$1,000,000
Awarded across the Thematic and Open competitions — nine awards, from the $450,000 Grand Prize to five $50,000 category awards.
Open call · 01.07 — 07.09.2026
AAIFF2026
Astana AI Film Festival$2,000,000 total fund
A space for new authorship in cinema.
An international festival dedicated to films created with AI, held in Astana.
↓ scroll
Deadline · extended
Submit your film →New deadline — 7 September 2026. You asked for more time to finish your films — so we're giving it to you.
Total Fund×2
$1,000,000
The fund has doubled. One million US dollars in competition prizes — and a second million invested directly into new AI productions.
$1,000,000
Invested directly into the most promising AI productions — solo creators and studios alike — hand-picked personally by Balaji Srinivasan and Network School.
SPONSORS & PARTNERS.★
★MADE POSSIBLE TOGETHER.★★
★MADE POSSIBLE TOGETHER.★★SPONSORS & PARTNERS.★★MADE POSSIBLE TOGETHER.★★
★MADE POSSIBLE TOGETHER.★★
01 / Festival Process / Timeline
From
submission
to the festival stage.
AAIFF 2026 takes place from 25.05.2026 to 07.09.2026. All submissions undergo a curated selection process by an independent international jury.
- STAGE 01 — 25.05.2026
Submissions Open
Open call goes live. Filmmakers, artists, and studios are invited to register their work.
- STAGE 02 — 07.09.2026
Submissions Close
Final deadline. All entries undergo technical review and eligibility check.
- STAGE 03 — 07.09.2026
Official Commission
An international commission reviews entries and determines the Official Selection.
- STAGE 04 — 15.09.2026
Official Selection
Selected films are announced publicly. Press and industry access begins.
- STAGE 05 — 01.10.2026
Festival Opens
Opening night in Astana. Screenings, discussions, and the festival programme begin.
- STAGE 06 — 03.10.2026
Awards Ceremony
Festival awards are presented to selected films.
02 / Competition
Competition
structure.
Films may be submitted to both competitions.
The Open Competition accepts films of any theme, including previously completed works and films that have already participated in other festivals or competitions.
The Thematic Competition is reserved for films created within the festival eligibility period and developed in response to the annual theme:
“The Future Worth Living In”
Each submission must be registered separately.
Total Fund
$2,000,000
$1,000,000 in competition prizes across both sections + $1,000,000 production fund invested into new AI productions.
MAIN SECTION
Thematic Competition
Films created in response to the annual theme: The Future Worth Living In.
- Grand Prize$450,000
Awarded to the strongest film in the main competition.
- Second Prize$200,000
Awarded for outstanding artistic achievement.
- Third Prize$100,000
Awarded for originality and cinematic voice.
Prize Fund$750,000
OPEN SECTION
Open Competition
Open to films of any theme or approach. Works that have been shown or submitted elsewhere may also be considered.
- Best Character$50,000
Awarded for the creation of a memorable and compelling character, regardless of form or origin.
- Best Direction$50,000
Awarded for outstanding cinematic direction, pacing, and control of the film as a whole.
- Best Visual$50,000
Awarded for a distinctive and cohesive visual language, atmosphere, and style.
- Best Story$50,000
Awarded for strong storytelling, narrative structure, and emotional impact.
- Best Concept$50,000
Awarded for an original, thought-provoking, or visionary idea.
Prize Fund$250,000
Eligibility
Both competitions accept films with a duration of 3 minutes or longer.
Works submitted to the Thematic Competition must be created within the festival eligibility period and developed in response to the annual theme: The Future Worth Living In.
02.5 / Rules
Rules of admission.
All submissions must meet the following requirements.
Films uploaded to YouTube must include the hashtag #SpecialForAAIFF in the video description — entries without it will not be considered.
Films may be submitted in any language. English subtitles must be included directly in the video.
Works must be applied and registered between 25.05.26 and 07.09.26.
Generative AI must be integral to creation — not only VFX or upscaling.
All contributors credited; model(s) and pipeline disclosed on submission.
⏰ / Stay on track
Don't miss the deadline.
Drop your email and we'll send one short reminder a week — with a quick prep checklist — until submissions close on 7 September 2026. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.
03 / Submission
Submit your work
Submissions are open. Three steps from finished film to AAIFF 2026 Official Selection — no packets, no back-channels. One link (YouTube or Google Drive) and the work.
Step 01
01
Upload to YouTube or Google Drive
Either YouTube (public or unlisted) or a Google Drive file with view-access for anyone with the link. Upload in at least 1080p and keep the original title and credits with the file. YouTube uploads must include the hashtag #SpecialForAAIFF in the description — entries without it will not be considered.
Step 02
02
Paste the link here
Choose the source — YouTube or Google Drive — and drop the link in. We'll record which one you used.
Step 03
03
Pick a section
Two sections — Main (thematic) and Open. Choose the one that best fits; curators may re-route entries across sections at their discretion.
Submitting from China?
Use the China entry page — Bilibili links accepted, Instagram optional.
Minimum length: 3 minutes
Films shorter than 3 minutes are not accepted in either competition. Make sure your film runs 3:00 or longer before you submit.
04 / Jury
The
authors
who decide.
Our jury — directors, curators, technologists and critics — will be revealed closer to the festival.
Jury announcement
To be
announced.
The full jury lineup will be published before submissions close. Follow the festival to be notified when names are announced.
05 / Events & Mission
More than
a screening.
AAIFF is a festival, a community, and a distribution channel for AI-native cinema — built around the people making the films, not only the films themselves.
Festival
Curated competition, real jury, and a public stage for the year's strongest AI-native cinema.
Community
A space where filmmakers share work-in-progress, find collaborators, and stay in contact between editions.
Distribution channel
We bring the strongest entries in front of producers, platforms and investors — so the right films get noticed and funded after the festival ends.
05.1 / Programme
Events of the festival.
EVENT / 01Live Nominations
Awards Night, Astana
An evening built around the people behind the films. Authors of the strongest entries are invited in person, the jury sits in the room, and the nominations are read out live — not announced after the fact, but felt together.
EVENT / 02Community Salon
Filmmakers · Jury · Guests
Industry guests, mentors and selected filmmakers share the same space. Open conversations, screenings, and informal meetings — the festival as a meeting point for everyone making AI cinema, not a one-night ceremony.
06 / FAQ
Frequently
asked.
Quick answers about submitting, eligibility, and the festival timeline. For anything else — drop us a line at desk@aaiff.ai.
There is no cap — you can submit as many films as you like. Every entry has to be registered separately through the submission form.
Films may be submitted to both sections of the festival. The Open Competition accepts films of any theme, including previously completed works and films that have already participated in other festivals or competitions. The Thematic Competition is reserved for films created within the festival eligibility period and developed in response to the annual theme: The Future Worth Living In. Each entry must be submitted separately during registration.
Submissions will be open from 25.05.2026 through 07.09.2026. The form will be available on this site for the entire window. Can't make the deadline? You can still submit after it closes — entries after 7 September 2026 will be considered at the discretion of the judges.
Either YouTube (public or unlisted) or Google Drive (with view-access for anyone with the link). The submission form lets you choose which one, then paste the link.
No. Submissions to AAIFF 2026 are free for everyone.
Both. The festival is open to individuals, studios, and collaborative teams — just credit every contributor and disclose the AI pipeline you used.