A New London Festival Wants Independent Films Where AI Helps Without Taking Over, With Entries Open Until June 2027
London AI Independent, a new festival at Sirlute Studios in Canary Wharf, takes films up to 60 minutes and awards seven jury prizes. Rolling deadlines run to 2 June 2027.
A film does not have to be made by a machine to belong at London AI Independent. That is the pitch of a new festival based at Sirlute Studios in Canary Wharf, which wants independent work where AI contributes meaningfully but is not the whole show. If a model shaped your animation, your edit, your sound design or the original idea, you are in the right room. If it did everything, the organisers do not say that is a requirement.
The calendar is unusually generous. Submissions opened on 27 September 2026 and run on rolling deadlines roughly every four weeks until the final cutoff on 2 June 2027. There is a first screening and director Q&A at Sirlute Studios on 4 October 2026, and the main event follows on 19 June 2027. For a filmmaker still finishing a cut, that is a long runway with several chances to get in.
What you submit
The festival takes short and mid-length films of up to 60 minutes. Categories listed on the official page cover short film, documentary, animation and experimental work. AI has to contribute meaningfully to generation, animation, editing, sound or concept, and any AI tools are allowed. Films need to be in English or carry English subtitles.
Only independent productions can enter. Studio-financed films are not eligible, so check your funding sources before you pay anything.
Entry is through FilmFreeway on the London AI Independent submission page. The official listing says the entry fee is shown on FilmFreeway, so it is not published in the text we were given. Entry may well cost money, and you should confirm the amount before submitting.
Prize structure
The festival awards seven jury prizes: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Use of AI, Best Documentary, Best Animation and Best Experimental Film. The page does not state any cash amount, credits or funding attached to these awards. What it does name is a screening and Q&A at Sirlute Studios, 7 Botanic Square, London E14. Treat this as a recognition and exposure prize rather than a payday, unless the FilmFreeway page says otherwise.
Terms worth reading
The official page gives only a short summary of the rules. It does not set out licensing terms, rights in submitted films, or whether work may be shown publicly beyond the festival screenings. Those details will sit in the FilmFreeway entry rules, and it is worth reading them before you submit, particularly anything about screening rights, online exhibition and use of your film in promotion.
The eligibility terms that are stated are plain. Independent productions only, no major-studio financing, a 60 minute length cap, and English language or English subtitles.
Dates and practical notes
The final submission deadline is 2 June 2027, and winners are notified on 11 June 2027. The page gives no cutoff time or timezone, and rolling deadlines can close earlier than you expect, so submit with a day in hand. The festival itself takes place on 19 June 2027 in London.
Utility note: check the FilmFreeway page for the current deadline tier and fee before you start, and keep a subtitle file ready if your film is not in English.