Reply AI Film Festival Highlights AI’s Creative Power in Cinema at Venice Film Festival
The Reply AI Film Festival — a competitive event designed to bridge the gap between cinema and artificial intelligence (AI) — has unveiled its second edition selection during the Venice Film Festival.
From over 2,500 submissions across 67 countries, ten innovative works produced with the aid of new AI technologies have been chosen. The jury, chaired by acclaimed director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness), will announce the winners on September 4 at a ceremony held at the Hotel Excelsior on the Venice Lido. The jury panel includes notable figures such as Rob Minkoff, Caleb and Shelby Ward, Denise Negri, and others.
Awards to be presented include Best Use of AI in Filmmaking, the Production Excellence Award, the Lexus Visionary Award for technological and narrative innovation, and the AI for Good Award, developed in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union to honor stories aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Muccino emphasized that the festival represents a pioneering intersection of technology and art. He stated, “AI is not a replacement for human creativity, but a catalyst for innovation, enabling filmmakers to explore new styles, genres, and narratives that were previously unimaginable.” As jury president, he expressed enthusiasm for discovering new talents and celebrating bold creative experiments that will shape the future of cinema.
The ten finalist short films were selected based on their exploration of the theme “Generation of Emotions” and their demonstration of how AI can create authentic, emotionally engaging cinematic experiences.
The festival is promoted by Reply, an international group specializing in new business models enabled by AI and Digital Media.
Reply CTO Filippo Rizzante noted a significant leap in quality across submissions, praising the finalists for demonstrating how artificial intelligence can mature into a powerful creative tool, advancing new languages and forms of expression in filmmaking.
The 10 Finalist Short Films:
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A Million Trillion Pathway (ROHKI, US/Japan) — A story intertwining timelines of a broken swordsman, a grieving immortal, and a cosmic being fighting to save family and confront inner demons.
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Carousel (Andes Aloi, Argentina) — A visually poetic exploration of a romance’s memory and fantasy, blending AI with underwater scenes.
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Clown (Shanshan Jiang, UK) — A surreal live-action and AI hybrid about a clown losing her identity amid audience demands.
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Corrupt Data Clan (Eric Kervern, France) — Documentary celebrating a revolutionary 1993 Brooklyn hip-hop collective ahead of its time.
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Instinct (Marcello Costa Jr., Portugal) — An exploration of primal instincts versus civilized life, questioning human nature’s evolution.
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Love at First Sight (Jacopo Reale, Italy) — Entirely AI-created, depicting a silent connection between a young shepherd and an observing girl.
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Meme, Myself and AI (Private Island, UK) — Mixed-media film reflecting AI’s personification and the co-creation of authenticity by humans and audience.
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Not Chosen (Javier Marro, Chile) — Animated story of a rejected toy seeking belonging, exploring resilience through intimate visuals.
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The Cinema That Never Was (Mark Wachholz, Germany) — Imaginative film about unmade movies, using AI to recreate lost cinematic ideas.
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UN RÊVE LIQUIDE (Andrea Lommatzsch, Italy) — AI-driven visual narrative showcasing what substantial budgets might achieve in film creation.
