Festivals: the entry rules, side by side
Twenty-five festivals, competitions and awards, each read on its own rules page, FAQ or rules document for eight things an entrant needs before submitting an AI-made film: the AI rule, tool disclosure, running time, cost, deadline, screening, rights and prizes. As of 2026-09-25.
| Festival | AI use | Tool disclosure | Running time | Fee | Deadline | Screening | Rights | Prizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Billion AI Film Award | Made on one platform | None in the rules read | A minimum and a maximum | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | A premiere event | None in the rules read | Cash prizes stated |
| Academy Awards | Human authorship rules | Details on request | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read |
| African AI Film Festival | Any AI use counts | List the tools used | Set per category | Free for some entrants | Open on the reading day | A festival run | Entrant warrants all rights | Awards without cash figures |
| AI Cinema Festival NYC | AI used in a significant way | List the tools used | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Open on the reading day | A festival run | Entrant warrants all rights | Awards without cash figures |
| AI Film Festival Japan | Any AI use counts | List the tools used | None in the rules read | Free for some entrants | None in the rules read | A festival run | Entrant keeps copyright | Awards without cash figures |
| AI for Good Film Festival | Any AI use counts | None in the rules read | A minimum and a maximum | None in the rules read | Open on the reading day | Finalists at a summit | Entrant keeps copyright | An invitation and a speaker pass |
| AI International Film Festival | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Monthly deadlines | Monthly screenings | None in the rules read | Awards without cash figures |
| AI Shortest Film Competition | Made on one platform | None in the rules read | A maximum only | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | Screenings in several cities | Entrant warrants all rights | Cash prizes stated |
| Artefact AI Film Festival | A set minimum of AI use | None in the rules read | A maximum only | None in the rules read | Open on the reading day | An awards ceremony | None in the rules read | None in the rules read |
| Astana AI Film Festival | A set minimum of AI use | List the tools used | A minimum only | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | A festival run | None in the rules read | Cash prizes stated |
| Bochnia International AI Film Festival | A set minimum of AI use | List the tools used | A minimum and a maximum | Fees by deadline | Closed on the reading day | An awards ceremony | Entrant keeps copyright | Cash prizes stated |
| Chroma Awards | AI used in a significant way | List the tools used | A minimum and a maximum | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | None in the rules read | Entrant warrants all rights | Cash prizes stated |
| Cinema Shift Festival | Human authorship rules | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | A festival run | None in the rules read | Awards without cash figures |
| Higgsfield Global Film Festival | Made on one platform | Generations kept for checking | A minimum only | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | Winners announced online | Entrant keeps copyright | Cash prizes stated |
| Human vs. AI Film Festival | A wholly AI-made track | None in the rules read | A minimum and a maximum | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Cash prizes stated |
| K-Culture AI International Film Festival | Any AI use counts | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Opening after the reading day | An awards ceremony | None in the rules read | Awards without cash figures |
| LifeArt AI Film Festival | Any AI use counts | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | A festival run | None in the rules read | Awards without cash figures |
| Project Odyssey | AI used in a significant way | None in the rules read | A maximum only | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | None in the rules read | Advice on original material | None in the rules read |
| Reply AI Film Festival | Any AI use counts | Explain how AI was used | A minimum and a maximum | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | A premiere event | None in the rules read | Cash prizes stated |
| Runway AI Festival | Generative video required | None in the rules read | A minimum and a maximum | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | Screenings in several cities | Entrant warrants all rights | Cash prizes stated |
| Runway Gen:48 | Made on one platform | Explain how AI was used | A minimum and a maximum | Free to enter | Closed on the reading day | Winners announced online | A licence granted to the organiser | Cash prizes stated |
| Sundance Film Festival | AI allowed without limits | Disclose any AI use | None in the rules read | Fees by deadline | Closed on the reading day | A festival run | None in the rules read | None in the rules read |
| Turkey International AI Film Festival | AI used through the whole production | None in the rules read | A maximum only | None in the rules read | Open on the reading day | A festival run | Entrant warrants all rights | Awards without cash figures |
| World AI Film Festival | A set minimum of AI use | A production file | A minimum and a maximum | None in the rules read | Closed on the reading day | An awards ceremony | Entrant keeps copyright | None in the rules read |
| World AI Film Festival USA | Human authorship rules | List the tools used | Set per category | Fees by deadline | Open on the reading day | A festival run | Rights cleared, consent documented | Trophies and a path to Cannes |
Inclusion rule. Festivals, competitions and awards that take AI-made films, plus two established events that say how they treat them. Order. Alphabetical by festival name.
1How the grid reads
Almost every set of rules says something about AI use and gives a deadline, and most name their prizes. Tool disclosure and rights are covered by about half; the cost of entry by slightly fewer, and a blank there should be checked on the submission platform before paying anything.
An outlined cell means the rules read did not cover the item. Several festivals keep fees and running times on their submission platform rather than on their own site.
2Every festival
- 1 Billion AI Film Award — Gemini-made films and a single $1,000,000 prize
- Academy Awards — human-authored scripts and human performers
- African AI Film Festival — mandatory disclosure, free for African entrants
- AI Cinema Festival NYC — meaningful AI use, tools and human roles disclosed
- AI Film Festival Japan — tools disclosed by process, three days in Tokyo
- AI for Good Film Festival — 1 to 10 minutes, finalists to Geneva
- AI International Film Festival — monthly screenings in Hollywood since 2021
- AI Shortest Film Competition — 60 seconds made with LTX, screened in Berlin
- Artefact AI Film Festival — AI in every phase, 314 seconds at most
- Astana AI Film Festival — AI integral to the film, $1,000,000 in prizes and a $1,000,000 fund
- Bochnia International AI Film Festival — half AI-made, two tools, a making-of diary
- Chroma Awards — tool lists and cash prizes by category
- Cinema Shift Festival — human-led narratives, one evening in Toronto
- Higgsfield Global Film Festival — made on one platform, $1,000,000 in cash
- Human vs. AI Film Festival — a camera track beside an all-AI track
- K-Culture AI International Film Festival — a 2027 call opening in October, Seoul
- LifeArt AI Film Festival — AI categories with IMDb-qualifying selection
- Project Odyssey — a 15-minute cap, now partnering on Chroma
- Reply AI Film Festival — any AI use, 1 to 40 minutes, a Venice premiere
- Runway AI Festival — generative video, 3 to 15 minutes, three cities
- Runway Gen:48 — a 48-hour film, 75% made with Runway
- Sundance Film Festival — no AI limits, but every use disclosed
- Turkey International AI Film Festival — AI through the whole production, 20 minutes at most
- World AI Film Festival — three AI tools and a production file
- World AI Film Festival USA — five published rules on disclosure and rights
3What a generator hands an entrant
For an entrant reading “Festivals”, 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)
Every new video carries the SceneMixer AIGC badge in its bottom-right corner unless you turn it off.
SceneMixer, The AI Badge Switch (read 2026-10-13)
4Other ways in
Each rule across all festivals is under entry rules; dates in order are on the calendar; how the rules were read is on the method page.