Filmmakers worldwide can submit AI-assisted or fully AI-generated work to Ottawa's bilingual AI Cinema Festival this October for a chance at five named awards and a November screening
AI Cinema Festival Canada screens in Ottawa 18–15 November 2026 and awards five prizes across hybrid and fully AI-generated film. Submissions close 18 October 2026.
Ottawa is hosting its own bilingual AI cinema event this autumn, and the call for entries is open to filmmakers anywhere in the world. The AI Cinema Festival Canada runs from 13 to 15 November 2026 at an Ottawa venue, bringing together hybrid human-and-AI productions alongside fully AI-generated works across short film, experimental, music video, and trailer formats. The festival bills itself as bilingual, reflecting Ottawa's English-French character, and organisers have verified the submission deadline as 18 October 2026.
The competition is structured around five distinct awards rather than a single prize, which means a short documentary assembled with AI-assisted editing sits in the same programme as a fully generative experimental piece. That breadth is deliberate. Organisers welcome any AI tooling, so whether a filmmaker used a diffusion model for imagery, a language model for scripting, or a combination of tools across production, the work is eligible. The entry fee is listed as "see official site" on the aggregator listing, so prospective entrants should check the official submissions page directly before budgeting.
What to submit
Eligible formats include short films, experimental works, music videos, and trailers. Works can be hybrid, meaning a human-led production that incorporates AI tools at any stage, or fully AI-generated from end to end. There is no stated minimum or maximum runtime on the aggregator listing; the official submissions page should be consulted for precise technical specifications. All AI tools are permitted.
Prize structure
Five awards are on offer:
- Grand Prix Canada — the top overall prize
- Best Human + AI Direction
- Best AI Cinematography
- Responsible AI Cinema Award
- Audience Signal Award
The monetary or material value of each award is not specified on the aggregator listing. Entrants should check the official site for prize details before submitting.
Eligibility
The competition is open worldwide. There is no stated restriction on the nationality of the filmmaker or the country of production. Both hybrid and fully AI-generated works are welcome.
Terms worth reading
The official submissions page at canadian.aicinemafestival.com is the authoritative source for entry terms, rights, licensing conditions, and any screening or distribution rights the festival may request. The aggregator listing does not reproduce these terms, so reviewing them before submitting is strongly advised. In particular, festival submissions commonly include a licence for the organiser to screen and publicise the work during the event; the scope of that licence should be confirmed on the official page.
Deadline note
The submission deadline is 18 October 2026. The aggregator listing does not specify a cutoff time or timezone. Given that Ottawa observes Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) through October, submitting at least a full day before the date closes avoids any timezone ambiguity. The festival screens 13 to 15 November 2026 in Ottawa, Ontario.