Ten state cash: the 1 Billion award a single $1,000,000; Higgsfield $1,000,000 across 14 placements; Astana $1,000,000 in prizes; Runway a $50,000 Grand Prix; Reply a pool above €30,000; Chroma per category; Gen:48 $5,000; LTX and Sparknify $3,000; Bochnia a $2,500 pool. From 10 source pages, read 2026-09-25; no maker pays to be listed.
| Festival | Rule | What the rules say |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Billion AI Film Award | Prizes | A single $1,000,000 prize |
| AI Shortest Film Competition | Prizes | First place $3,000 cash with tickets, travel and accommodation to Berlin |
| Astana AI Film Festival | Prizes | $1,000,000 in competition prizes and a second $1,000,000 production fund |
| Bochnia International AI Film Festival | Prizes | A cash prize pool of $2,500, with a trophy for the Grand Prix |
| Chroma Awards | Prizes | Film division cash prizes across 13 categories |
| Higgsfield Global Film Festival | Prizes | $1,000,000 in cash across 14 placements |
| Human vs. AI Film Festival | Prizes | A Humanity Award of US$3,000 chosen from eight emotion-category winners |
| Reply AI Film Festival | Prizes | A reward pool of more than €30,000 |
| Runway AI Festival | Prizes | Grand Prix of $50,000 cash plus Runway credits; Gold $15,000; Silver $10,000 |
| Runway Gen:48 | Prizes | Grand Prix of $5,000 cash plus Runway credits; second to fifth place in credits |
Inclusion rule. A festival is listed when its own rules state what the question asks. Order. Festivals in alphabetical order.
The largest sums come from tool makers, the Astana festival and a creators' summit in Dubai. Platform prizes usually come with the condition that the film was made on the platform.
Other festivals offer screenings, travel, trophies or, at the AI for Good Film Festival, a speaker pass to a UN summit in Geneva.
1From the rules themselves
1 Billion AI Film Award
The winner received $1,000,000 USD and global recognition for their work.
1 Billion Followers Summit, AI Film Award page
AI Shortest Film Competition
1st PLACE $3,000 cash + Forward Festival Berlin Tickets + Travel & Accommodation to Forward Festival Berlin
Forward Festival, AI Shortest Film Competition by LTX
Astana AI Film Festival
One million US dollars in competition prizes — and a second million invested directly into new AI productions.
Astana AI Film Festival, home page
Bochnia International AI Film Festival
Total cash prize pool: $2,500 USD (gross).
BIAIFF, 2026 regulations (English)
Chroma Awards
Higgsfield Global Film Festival
Prize pool $1,000,000 USD in cash across 14 placements.
Higgsfield Global Film Festival, official rules
Human vs. AI Film Festival
Sparknify Humanity Award US $3000
Sparknify, Human vs. AI Film Festival page
Reply AI Film Festival
Join a reward pool of over €30,000+
Reply AI Film Festival, home page
Runway AI Festival
The Grand Prix (first place) Winner will win: $50,000 cash
Runway AI Festival, official rules for film
Runway Gen:48
The Grand Prix Winner will win: · $5,000 cash; and · 1,000,000 Runway Credits
Runway, Gen:48 official rules
- Submission criteriaA single $1,000,000 prize
- What you can winFirst place $3,000 cash with tickets, travel and accommodation to Berlin
- Total fund$1,000,000 in competition prizes and a second $1,000,000 production fund
- Article 8A cash prize pool of $2,500, with a trophy for the Grand Prix
- PrizesFilm division cash prizes across 13 categories
- At a glance$1,000,000 in cash across 14 placements
- AwardsA Humanity Award of US$3,000 chosen from eight emotion-category winners
- Page introA reward pool of more than €30,000
- PrizesGrand Prix of $50,000 cash plus Runway credits; Gold $15,000; Silver $10,000
- PrizesGrand Prix of $5,000 cash plus Runway credits; second to fifth place in credits
Prizes at every festival · Do you keep the rights to an AI festival entry? · Can AI-assisted films enter the Oscars or Sundance?
2Producing the entry with AI
For an entrant reading “Which AI film festivals offer cash prizes?”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:
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)
The music runs across the end card and comes to an end with the film.
SceneMixer, Where the Music in an Ad Video Comes From — “Does the end card have music?” (read 2026-10-13)