Your AI film on climate or governance could screen for UN delegates during General Assembly week in New York City
AI for the Future Festival is accepting short films and documentaries until 1 September 2026, with selected works screened alongside UN policy and climate events in NYC.
With roughly eighteen hours left on the clock, this is a genuine last-call notice. The AI for the Future Festival is accepting short films and documentaries made with AI tools, on themes of climate, governance, equity, or human rights, and the submission window closes on 1 September 2026. The festival is timed to coincide with the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, meaning selected films will screen in the same city, during the same week, as some of the most consequential policy conversations of the year.
The audience is not a generic film crowd. Organisers describe visibility to UN policy and climate audiences, which puts selected work in front of delegates, researchers, and advocates gathered for UNGA week. If your project engages seriously with any of the listed themes and is ready to submit today, the effort is worth making.
What you submit
The festival accepts two categories: Short Film and Documentary. Works must explore AI in relation to climate, human rights, governance, or equity. AI tools are explicitly permitted and appear to be the point. Entry is open globally, with no geographic restriction listed. The entry fee is not stated on the contest listing itself; the page directs applicants to the FilmFreeway listing for fee details, so check that page before submitting.
Prize structure
The prize here is not cash. Selected films are screened during UN General Assembly week in New York City, with the festival event dated 22 September 2026. The value is exposure: a real screening context tied to UNGA and Climate Week NYC, in front of policy and climate audiences. There is no cash award listed. If a screening credit and that particular audience matter to your work or career, the prize is meaningful; if you need financial return, this contest does not offer it.
Terms worth reading
The official listing does not reproduce full terms on the contest aggregator page. Rights, licensing conditions, and submission requirements will be set out on the FilmFreeway entry page, which is where submission happens. Read those terms before uploading, particularly any clauses about how the festival may use or exhibit your film beyond the initial screening. Entry fee details are also only available there.
Deadline note
The submission deadline is 1 September 2026. No cutoff time or timezone is published on the listing. Given that the window closes tomorrow, submit as soon as your materials are ready. The festival event itself takes place on 22 September 2026 in New York, with global reach implied by the online and hybrid format.
The official contest page and the FilmFreeway entry form are the two URLs you need.
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Source: AI Film Contests — AI for the Future Festival UNGA / Climate Week 2026