An award celebrating innovation, storytelling, and technology — where filmmakers redefined short films through the creative power of artificial intelligence.
As part of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, visionary filmmakers created AI films generated using Google Gemini models. The top films premiered at the Summit, and one winner received the $1,000,000 Grand Prize.
Set in a gloomy, rain-soaked city, the film follows a lonely archivist whose life is upended by a doll that became trapped on his car bumper during a hit-and-run accident he committed. Haunted by the object, which reveals itself as the spiritual link to the survivor, the protagonist is driven to confront his guilt and ultimately chooses redemption by confessing to the police and reuniting the doll with the child in the hospital.
Filmmakers from around the world began submitting AI films
Last day for AI film submissions
Selected by an expert committee
Audiences voted for their favorite from the Top 12
Top 5 AI films premiered at 1BFS
The $1M award winner was announced
FILMS FOLLOWED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
STORIES IMAGINING THE FUTURE WITH A POSITIVE TWIST
REVEAL THE HIDDEN STORIES BEHIND EVERYDAY THINGS
Requirements for the completed 2026 competition
Entrants created a 7-10 minute AI-generated film (in any language, subtitled in English).
Films used Google Gemini tools for video generation — see the criteria for more detail.
Filmmakers had about two months from the start date to complete and submit their film.
Open worldwide. One entry per individual.
The winner received $1,000,000 USD and global recognition for their work.
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