Call for Entries: AIGC Unit of the 16th Beijing International Film Festival
Call for Entries for the AIGC Unit of the 16th BJIFF
To Global Explorers in Film Art and AI Technology,
As the world's first dedicated film festival unit focused on AI-driven collaborative visual creation, the AIGC Unit of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) is entering its third year. What began as a pioneering exploration has grown into a globally recognized platform for AI-enhanced filmmaking. Over the past three years, we have seen remarkable technological advancements and an increasing number of young creators bringing their cinematic dreams to life through AI.
Even as the boundaries of visual expression continue to expand, our founding mission remains steadfast: to advance technology in harmony with art, while keeping the human at the heart of the creation.
The 3rd AIGC Unit will center on the principle of "Dual Drive of Technology and Art", fostering a new synergy between AI film creation, exchange, and industry development. By harnessing creative talent from around the world, we aim to position China as a birthplace and leader in AIGC filmmaking, empowering every creator to leverage AI and craft innovative light-and-shadow narratives for our era.
I. Event Background
Established at the 14th BJIFF, the AIGC Unit has become a vital link between AI technology and cinematic art. It continues to unlock the innovative potential of AI in the digital film and television industry, fostering cross-sector integration and advancement. In 2025, during the 15th BJIFF AIGC Unit, guided by principles of globalization and public engagement, creators worldwide used technology as their catalyst and creativity as their essence to produce exceptional AI-assisted visual works. These pieces blended cutting-edge visuals, social relevance, and artistic depth. Building on this success, this year's unit will reaffirm its core mission, deepening the fusion of AI technology and film art to spotlight more high-quality works and creators on the international stage.
II. Organizational Structure:
16th Beijing International Film Festival
AIGC Unit
Guiding Unit:
Beijing International Film Festival Organizing Committee Office
Host:
Communication University of China
Exclusive Strategic Partner for the Entire Event:
Tongyi Wanxiang
Organizer:
School of Animation and Digital Arts, Communication University of China
Exclusive Cooperation Platforms for the Event:
Tencent Video, Lingya Community
Co-organizers:
China Film AI Research Institute
Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute
Academic Supporting Units:
China Animation Association
Digital Human Research Institute, Communication University of China
Specially Invited Community Partners:
StoryStorm, AI · DAO
Global Strategic Partners:
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) AI Film Festival
Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) International Youth Film Festival
MIT AI Filmmaking Hackathon
III. Submission Period and Scope
Submission Period: From now until March 30, 2026
Eligible Works: AIGC-related films completed worldwide between January 1, 2025, and March 30, 2026
IV. Requirements for Entries
This year's competition features three categories, with the following specifications:
▍ Feature Film Group:
Duration: At least 45 minutes
Technical Requirement: AI technology must be applied in over 50% of the production process
▍ Short Film Group:
Duration: 1 to 20 minutes
Technical Requirement: AI technology must be applied in over 70% of the production process
▍AI Series Group:
Episode Duration: 1 to 5 minutes per episode
Overall Series Requirement: Must consist of over 8 episodes
Submission Instructions: Submit at least 5 completed episodes. Trailers are not accepted. Combine episodes into a single video file for upload.
Technical Requirement: AI technology must be applied in over 50% of the production process
General Technical Requirements:
1. Entries must showcase innovative and appropriate use of AI in one or more aspects, such as narrative innovation, visual aesthetics, special effects, or sound design, demonstrating a profound integration of AI with film and television production.
2. All submissions require a detailed creative statement explaining the AI technologies used, their applications, and implementation details, including but not limited to: names and versions of AI tools, full content generation workflow, core prompts and key parameter settings, screenshots of the creative process, references and source material descriptions, and key screenshots or a short video clip from the generation process. This statement is crucial for the jury's understanding of the creative logic and technical evaluation.
3. Theme and Orientation: No restrictions apply. Creators are encouraged to address diverse topics, including contemporary social issues, cultural heritage, personal stories, and global themes, to produce AIGC works with intellectual depth, artistic value, and contemporary resonance.
4. Video Format: MOV or MP4, with a minimum resolution of 1080P.
5. Eligibility: Open to film and television professionals, AI creators, university students and faculty, and young talents worldwide, without restrictions on nationality or age.
V. Awards and Honors
Film Group, and AI Series Group.
▍ Feature Film Group Awards:
• Best AIGC Feature Film (1 winner)
Recognizes the year's standout work for its world-class narrative depth, audiovisual language, and AI integration.
• Best Director (1 winner)
Recognizes the director or lead creator for exceptional coordination and artistic vision in feature production.
• Best Screenplay (1 winner)
Recognizes a screenplay with logical coherence, complex structure, and emotional depth in long-form storytelling.
• Best Visual Effects (1 winner)
Recognizes visual excellence in cohesive visual texture, stunning special effects, and a unique artistic style.
• Best Sound Design (1 winner)
Recognizes outstanding original music that masterfully builds atmosphere, conveys emotion, and integrates with visuals.
• Best Technical Breakthrough (1 winner)
Recognizes a team that has executed a complete, industry-grade "AI feature film production pipeline" at an internationally leading standard.
▍Short Film Group Awards:
• Best Film (1 winner)
Recognizes a benchmark AIGC short film that demonstrates exceptional excellence in narrative structure, directorial vision, emotional impact, technical application, and overall artistic presentation, while offering profound insights into the human spirit, social realities, or technological trends.
• Best Creative Concept (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC film that breaks from tradition in its core concept, narrative structure, or visual language, demonstrating unique imagination and innovative thinking.
• Best Art Direction (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC film distinguished by exceptional artistry in set design, costume styling, color composition, and overall aesthetic style, exhibiting high artistic value and strong visual identity.
• Best Visual Effects (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC film that achieves breakthroughs in the application of visual effects technology and visual presentation, thereby advancing innovation in the art of cinematic visual effects.
• Best Music (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC music film that demonstrates excellence in original music composition, sound design, sound effects creation, and overall audio quality presentation.
• Technical Innovation (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC film that achieves significant breakthroughs in areas such as AI creation workflow optimization, technical integration and application, or innovative tool implementation.
• Commercial Potential (1 winner)
Recognizes an AIGC film that demonstrates clear market positioning, possesses diverse commercial development prospects, and holds substantial industrial value.
• Excellent Works (10 winners)
Recognizes AIGC films that demonstrate excellence across all dimensions - including technical application, artistic expression, and content presentation - thereby highlighting the potential of AI-cinematic integration.
▍AI Series Group Awards:
• Best AI Series (1 winner)
Recognizes a series with comprehensive planning, refined production, and lasting appeal.
• Best Art Direction (1 winner)
Recognizes outstanding artistic creation that excels in world-building and maintains consistent stylistic coherence across the series.
• Best Character Portrayal (1 winner)
Recognizes a series featuring vivid, dynamically performed, and highly distinctive virtual characters.
• Best Narrative Innovation (1 winner)
Recognizes a series that excels in adapting to the short-form episodic rhythm through innovative and compelling storytelling techniques.
• Highest Commercial Value (1 winner)
Recognizes a series project with strong IP attributes, clear market positioning, and exceptional monetization potential.
This year's competition also sets up the [Tongyi Wan Muse + Special Category]:
This category is open to creators worldwide, focusing on the cinematic-grade creative capabilities of the Wan model.
Eligibility: Open to creators worldwide, including but not limited to individual creators, creative teams, studios, and organizations.
Content Requirements: Entries must be created primarily using the Tongyi Wanxiang video generation model and align with the designated theme.
Awards: The category features multiple honors and a total prize pool of RMB 100,000, recognizing exceptional works that best embody the theme.
(Full details will be announced separately on the official BJIFF platform. Stay tuned.)
VI. Registration and Submission
1. Exclusive Submission Platform: Tencent Video Lingya Community
Click "Read More" to access the submission page.
2. Submission Process
(1) Upload your video and complete the work information form. Ensure you select the event topic “BJIFF AIGC Unit”, agree to the terms and conditions, and choose the correct competition category. (Tip: We recommend enabling the work-syncing feature to increase visibility and reach more viewers.)
(2) Share your creative process: Provide a clear description of your concept and include at least one detailed storyboard breakdown.
VII. Event Benefits
1. Exclusive Screening Opportunities: Selected and award-winning works will be showcased in dedicated screenings during the AIGC Unit at the 16th BJIFF. In addition, outstanding entries will be recommended and promoted across Tencent Video, reaching a global audience of film enthusiasts, professionals, and industry leaders to maximize exposure and impact.
2. Premium Industry Networking: Outstanding creators will receive invitations to exclusive festival networking events, offering direct, in-person opportunities to connect with internationally acclaimed directors, producers, and industry experts. These interactions provide access to high-quality industry resources and open doors for future collaboration.
3. Professional Computing Power Support: Selected works will be granted priority access to Tongyi Wanxiang's specialized AI computing resources, enabling refined workflows, higher technical quality, and more ambitious artistic expression.
VIII. Contact Information
Competition Q&A Group QR Code
Inquiry Email: aigc_tencentvideo@tencent.com
The Q&A group and email are for event-related questions only. They do not accept film submissions. For detailed rules, updates, and announcements, please follow the official BJIFF WeChat account.
Special Notes:
Creators retain full copyright ownership of their submitted works. All entries must be original and free of any copyright disputes; creators are solely responsible for any legal issues that may arise.
The Organizing Committee reserves the non-commercial right to screen, promote, archive, and use submitted works in connection with the festival and its related activities. For complete terms, please refer to the official submission portal.
Our Vision
Rooted in China yet embracing a global outlook, the BJIFF AIGC Unit is dedicated to building the world's most influential platform for AI-driven cinematic innovation. We see cinema as the bridge and AI as the new language, creating an ecosystem where technology and art thrive together, creators collaborate with algorithms, and industry meets culture in meaningful ways.
Over the next three years, the AIGC Unit aspires to become: the global intellectual center for AIGC visual storytelling; an experimental lab for the deep fusion of filmmaking craft and intelligent technology; and a creative home for the next generation of creators co-evolving with AI models.
We envision AI as an extension of cinematic language, returning creation to the heart of human expression.
We believe the future of film remains human; only the tools have advanced.
AI does not replace imagination - it amplifies it. It does not diminish creation - it democratizes it, empowering more voices to tell their stories.
This is a commitment to the future of imagery, storytelling, and creators themselves.
This unit is dedicated to building a human-centered ecosystem for AI filmmaking, where algorithms serve narrative and emotion, and technology extends imagination.
From this starting point, we aspire to establish China as the pioneering hub of the global AIGC film and television ecosystem, empowering every creator with stories and dreams - accompanied by AI - to illuminate the future of cinema with imagination.
