AI Film Festival

The festival will take place on April 19th and 20th. Keep an eye out for updates and announcements—we’ll share more details shortly. Stay connected and don’t miss it!

The submission deadline is midnight on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

Participants will engage with AI platforms to craft scripts, visuals, and soundscapes, blending technology with imagination. While AI provides powerful tools for generating content, it is the human touch that brings depth, emotion, and coherence. Creative direction, thoughtful refinement, and artistic judgment remain essential to shaping a compelling final product.

We’re presenting awards in multiple exciting categories that celebrate creativity, innovation, and the powerful collaboration between human imagination and AI tools:

• Best film and runner up
• Fan choice and runner up
• Best scripts and runner up
• Best overall technical excellence and runner up
• Best AI generated music and runner up
• Best character generation and runner up
• Best production design (aesthetic) and runner up

All currently enrolled Fredonia students, Community college students, and high school students are eligible to participate. Stay tuned for updates as we explore expanding eligibility in upcoming editions!

Film Submission Guidelines:

• All genres are welcome
• We encourage a focus on themes related to student life and education
• Films can be created using AI tools, showcasing the innovative blend of technology and storytelling
• You may use AI tools that have large royalty free stock images, generate your own images from AI, create your own images or music on a computer or manually
• Include opening and closing credits
• Include closed captioning
• Should you want to use copyrighted material or any other materials not in the public domain, you must obtain the necessary permissions and provide evidence of such.
• Plagiarized or unauthorized use of copyright materials is strictly prohibited
• Duration: Films may not exceed 5 minutes in length
• Films must adhere to all university policies and avoid offensive content
• Not have been publicly released elsewhere
• Let your creativity shine while exploring the possibilities of AI-assisted filmmaking
• Filmmakers are encouraged to promote their films within or outside the university community
• By submitting the film, you are agreeing to the fair use of the film by the university for the purposes of the film festival and promotional activities
• Filmmakers will retain all copyright of their works

Technical Excellence

• How scripts are used in a unique way to produce the movie (1-10 points)
• How a combination of human input, editing and scripts are used to produce the movie (1-10 points)
• How a combination of human input and AI Scripts are used in sound design such as dialogue, music, and sound effects (1-10 points)
• Quality of editing including pace, transitions, and coherence (1-10 points)
• Scene generation (1-10 points)

Narrative and Impact

• Engaging plot or theme (1-10 points)
• Emotional impact on the audience (1-10 points)
• Effective communication of the intended message (1-10 points)

Character Generation and Performance of Generated Characters

• How AI was used to create avatars, animated characters, virtual actors with convincing performances (1-10 points)

Films can be submitted through using the Call for Submissions - SUNY Fredonia AI Film Festival Form. 

Join leading voices in AI, ethics, creativity, and media for an engaging and insightful conversation on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in storytelling. This thought-provoking discussion will explore how AI is reshaping narrative creation, the ethical considerations involved, and the future of human-AI collaboration in creative industries. Don’t miss it!

Be sure to visit our website often for the latest updates, detailed submission guidelines, and workshop schedules. Stay informed and don’t miss any important announcements or opportunities to participate and learn.