A new Toronto awards night wants your AI-made horror and sci-fi short, and it has two prizes just for 1980s neon
The AI Toronto Genre Awards takes AI-assisted shorts up to 30 minutes across six categories, with two prizes for 1980s horror and sci-fi looks. Deadline 22 May 2027.
Somewhere in your drive there may be a short film that looks like it was lit by a video-shop window in 1986: magenta spill on wet tarmac, a synth drone under the credits, a creature that is mostly shadow. A new Toronto awards night has built two of its prizes for exactly that.
The AI Toronto Genre Awards is a fresh event for sci-fi, fantasy, thriller and horror shorts made with AI somewhere in the pipeline. Winners are laurelled at a live screening in downtown Toronto on 5 June 2027. Submissions are handled through FilmFreeway, and the closing date is 22 May 2027.
What you submit
The call is for short films of up to 30 minutes. AI can sit anywhere in the creative or production pipeline: image, video, animation, VFX, sound, voice, editing, screenplay or concept. Hybrid workflows that mix AI with traditional methods are explicitly welcome, and the page states that any AI tool is allowed.
Entry is open worldwide. Films that are not in English need English subtitles. The listing tags the event as genre, horror, sci-fi and retro, so a film with a clear genre identity will sit more naturally here than a general-purpose showcase piece.
Prize structure
The prize is laurels, not cash. The page lists no money, credits or funding. What winners get is recognition at a live awards night, and the page describes that as the reward across six genre categories. The honours are:
- Best AI Genre Short, described as the top festival honour.
- AI Neon Nightmare Award, for Best 1980s Horror Aesthetic.
- AI Neon Frontier Award, for Best 1980s Sci-Fi Aesthetic.
- Best AI Director.
- Best AI Visual Effects.
- Best AI Sound and Score.
- Audience Choice Award, voted live at the screening.
The page also says some of this is shaped by the live event itself, since the audience award is decided on the night in the room.
Terms worth reading
The contest page does not publish the entry fee. It says only "See FilmFreeway", so check the FilmFreeway listing for the current price before you plan a budget. Festival fees on that platform often step up as deadlines approach, so it is worth looking early.
The page also does not set out rights terms, licence grants or screening conditions. Nothing on it suggests a rights grab, but nothing confirms creator-friendly terms either. Read the full rules on the FilmFreeway page before you submit, particularly anything about screening permissions and how your film may be shown or promoted.
The page lists a festival date and location but does not say whether you must attend to be eligible for a prize. Confirm that with the organiser if you are travelling from abroad.
Dates and practicalities
Submissions opened on 9 September 2026 and close on 22 May 2027. The page gives no cutoff time or timezone, so submit with a day in hand rather than at midnight on the last day. The tracker last verified the listing on 27 October 2026.
To enter, go to the FilmFreeway entry page, check the fee and full rules, and upload your film with English subtitles if needed.