An online festival is screening AI-generated and experimental short films, with category awards across fantasy, fashion, and generative cinema

The Ai and Robots Film Festival returns for 2026 as a fully online event run out of Taipei, Taiwan, accepting short films, AI-generated features, fashion films, and experimental work from filmmakers anywhere in the world. Submissions opened on 14 September, with an earlybird deadline that has already passed (21 September) and a regular final deadline of 12 October 2026. Accepted films will screen across 16–18 October, with a Zoom filmmaker discussion giving selected creators a chance to talk about their work with the wider community.

The festival is built around AI-assisted and AI-generated filmmaking, though it welcomes any AI tools and does not restrict entrants to a single production pipeline. Multiple submissions are allowed per filmmaker, and all genres are eligible. Given the cross-category breadth, including a dedicated Fashion Film award sitting alongside generative cinema prizes, the event is unusually welcoming to artists working at the intersection of AI tools and niche screen forms.

What to submit

The festival accepts work across four main categories:

- Short Film (8 minutes or less)
- Ai Feature Film
- Ai Film (generative cinema)
- Fashion Film

Experimental work is also listed as an eligible genre. AI tools of any kind are permitted and encouraged. Multiple entries from the same filmmaker are allowed.

Prize structure

The festival presents seven named awards:

- Best AI (generative cinema)
- Best Short Film
- Best Fantasy Film
- Best Fashion Film
- Best Filmmaker
- Most Creative Film
- Best Music

The prizes are festival awards and screening credits, not cash. There is no cash component listed on the official page. Selected films receive online screening slots during 16–18 October 2026, and filmmakers are invited to participate in Zoom discussions during the same period.

Terms worth reading

Entry fees apply and are set through FilmFreeway, where the full submission process takes place. The page does not publish the fee amounts directly, so check filmfreeway.com/airobots for current pricing tiers before submitting. The earlybird tier closed on 21 September 2026, so standard fees will apply to all remaining entries.

The festival does not publish explicit IP or licensing terms on the listing page. Filmmakers should review the full FilmFreeway submission agreement and any festival-specific terms on the official entry page before submitting, particularly regarding screening rights granted for the October event.

Eligibility is open worldwide with no stated nationality or residency restrictions. The festival is verified as active against the organiser's official page as of 19 September 2026.

How to enter

Submissions are handled entirely through FilmFreeway. The final deadline is 12 October 2026. No cutoff time is published, so submit at least a day in hand to avoid last-minute platform issues. The official entry page is filmfreeway.com/airobots.

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Source: https://aifilmcontests.com/contests/ai-and-robots-film-festival-2026