Showcasing a diverse array of talent from around the world, Expo City Dubai’s Artificial Intelligence Film Festival (AIFF) has received more than 500 short film submissions from 89 countries, enhancing the city’s position as a global technology pioneer and testbed for new technologies.

AIFF is the region's premier event exploring the potential of AI technology to drive creative storytelling and advance the filmmaking landscape. It underscores the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and technology, establishing Expo City Dubai as the epicentre of AI innovation and a global platform for collaboration on big ideas.

Dr Magd Zoroob, Senior Vice President – Future Technologies, Expo City Dubai, said: “As an innovation-driven city of the future, Expo City Dubai launched AIFF to showcase the transformative power of AI in the cinematic realm, and demonstrate how anyone, from anywhere, can become a film creator, regardless of their cinematic skills. We are delighted with the quality and diversity of the submissions, which show how much promise there is for this emerging field.

“AI technology enables people to express their creativity in a wide range of new ways and we are excited to explore this through AIFF’s ongoing hands-on workshops, and share the results with the wider creative and future tech communities. Through initiatives like AIFF, Expo City promotes a people-centric vision of AI, where technology empowers people, automates ‘non-value’ work and gives back precious time that can used more productively and creatively.”

With submissions for the global competition now closed, the AIFF jury is evaluating the short films and will reveal the top 10 shortlisted entries in mid-January. AIFF will then invite the public to vote for their favourite film from the shortlist, while Expo City’s custom-made AI tool will make its own choice independently, adding an exciting dimension to the competition.

The winners of Best Film, Best Director, Audience Choice, and AI Choice will be announced at the in-person awards ceremony on 29 February at Expo City Dubai, where they will be celebrated for their outstanding contributions to the world of AI-powered filmmaking.

Renowned AI, content and filmmaking experts have hosted several engaging sessions and workshops as part of AIFF's commitment to fostering dialogue and learning. More of these insightful sessions are coming soon, offering participants a deeper understanding of the intersection between AI and filmmaking and how to use AI tools to enable human creativity across the whole film production workflow.

For more information about the Artificial Intelligence Film Festival, please visit the AIFF Website.