Jaipur's international film festival opens a dedicated AI cinema competition with screening slots and a shot at awards worth up to ₹50,00,000

The Jaipur International Film Festival, one of India's longest-running film events, has added a dedicated World AI Cinema Competition to its 2027 programme. Films selected from the competition will screen at the festival's Jaipur venues between 8 and 12 January 2027, placing AI-generated and AI-assisted work alongside conventional cinema on the same festival stage. Nomination lists are published on three dates, 5 November, 5 December and 21 December 2026, with the final confirmed list arriving on 21 December.

The competition accepts films made entirely or substantially with AI tools across a broad roster of categories: AI Short Film, AI Student Film, Feature, Documentary, Animation, Music Video and AI Screenplay. Any combination of tools is permitted, including Runway, Sora, Kling, Veo, Midjourney, Luma, Pika, Higgsfield and ComfyUI, so creators working in any generative pipeline are eligible. Films still in post-production at the time of submission are accepted, which is useful for teams completing their work close to the deadline.

What to submit

Short films must run under 45 minutes and must have been produced between January 2024 and December 2026. Feature-length works run over 45 minutes and must have been produced between January 2025 and December 2026. There is a separate AI Student Film category, which signals that the competition is genuinely structured for emerging creators and not only established professionals. Submissions are open globally, with no stated geographic restriction.

Prize structure

The prize situation requires honest clarity. The official JIFF page does not state specific prize amounts for the AI competition categories. The broader JIFF festival lists awards of up to ₹50,00,000 (roughly £47,000 at current rates) across all its competitions, but those figures are subject to government support and apply to the main festival programme. Entrants should not assume the AI category carries cash awards of that size. What is confirmed is a screening slot at the festival in Jaipur in January 2027 and the recognition that comes with appearing on JIFF's published nomination lists. If prize clarity matters to your submission decision, contact JIFF directly via jiffindia.org.

Terms worth reading

The entry form and fee tiers are on the official JIFF site. The page does not state a flat free-entry model, so check the current fee schedule before submitting. The competition runs multiple deadline tiers: early bird closed 15 August, late deadline was 15 October, extended deadline was 15 November, and the final hard deadline is 5 December 2026. Submitting before the extended tier on 15 November may reduce fees depending on the fee schedule. No specific licence or rights-transfer terms are detailed on the aggregator page, so read the submission agreement on the official entry form carefully before confirming your entry. Films in post-production are accepted, but you should confirm the delivery requirements for final files with the organisers.

How to enter

Submissions go through the official JIFF site. The final deadline is 5 December 2026, and given JIFF publishes its first nomination list on that same date, submit at least a day in advance to avoid any last-minute processing issues. Entry is open to filmmakers, students and creators from all continents.

Apply at the official entry page: jiffindia.org

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Source: https://aifilmcontests.com/contests/jiff-world-ai-cinema-2027