Entry rules: where winners are shown
The rules of 21 of the 25 festivals cover when and where winners are shown. The reading met most often is “A festival run”, for 9. The table sets every festival's reading beside the words of its rules. As of 2026-09-25.
| Festival | Reading | In the rules |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Billion AI Film Award | A premiere event | The top five films premiered at the summit on January 9, 2026 |
| Academy Awards | None in the rules read | None in the rules read (2026-09-25) |
| African AI Film Festival | A festival run | Festival and awards in Hollywood on November 21 and Kampala on December 12, 2026 |
| AI Cinema Festival NYC | A festival run | Screenings, conversations and awards in New York, July 16 to 18, 2027 |
| AI Film Festival Japan | A festival run | A three-day festival in Tokyo, October 31 to November 2, 2026 |
| AI for Good Film Festival | Finalists at a summit | Four finalists invited to Geneva for the AI for Good Global Summit in July 2027 |
| AI International Film Festival | Monthly screenings | Monthly screenings in Hollywood since 2021, with the filmmaker speaking after each film |
| AI Shortest Film Competition | Screenings in several cities | Shortlist screened at the Shortest AI Film Festival in Berlin, August 27 to 28 |
| Artefact AI Film Festival | An awards ceremony | Audience vote in December and January, awards ceremony at MK2 Bibliothèque in February 2027 |
| Astana AI Film Festival | A festival run | Festival in Astana from October 1 to 3, 2026 |
| Bochnia International AI Film Festival | An awards ceremony | Awards gala at Regis Cinema, Bochnia, on September 17, 2026 |
| Chroma Awards | None in the rules read | None in the rules read (2026-09-25) |
| Cinema Shift Festival | A festival run | A curated evening at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Toronto, on June 5 |
| Higgsfield Global Film Festival | Winners announced online | Winners announced in the last week of October 2026 |
| Human vs. AI Film Festival | None in the rules read | None in the rules read (2026-09-25) |
| K-Culture AI International Film Festival | An awards ceremony | Opening and awards ceremony in Seoul on May 1, 2027 |
| LifeArt AI Film Festival | A festival run | Past screenings in Los Angeles, Athens and Mumbai |
| Project Odyssey | None in the rules read | None in the rules read (2026-09-25) |
| Reply AI Film Festival | A premiere event | A premiere event in Venice in September 2026 |
| Runway AI Festival | Screenings in several cities | Screenings in New York on June 11, Los Angeles on June 18 and Tokyo on July 30, 2026 |
| Runway Gen:48 | Winners announced online | Finalists put to a public vote online; a jury picks the Grand Prix |
| Sundance Film Festival | A festival run | Festival in Boulder, Colorado, January 21 to 31, 2027 |
| Turkey International AI Film Festival | A festival run | The festival in Istanbul, December 7 to 9 |
| World AI Film Festival | An awards ceremony | Winners announced at an awards ceremony in Cannes on April 22, 2026 |
| World AI Film Festival USA | A festival run | Festival in Los Angeles in late March 2027 |
Inclusion rule. All 25 festivals on the register. Order. Alphabetical by festival name.
1About this rule
This rule records when and where winning films are shown: screenings in several cities, a premiere, an awards ceremony, a festival run, a summit, monthly screenings or an announcement online.
For an entrant, the event decides more than travel. It may set premiere requirements, decide whether the film is shown to a live audience, and fix the date after which it can be shown elsewhere.
2Readings and their festivals
- Screenings in several cities: AI Shortest Film Competition and Runway AI Festival
- A premiere event: 1 Billion AI Film Award and Reply AI Film Festival
- An awards ceremony: Artefact AI Film Festival, Bochnia International AI Film Festival, K-Culture AI International Film Festival and World AI Film Festival
- A festival run: African AI Film Festival, AI Cinema Festival NYC, AI Film Festival Japan, Astana AI Film Festival, Cinema Shift Festival, LifeArt AI Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Turkey International AI Film Festival and World AI Film Festival USA
- Finalists at a summit: AI for Good Film Festival
- Winners announced online: Higgsfield Global Film Festival and Runway Gen:48
- Monthly screenings: AI International Film Festival
- None in the rules read: Academy Awards, Chroma Awards, Human vs. AI Film Festival and Project Odyssey
3Festivals with a detailed reading
- AI for Good Film Festival — Four finalists invited to Geneva for the AI for Good Global Summit in July 2027
- AI Shortest Film Competition — Shortlist screened at the Shortest AI Film Festival in Berlin, August 27 to 28
- Bochnia International AI Film Festival — Awards gala at Regis Cinema, Bochnia, on September 17, 2026
- Higgsfield Global Film Festival — Winners announced in the last week of October 2026
- K-Culture AI International Film Festival — Opening and awards ceremony in Seoul on May 1, 2027
- LifeArt AI Film Festival — Past screenings in Los Angeles, Athens and Mumbai
- Reply AI Film Festival — A premiere event in Venice in September 2026
- Runway Gen:48 — Finalists put to a public vote online; a jury picks the Grand Prix
- Sundance Film Festival — Festival in Boulder, Colorado, January 21 to 31, 2027
- World AI Film Festival — Winners announced at an awards ceremony in Cannes on April 22, 2026
4The other rules
What the rules ask of AI · Saying which tools were used · Running time allowed · Cost of entry · Latest deadline · What the entrant keeps or grants · Prizes
5Producing the entry with AI
For an entrant reading “Screening”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:
The longest an episode may run: 240 seconds for Short Drama, 300 for TV Series, none for Film.
SceneMixer, Short Drama, TV Series or Film — “What is the episode cap?” (read 2026-10-13)
An AI short drama is a serialized show of 60–120 second vertical episodes whose cast, sets and footage are generated by AI. Making one takes six steps: analyze the script into episodes, lock a consistent cast with reference art, localize for your market, write and edit storyboards, generate each 4–15 second shot, then composite and publish.
SceneMixer, How to Make an AI Short Drama, Step by Step (read 2026-10-13)