A $1 Million AI Film Award Is Open for Submissions Until 20 November 2026
The second AI Film Award from the 1 Billion Followers Summit has $1 million on the line. Films are due 20 November 2026, and entry is through the summit's own award page.
The 1 Billion Followers Summit has opened the second edition of its AI Film Award, and the headline figure is $1 million. The announcement went out on X on 19 October 2026, with a submission deadline of 20 November 2026. That leaves a little over four weeks from the date of the post, which is not long for a film that still needs finishing.
The summit describes itself as the world's largest content creator economy summit, and the award sits within that world. The post asks, "What if your story could change the future of film?" and tells entrants to submit their film now. It is tagged with TikTok MENA and BytePlus, the ByteDance-backed enterprise AI and cloud arm, which suggests both are associated with the programme. The post itself does not say what role either one plays.
What you submit
The call is for a film, made with AI. The post does not set out a running time, a format, a technical specification or a list of permitted tools, and the page we could read is a short announcement rather than a full rulebook. Those details will be on the dedicated award page, which is the place to go before you cut anything to length: 1billionsummit.com/ai-award-2027. The URL carries a 2027 label even though the deadline falls in 2026, so expect the ceremony or screening to land next year.
Submissions go through that same page. The official announcement is on X.
Prize structure
The post says "$1 million on the line". It does not say how that sum is divided, whether it is all cash, or how many winners there will be. It could be a single grand prize, a ladder of placings, or a pot that includes funding, services or promotion alongside money. Until the award page spells it out, treat the $1 million as the total pool and not as a number any one filmmaker will receive. Check the breakdown before you plan around it.
Terms worth reading
The announcement we could read says nothing about entry fees, eligibility, ownership of submitted films, or any licence the organisers take over entries. That is not a warning sign, only a gap. With a sponsor list that includes platform and AI infrastructure companies, it is sensible to read the full terms on the award page for three things in particular: whether you keep ownership of your film, whether entering grants the organisers or sponsors a licence to screen or promote it, and whether there is any cost to submit. Do not assume the answers either way.
Deadline and practical notes
The deadline is 20 November 2026. No cutoff time or timezone is published in the announcement, so submit with a day in hand and not on the last evening. Confirm eligibility, format requirements and the prize split on the official award page before you start uploading.
Source: 1 Billion Followers Summit on X