HKAIIFF · OFFICIAL FILM ARTWORKHow to take part
Turn an idea into work. A 72-hour on-site sprint and seven days of online refinement connect six creative tracks with a defined next step toward the festival.
Individuals and teams of 1–5 choose a track that fits their work. Dates, locations, eligibility, equipment, tools, fees and available resources are published on the event pages at hkaiiff.io. This guide explains the programme; the city-event directory lives on that platform.
View events & registration ↗Six tracks: choose what you will make
AI Short Film Creation
- Who it's for
- Directors, screenwriters, video creators, editors, AI video creators
- What you make
- Narrative, experimental, animation, documentary, sci-fi, or art short films. AI participates in the core creation.
- 72h on-site deliverable
- 1–3 min finished short film (MP4/MOV) + one-line story + AI tool list
- Judging focus
- Story & emotion, visual & sound completion, depth of AI methodology (Conductor framework), overall craft.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Best Generative Cinema + Craftsman Awards
AI Interactive Narrative
- Who it's for
- Interactive storytellers, game developers, experience designers, screenwriters
- What you make
- Interactive shorts, multi-ending films, AI real-time narrative, AI character dialogue cinema, web-based interactive imagery — works the audience can walk into.
- 72h on-site deliverable
- Runnable interactive demo (web link or executable) + 1–3 min walkthrough video
- Judging focus
- Originality of interaction mechanism, narrative-interaction integration, AI role in interaction/generation, experience completion.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Best Interactive Narrative
AI Virtual Character & Performance
- Who it's for
- Virtual human teams, digital idol teams, animators, performance designers, AI model teams
- What you make
- AI virtual characters, digital beings, AI performance — a credible, performing digital persona.
- 72h on-site deliverable
- Character demo reel (1–3 min) + character sheet + AI consistency methodology notes
- Judging focus
- Character credibility & shaping, performance & emotional expression, AI character consistency tech, artistic completion.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Best Digital Being + Best AI Performance
AI Brand & Commercial Film
- Who it's for
- Advertising creatives, brand content teams, commercial video teams, creative studios
- What you make
- 30-second to 3-minute brand, product, or public-service films, often around a brand challenge.
- 72h on-site deliverable
- 30 sec – 3 min finished commercial + brand brief response + AI tool list
- Judging focus
- Creativity & communicative power, brand expression accuracy, AI production efficiency, commercial completion.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Industry Extension
AI City & Cultural Film
- Who it's for
- Local creators, tourism content teams, documentary creators, students
- What you make
- AI imagery around a single city. Each city station sets a local prompt — "AI City, Human Story: [City]".
- 72h on-site deliverable
- 1–3 min city film + local prompt response: "AI City, Human Story: [City]"
- Judging focus
- Expression & insight into the city, humanistic emotion, AI imagery use, communication value.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Industry Extension
AI Film Tools & Technology
- Who it's for
- Developers, technical teams, product managers, AI engineers, open-source contributors
- What you make
- Tools or tech projects: script, storyboard, character consistency, editing, dubbing, music, virtual production, copyright detection, content discovery.
- 72h on-site deliverable
- Runnable tool demo + 1-page product description + 1–3 min demo video
- Judging focus
- Technical innovation, utility & completion, value to AI film workflow, ecosystem integration potential.
- Corresponds to (Festival)
- Open Source Contribution
The City Selection Seat: what a recommendation supports
City juries may recommend projects for further HKAIIFF support and formal submission. A recommendation is not a cash prize, festival selection or an award guarantee. The areas below remain subject to event terms, capacity and separate confirmation; expired 2026 hospitality arrangements do not carry forward.
- Work records and long-term archiving
- Creator-network and identity records
- Recommended festival submission status
- Hong Kong AI Film Market buyer-track connections
- Curated industry-list opportunities
- Workshop and mentor-exchange opportunities
- Tool resources published for the specific event
- Participation and hospitality confirmed for the relevant edition
- Press and work-discovery channels
- Brand challenges and commercial-brief matching
- City Selection Seat identity information
From creative challenge to festival
- View an event and register at hkaiiff.io
- Complete the 72-hour on-site sprint
- Refine the work online for seven days
- Prepare the work, AI contribution and rights records
- City jury review and recommendation
- Complete formal submission under the 2027 call
- Festival eligibility and professional review
- Independent festival decisions on selection, screenings and honours
The 2027 call runs from 1 October 2026 to 1 March 2027 at a flat US$99. Works must be completed on or after 1 August 2026; no premiere is required. Hackathon participation and recommendations do not replace formal entry.
Questions before taking part
Which track fits me without a film or coding background?
Start with a deliverable you can complete and the roles in your team. Story, editing, visual work, interaction, characters, brand content and tools correspond to different tracks. Read the track requirements and show your actual contribution.
Must I join the MCN to participate?
No. The hackathon, Global Growth Program MCN and Hong Kong AI Film Market are parallel support routes. Joining one does not sign you into another.
Does a recommendation waive entry conditions?
No. Completion date, 51% AI participation, rights records and entry fees remain subject to the current call. Any waiver needs specific official terms.
Who pays for tools, equipment and travel?
The published event terms and confirmed resource plan govern these costs. A tool partnership or recommendation is not a promise of free production, travel or compute.
How are rights handled for a team project?
Record each member’s role, contribution and joint-rights arrangements before submission. Confirm music, voice, likeness, source materials and tool terms. Holders decide subsequent licensing and market cooperation.
Where do hosts, brands and tool providers apply?
Use the separate Amazonia Partnership Program for hosting, technology and brand cooperation. This creator guide is not the institutional partnership application.