Running time limits for AI short films
Running time is the length of the film as the festival measures it, sometimes with credits included, sometimes with separate limits for each category. From 5 source pages, read 2026-09-25; no maker pays to be listed.
The register runs from the AI Shortest Film Competition's 60 seconds and Artefact's 314 seconds to Reply's 40 minutes. Sparknify's 1 to 30 minutes include credits. Higgsfield sets a hard three-minute minimum and recommends five as a maximum.
A limit of 314 seconds is not a round number by accident; it is a signature of that festival.
Credits count in some rules and not in others, which matters when a film sits close to a limit.
Plan the cut against the strictest festival on the list, then make longer versions for the rest.
| Festival | Rule | What the rules say |
|---|---|---|
| AI Shortest Film Competition | Running time | Up to 60 seconds |
| Artefact AI Film Festival | Running time | No more than 314 seconds |
| Human vs. AI Film Festival | Running time | 1 to 30 minutes, credits included |
| Reply AI Film Festival | Running time | 1 to 40 minutes, with longer films eligible only for a special mention |
| Higgsfield Global Film Festival | Running time | At least 3 minutes; 5 minutes recommended as a maximum, longer still eligible |
Inclusion rule. Readings from the register cited on this page. Order. The order they are discussed in.
1The wording in the rules
Up to 60 seconds long
Forward Festival, AI Shortest Film Competition by LTX
Films should be a maximum of 314 seconds.
Artefact AI Film Festival, rules page
Length : 1 to 30 minutes (including credits)
Sparknify, Human vs. AI Film Festival page
Your AI short movie must be between 1 and 40 minutes long.
Reply AI Film Festival, how it works
Minimum 3:00 minutes (hard requirement).
Higgsfield Global Film Festival, official rules
- RequirementsUp to 60 seconds
- Submission criteriaNo more than 314 seconds
- Requirements1 to 30 minutes, credits included
- FAQ1 to 40 minutes, with longer films eligible only for a special mention
- At a glanceAt least 3 minutes; 5 minutes recommended as a maximum, longer still eligible
2Producing the entry with AI
For an entrant reading “Running time”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:
Paste a scene or a short script and SceneMixer gives you a storyboard — numbered shots with framing and seconds — and then a moving version of each segment, which you can join into a rough cut of the scene.
SceneMixer, Using SceneMixer for Previs and Animatics Before a Live-Action Shoot (read 2026-10-13)
The default for text stays the cheaper tier; Recommended is the badge on the tier the site suggests for hard episodes.
SceneMixer, Doubao Seed Evolving: the recommended text tier — “Is Recommended the same as default?” (read 2026-10-13)