AI film festivals & contests, 2026–27
Deadlines, fees, prizes and AI rules, with sources.
| FESTIVAL | NEXT DEADLINE | FEE | PRIZE / VALUE | ELIGIBILITY & AI RULES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FilmGate Festival — Films Made with AI (monthly) | Rolling — selected as received; 2027 Free-For-All screenings Jan/Jun/Aug 2027 | Free entry for filmmakers per FilmGate site; FilmFreeway lists $25 std / $18.75 Gold for some categories | — | Under 10 min; filmmaker lives in or is based in Florida; must attend in person or send rep for Q&A AI: Must state AI tech used in credits and form; credit likeness of actors with signed consent |
| FilmGate Interactive 13 — Created with AI / Films with AI | 2026-12-20 Regular | $35 regular / $50 late (Gold $26.25 / $37.50) | — | All lengths; non-English needs English subtitles AI: Dedicated AI categories |
| Runway AI Festival (AIF) 2027 | 2027 call not yet announced (2026 window was Jan 28–Apr 27, 2026) | Free in 2026 | — | 2026 Film track: 3–15 min, linear narrative AI: Must include generative video; any tools (not Runway-only); describe AI techniques |
| World AI Film Festival (WAIFF) Cannes 2027 | 2026-11-15 Early bird (€15) | €15 / €30 / €60 per work | — | Shorts competition 5–15 min; features 30+ min; series ≥2 episodes. EXCLUDES creators from USA (and Japan, S. Korea, Brazil, UK, China, etc.) — must use local WAIFF edition; no prior participation in another WAIFF AI: AI film festival |
| Hong Kong AI International Film Festival 2027 | 2027-03-01 Submission close 23:59 HKT | US$99 per work | Not found in entry guide excerpt — verify before paying $99 | Completed on/after 2026-08-01; no premiere requirement; English subs/transcript AI: AI-native films; disclose prior versions |
| AI for Good Film Festival 2027 | 2027-01-15 Opens | Not stated (submit via site) | — | 1–10 min; completed Sep 1 2026–May 1 2027; one entry per team; not fully online before event if finalist AI: Ethical AI use, licensing, transparency |
| Dasein Film Festival | 2027-02-01 Late deadline | See FilmFreeway | — | Experimental AI short films, worldwide AI: AI short films |
| AI Cinema Festival Québec City 2027 | 2027-01-24 Deadline | See FilmFreeway | — | Global; short, feature, experimental, music video, documentary AI: Hybrid or fully AI; judged incl. consent & responsibility |
| CSFCCA International AI Film Festival — Winter 2026 | 2026-12-10 Regular | e.g. AI Screenplay $25 regular / $28 final | — | AI used in ≥50% of process or final visuals AI: ≥50% AI; has AI Original Screenplay category (3–15 min shorts) |
| AI ZONE International AI Film Festival | 2026-11-30 Regular | Free | — | International AI: Any AI tools |
| Curious Refuge x Epidemic Sound AI Holiday Film Competition 2026 | 2026-10-15 Opens | Free | — | Global; fully AI-generated holiday short AI: Fully AI-generated |
| MetaMorph x TapNow — Winter Activation | 2026-10-16 Opens | Free | — | Worldwide AI: ≥50% generated with TapNow on a public canvas (platform-locked) |
| IA Play International Film Festival Madrid | 2027-01-01 Final deadline | €6 | — | Completed Jan 2023+; max 40 min; no prior festival submissions AI: Must intentionally incorporate AI |
| Chroma Awards Season 2 (formerly Project Odyssey) | 2026-10-19 Submissions open | Free (prior-season rules: free, no purchase) | Season 2: $194K sponsor awards pool; Film & TV $55K (incl. OpenArt Film of the Year, Horror/Thriller/Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy); BTS division $22K; $700K+ cash given across all seasons | Film: >90s and <22 min, 16:9 or 9:16, made after Feb 1 2025 (prior season rules), public YouTube/Vimeo/TikTok/IG link, one category per project AI: Any AI tool used significantly; sponsor awards (OpenArt, ElevenLabs, Dreamina, Kling…) require using and tagging that tool; only licensed music/IP/likeness |
| Tribeca Festival 2027 — Tribeca TV (independent pilots) | 2026-10-21 Early ($50) | $50 / $60 / $75 | Official Selection laurels + automatic invite to Tribeca Creators Market (pitch to distributors, networks, funders) | Independent episodic series/pilots/web series; must show potential for serial growth (standalone shorts not considered); multiple episodes allowed in one submission AI: No AI rule found in 2027 rules |
| Tribeca Festival 2027 — Shorts | 2026-10-28 Early ($50) | $50 / $70 / $80 | — | <40 min; must be at least NY Regional premiere to compete AI: None stated |
| Tribeca Festival 2027 — Tribeca Digital Creators | 2026-10-28 Early ($30) | $30 / $40 / $60 | Tribeca laurels, Digital Creators Award eligibility, Tribeca Market pitching | Creators publishing on TikTok/IG/YouTube; judged on audience connection & storytelling AI: None stated |
| Florida Film Festival 2027 (Oscar-qualifying shorts) | 2026-11-06 Regular | $50 regular / $70 late / $90 extended (aggregator) | Grand Jury short winners Academy-eligible; MovieMaker '50 worth the fee' | Shorts <41 min; Florida premiere required to compete for Grand Jury AI: Not found |
| Miami Film Festival 2027 | 2026-11-02 Regular | $75 / $85 / $110 (search summary; page fetch timed out) | — | Shorts ≤30 min; premiere & AI rules not verified AI: Unknown |
| 1 Billion Followers Summit AI Film Award 2027 | 2026-11-20 Deadline | Free | $1,000,000 grand prize | Original 5–7 min film; ≥70% generated with Seedance (per Segmind summary) AI: Seedance-powered |
| Sundance 2027 / SXSW 2027 shorts | 2026-08-31 Sundance shorts late (closed) | closed | — | Sundance allows AI with disclosure AI: Disclosure required (Sundance) |
Before you pay a fee, read the submission FAQ, pick tools with the Pipeline Picker, or see how real entries were made in the case study.
⚠ "verify" = sourced from a tracker or aggregator; confirm on the organizer's page. Want the checklist + templates? Get the Submission Kit →
Submitting AI films: FAQ
What are the AI film festivals in 2026–27?
Festivals and contests tracked include FilmGate Festival — Films Made with AI (monthly), FilmGate Interactive 13 — Created with AI / Films with AI, Runway AI Festival (AIF) 2027, World AI Film Festival (WAIFF) Cannes 2027, Hong Kong AI International Film Festival 2027, AI for Good Film Festival 2027, Dasein Film Festival, AI Cinema Festival Québec City 2027, CSFCCA International AI Film Festival — Winter 2026, AI ZONE International AI Film Festival, Curious Refuge x Epidemic Sound AI Holiday Film Competition 2026, MetaMorph x TapNow — Winter Activation, and more. The full table below shows next deadline, fee, prize and AI rules for each.
Are there free AI film festivals?
Yes. Listed as free entry: FilmGate Festival — Films Made with AI (monthly), Runway AI Festival (AIF) 2027, AI ZONE International AI Film Festival, Curious Refuge x Epidemic Sound AI Holiday Film Competition 2026, MetaMorph x TapNow — Winter Activation, Chroma Awards Season 2 (formerly Project Odyssey), 1 Billion Followers Summit AI Film Award 2027. Fees change, so confirm on the organizer's page before submitting.
How do I submit an AI film to a festival?
1) Check eligibility: runtime, completion date, premiere status, country restrictions and whether a specific tool is required. 2) Prepare a logline, synopsis, AI-use statement, credits and any likeness consent. 3) Submit through the festival's own site or FilmFreeway before the deadline. 4) Track fees and notification dates.
Do AI film festivals require disclosing which AI tools you used?
Many do. For example, FilmGate requires stating the AI technology used in the credits and submission form and crediting actors' likeness with signed consent. Check the AI rules column for each festival.
What are common eligibility traps for AI film submissions?
Five that cost entry fees: premiere status, country exclusions, runtime limits, completion-date windows, and tool lock-in (contests that require a specific AI tool).