The world's oldest monthly AI film festival returns to Hollywood with 53 categories and a winners guild membership on offer
The AI International Film Festival, running since 2021, screens at the Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory in November. Entries close 21 September 2026.
The AI International Film Festival has been running monthly in Hollywood since 2021, which makes it the longest-standing recurring festival dedicated entirely to AI-assisted filmmaking. Its next edition screens at the Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory on 14 November 2026, and the jury judges entries blind, meaning your name and credits carry no weight in the room. That single fact separates it structurally from many peer-reviewed festivals where reputation does quiet work.
With 53 categories spanning AI shorts, features, hybrid productions, live-action, documentary, animation, and experimental work, the competition is genuinely broad. Filmmakers can enter work made with any AI tools, and hybrid productions that mix AI-generated footage with live-action footage are explicitly welcome. The global eligibility means no territory is excluded, which is worth noting if you have finished work sitting on a hard drive that has been waiting for the right home.
What you submit
Entries are accepted across five primary tracks: short film, feature, documentary, animation, and experimental. The festival permits any AI tools in production. Hybrid AI and live-action work is accepted alongside purely generative pieces. Submission is handled through FilmFreeway. The entry fee is listed as "See FilmFreeway" on the aggregator page, meaning you must check the official FilmFreeway listing for the current fee tier before submitting. Fees on FilmFreeway typically vary by category and submission window, so check early.
Prize structure
Winners across all 53 categories receive awards. In addition, every winner receives membership of the Winners Guild, described as access to free tools and a private filmmaker network. The festival does not list a cash prize on its official aggregator page. The prize here is recognition, an awards credit, and the guild membership, not a cheque. If cash is your primary objective, this festival does not currently advertise one.
Terms worth reading
The festival page does not detail its licensing or rights terms on the aggregator. Before submitting, visit aifilmfest.org directly and read the submission agreement on FilmFreeway carefully. Pay particular attention to any clause covering screening rights, promotional use of submitted footage, and whether selection constitutes permission to use clips in festival marketing. These are standard areas where festival terms can catch filmmakers off guard. Entry fees are confirmed only on FilmFreeway, so budget accordingly before the deadline.
Deadline
The regular deadline is 21 September 2026. No cutoff time is published on the aggregator page, so treat end-of-day Pacific Time as the working assumption and aim to submit by 20 September to avoid last-minute FilmFreeway queue problems.
Submit through the official festival page via FilmFreeway. Check the current fee schedule there before uploading.
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