African AI Film Festival entry rules

The rules of the African AI Film Festival cover all eight items. What the rules ask of AI: short films are narrative fiction brought to life with generative tools. Saying which tools were used: every entry lists the main AI tools and models and how AI was used. From 1 source page, read 2026-09-25; no maker pays to be listed.

Inclusion rule. All 25 festivals on the register, each with what its rules ask about naming AI tools. Order. Alphabetical by festival name.

AI use

Any AI use counts

Tool disclosure

List the tools used

Running time

Set per category

Fee

Free for some entrants

Deadline

Open on the reading day

Screening

A festival run

Rights

Entrant warrants all rights

Prizes

Awards without cash figures

1The rules in brief

The African AI Film Festival, in its first year, runs categories for AI shorts, animation, documentary and student work, from 1 to 20 minutes. Disclosure is mandatory: every entry lists the main AI tools and models and how they were used. Entry is free at the regular deadline of September 30, 2026, and always free for filmmakers based in Africa and for students. The festival and awards take place in Hollywood on November 21 and in Kampala on December 12, 2026.

2Dates in the rules

Inclusion rule. Dates the rules print in full; months without a day are left to the text above. Order. Earliest first.

What the rules ask of AI: Any AI use counts

AI Short Film Narrative fiction brought to life with generative tools.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Categories
  Short films are narrative fiction brought to life with generative toolsAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

What the rules ask of AI at every festival

Saying which tools were used: List the tools used

List the main AI tools and models (Runway, Sora, Midjourney, ElevenLabs, etc.) and briefly describe how AI was used.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• AI ethics and disclosure
  Every entry lists the main AI tools and models and how AI was usedAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

African AI Film Festival on this rule · Saying which tools were used at every festival · What marks the tools leave in the file

Running time allowed: Set per category

5–20 min AI Documentary Non-fiction and factual storytelling, AI-enhanced.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Categories
  1 to 10 minutes for shorts, animation and student work; 5 to 20 for documentaryAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

Running time allowed at every festival · How long a clip the tools make

Cost of entry: Free for some entrants

Always free: filmmakers based in Africa, and Student & Emerging entrants — at any deadline.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Fees and deadlines
  Free at the regular deadline, with a small late fee; always free for Africa-based and student entrantsAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

African AI Film Festival on this rule · Cost of entry at every festival

Latest deadline: Open on the reading day

Regular Deadline September 30, 2026 Free for all Late Deadline October 20, 2026

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Fees and deadlines
  Regular deadline September 30, 2026; late deadline October 20, 2026African AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

African AI Film Festival on this rule · Latest deadline at every festival

Where winners are shown: A festival run

Hollywood: November 21, 2026 · Kampala: December 12, 2026

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Fees and deadlines
  Festival and awards in Hollywood on November 21 and Kampala on December 12, 2026African AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

Where winners are shown at every festival

What the entrant keeps or grants: Entrant warrants all rights

The entrant must own or have secured all rights to the work, including third-party assets, music, and likenesses.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• Eligibility
  Entrants must own or have secured all rights, including outside assets, music and likenessesAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

African AI Film Festival on this rule · What the entrant keeps or grants at every festival · What the tools' terms say about owning the output

Prizes: Awards without cash figures

What Winners Receive Prestige, opportunity, and community — over cash.

African AI Film Festival, home page

• What winners receive
  Awards that stress prestige and opportunity over cashAfrican AI Film Festival, home page / recorded 2026-09-25

Prizes at every festival

3Producing the entry with AI

For an entrant reading “African AI Film Festival”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:

A script longer than about 10,000 characters (counted as Chinese-equivalent characters) is read in two passes: first the cast, sets and props, then the episode list with a short outline per episode.

SceneMixer, Long Scripts Are Read in Two Passes: What “Preparing Episodes” Means and Why Some Episodes Open Later (read 2026-10-13)

Video is 16:9 landscape by default, with 9:16 vertical available; you set it once per project. Segments are typically 4 to 15 seconds, and some model tiers go to 30.

SceneMixer, AI Short Drama Generator — “What length and aspect ratio does it output?” (read 2026-10-13)

4Related festivals

• African AI Film Festival next to AI International Film Festival
• African AI Film Festival next to 1 Billion AI Film Award
• 1 Billion AI Film Award
• Academy Awards
• AI Cinema Festival NYC
• AI Film Festival Japan

The organiser's current rules always govern; this is a dated reading, not advice. Method: how rules are read.

5Rules documents read

• African AI Film Festival, home page, read 2026-09-25