The world of filmmaking is increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), and a young film festival is showcasing this exciting development. Now in its third year, the festival highlights the latest achievements in AI cinema.

The AI Film Festival, organized by Runway—an innovative company in AI-driven video technology—kicked off in New York with a presentation of ten short films from various countries.

“Three years ago, this concept seemed bold and out there,” shared Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO of Runway, addressing the audience. “Now, millions are creating billions of videos with tools that once felt like a fantasy.”

This year, the festival has seen impressive growth since its launch in 2023. About 300 films were submitted in its inaugural year, while this year, the number surged to around 6,000.

The one-and-a-half-hour program featured a diversity of creative styles and intriguing themes, with Jacob Alder’s “Total Pixel Space” winning the festival’s top honor. This 9-minute and 28-second short explores the vast number of possible images in our digital world, combining familiar moments with mind-bending visuals.

Another standout was Andrew Salter’s “Jailbird,” which tells the story of a chicken that embarks on an unexpected journey to a UK prison to engage in a rehabilitation initiative. Third-place honors went to “One,” a futuristic tale by Ricardo Villavicencio and Edward Saatchi about space travel.

The ten films presented were selected from a vast pool of submissions, and this year’s top selections will also screen in Los Angeles and Paris next week.

Judges assess how AI is utilized in each entry when choosing the winners. However, not all films are entirely AI-generated; while entries must feature AI, filmmakers can blend live-action and traditional elements with AI components.

“Our aim is to inspire creativity and experimentation,” Valenzuela stated in a pre-festival interview.

Crafting a cohesive film with generative AI presents challenges, often requiring detailed prompts to achieve clarity and consistency. However, Valenzuela notes that since the first festival in 2023, the technology’s potential has notably expanded, leading to increasingly lifelike AI-generated videos.

Runway encourages filmmakers to use its AI tools, though they are free to explore other resources as well. AI technology for creating videos has advanced significantly in recent years, becoming more accessible across the industry.

“The way this technology is integrating into cinema and popular culture has accelerated rapidly,” remarked Joshua Glick, an associate professor at Bard College.

Glick noted that Runway’s festival is part of a growing trend, as companies push for greater acceptance and recognition for their AI innovations, aiming to forge partnerships in Hollywood.

The presence of AI in the film industry is more extensive than many audiences might realize. Beyond notable uses, such as “de-aging” actors in major productions, Glick emphasized that AI plays a vital role in post-production editing, enhancing visuals, and sorting footage.

Industry leaders continually highlight how AI streamlines filmmaking, allowing tasks that once took hours to be done in minutes, fostering creativity and innovation.

However, the swift advancement of AI has also raised concerns, especially regarding its impact on jobs within the industry.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), representing behind-the-scenes workers in the U.S. and Canada, supports new technologies that enhance storytelling, but emphasizes that AI should not compromise workers’ rights or livelihoods, as expressed in a statement from their vice president, Vanessa Holtgrewe.

IATSE continues to engage with major studios to develop guidelines for AI usage. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is also advocating for protective measures for its members during recent labor disputes.

As for Runway’s film festival, Valenzuela aims to demonstrate the potential of AI in film and show that it can be a friend to creativity rather than a foe.

“It’s normal to fear change … but it’s crucial to understand the possibilities it offers,” Valenzuela remarked. He compared the evolution of filmmaking to past scientific breakthroughs that were once seen as unsettling.