AI Film ContestsâºGuidesâºAI Film Contests Closing This Week: Every Deadline Between Now and Early July 2026
AI Film Contests Closing This Week: Every Deadline Between Now and Early July 2026
As of June 21, 2026, at least nine AI film contests close within the next two weeks, and several are free to enter. The earliest is the AI Shortest Film Competition by LTX Studio and Forward Festival Berlin, which shuts on June 28; then a four-festival logjam lands on June 30 - Hong Kong's HKAIIFF (the world's first AI-native festival, with roughly $1,000,000 in prize support), Seoul's free SDAFF whose grand-prize film screens on the 222-metre Dongdaemun Design Plaza facade, South Korea's GAMFF, and the China-backed AI Artist Festival's 5th season; July 1 brings Italy's Burano BAIFF near Venice, Hollywood's Neu Wave gala, and the UN-aligned AI for the Future HLPF edition; and the window closes out with AIMagica on July 2 and the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival's $10,000 Best AI Film Award on July 6. This guide lists every closing-soon deadline with its exact prize, entry fee, and eligibility, tells you which ones cost nothing, and shows how to point a single finished short at several of them before they lock.
The short answer: nine AI film contests closing by July 6
If your AI film is finished or nearly finished, here is the full closing-soon slate in deadline order, pulled live from our database on June 21, 2026. June 28: AI Shortest Film Competition (LTX Studio x Forward Festival Berlin), free, $3,000 top prize. June 30: Hong Kong AI International Film Festival (HKAIIFF), $99, roughly $1,000,000 in compute prize support; Seoul Design AI Film Festival (SDAFF), free, KRW 24,000,000 (about $18,000) total; Gyeongsangbuk-do International AI/Metaverse Film Festival (GAMFF), cash prizes; AI Artist Festival 5th Season, laurels and recognition. July 1: BAIFF Burano (Venice, Italy), tiered FilmFreeway fee; Neu Wave AI Film Festival (Hollywood), category fees; AI for the Future Festival HLPF Edition (United Nations, New York). July 2: AIMagica AI Film Festival. July 6: Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival, free, $10,000 Best AI Film Award. Four of these nine are free to enter, and three carry real money or compute at the $10,000-to-$1,000,000 level. The single most urgent action today is the June 28 LTX deadline, because it is only a week out and requires you to build the film inside one specific tool. Everything else gives you nine days or more.
Closes June 28: the LTX Studio x Forward Festival Berlin shortest-film prize
The most urgent deadline on the board belongs to the AI Shortest Film Competition, presented by LTX Studio and Forward Festival Berlin, which closes June 28, 2026. It is free to enter, and the catch that makes it time-sensitive is the tool requirement: your film must be created in LTX Studio, can run up to 60 seconds, and post-production editing is permitted only via XML export. Forward Festival provides free LTX Studio access through the June 28 deadline, so a creator starting today can produce, finish, and submit inside one platform at no cost. The prize ladder is unusually generous for a one-minute brief: first place takes $3,000 cash plus travel, accommodation, and tickets to Forward Festival Berlin and a one-year LTX Studio Pro subscription; second place wins $1,500; third place $1,000; and runners-up four through twenty-five receive Forward Festival tickets plus LTX compute. Shortlisted films screen live in front of an international audience at the Shortest AI Film Festival during Forward Festival Berlin on August 27 to 28, 2026. Films in any language are accepted, but non-English work needs English subtitles, the file ceiling is 1GB, and the final format is .mp4. Because the LTX-only rule means you cannot repurpose a Sora or Runway short you already made, treat this as a stand-alone sprint: pick one strong 60-second idea, build it in LTX over the next few days, and submit well before the 28th to avoid render and upload bottlenecks.
Closes June 30: four festivals on one day, led by Hong Kong's $1M HKAIIFF
June 30 is the busiest deadline of the season, with four AI festivals closing at once. The headliner is the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival (HKAIIFF), billed as the world's first AI-native film festival, running July 17 to 23, 2026. Its standard window closes June 30 at a USD $99 fee, with a higher-priced Final Call window (July 1 to 10, $149) as a last resort. HKAIIFF offers roughly $1,000,000 in festival prize support delivered as computing-resource grants rather than cash, across 19 honours, and its defining rule is that AI must account for at least 51% of a film's creative participation. The same day, Seoul's free Seoul Design AI Film Festival (SDAFF) closes at 11:00 local time: organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, it carries a KRW 24,000,000 (about $18,000) total pool, a KRW 10,000,000 grand prize, and the standout reward of having the winning 3-to-5-minute film projected on the 222-metre Dongdaemun Design Plaza facade - a Guinness World Record holder for the largest 3D mapping on an atypical building - during Seoul Light DDP 2026. Also closing June 30: South Korea's Gyeongsangbuk-do International AI/Metaverse Film Festival (GAMFF), which awards cash across AI and metaverse categories, and the AI Artist Festival 5th Season, a China-rooted, globally open competition backed by PixVerse, Midjourney China and AIGC&China that hands out laurels and community recognition. SDAFF and HKAIIFF accept any AI tools, so a single qualifying short can target both.
Closes July 1: Venice's Burano BAIFF, Hollywood's Neu Wave, and the UN's AI for the Future
Three very different festivals close July 1, 2026. BAIFF, the Burano Artificial Intelligence Film Festival, is the first European festival dedicated exclusively to AI-assisted short films, staged on the lace-making island of Burano near Venice from October 13 to 17, 2026. Its final deadline is July 1, entries pay a tiered FilmFreeway fee, films must be 25-to-100% AI-made and completed between January 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026, and it openly accepts Runway, Sora, Kling, Veo, Midjourney, Higgsfield, Luma, and any AI tool. On the other side of the world, the Neu Wave AI Film Festival closes July 1 with a Hollywood Gala on October 14 to 15 timed to LA Tech Week, where the top five projects screen for industry executives, agents, and producers; categories span AI Long Film (10+ minutes), AI TV Commercial, AI Music Video, Experimental, and a two-minute Vertical Drama that requires Topview.ai. The third July 1 deadline is the most unusual: the AI for the Future Festival HLPF Edition selects films to screen at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York in July 2026, prioritizing works on AI governance, climate justice, gender equity, and human rights. None of these three pays a large cash purse, but each offers a credential - a Venice-adjacent premiere, a Hollywood industry audience, or a UN screening - that is hard to buy.
Closes July 2 and July 6: AIMagica and the $10,000 Inspiring Asia Best AI Film Award
Two more deadlines round out the two-week window. AIMagica AI Film Festival closes July 2, 2026: a debut, globally open competition for filmmakers 18 and over using any AI tool, with awards, festival selection, distribution-partner offers, and an AIMagica trophy handed out around September 2026. The richer opportunity lands July 6, when the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival closes its call for the $10,000 Best AI Film Award. Run in association with the Tanoto Foundation network, Inspiring Asia is free to enter and asks for 3-to-6-minute films on the theme of Community Empowerment; AI-generated and AI-assisted work is explicitly welcomed, and entrants must disclose which AI tools they used and how. Beyond the $10,000 AI prize, the festival's wider program carries larger regional awards, and finalists advance to a grand final and ceremony in Manila on October 25, 2026, with regional screenings across the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. For a budget-conscious or socially-minded filmmaker, the July 6 Inspiring Asia deadline is arguably the best value on this entire list: no fee, a clear thematic brief, a meaningful cash prize, and pan-Asian distribution. If your finished short fits a community or social-impact angle, it should go here before anywhere else.
Which of these are free, and which cost money
Cost is the fastest way to triage a last-minute submission run. Four of the nine closing-soon contests are free to enter: the AI Shortest Film Competition (June 28, which even bundles free LTX Studio access), Seoul's SDAFF (June 30), the Inspiring Asia Best AI Film Award (July 6), and Kerala's KIAFF just beyond the window (July 20). That means a filmmaker with zero budget can still target a $3,000 prize, an $18,000 pool with a 222-metre facade screening, and a $10,000 award without paying a cent. The paid contests are HKAIIFF ($99 standard, rising to $149 in Final Call), BAIFF Burano (a tiered FilmFreeway fee that climbs as the July 1 final deadline approaches), Neu Wave (fees vary by category), and GAMFF and AI Artist Festival (fees via their Festhome and FilmFreeway listings). A practical rule when the clock is short: enter the free, high-value contests first because there is no downside, then decide whether a paid festival's specific credential - HKAIIFF's AI-native prestige and compute grants, BAIFF's Venice premiere, Neu Wave's Hollywood industry room - justifies its fee for your particular film. Entry fees on FilmFreeway-hosted festivals typically rise at each deadline tier, so even where you intend to pay, submitting earlier in the window is cheaper.
Can one film enter several of these at once?
Often, yes - and with a two-week cluster of deadlines, simultaneous submission is the highest-leverage move. Most of these festivals accept any AI tools and impose no exclusivity, so a single well-made AI short can legitimately target several at once. The main constraints to check are format and theme rather than tool. The LTX competition is the one true exception: its LTX-Studio-only build requirement and 60-second cap mean that film cannot be reused elsewhere, so treat it as a separate project. Everything else is more flexible: SDAFF wants 3-to-5 minutes, Inspiring Asia wants 3-to-6 minutes on a community theme, BAIFF wants 25-to-100% AI work completed within its date range, and HKAIIFF wants 51%+ AI participation that you can document. A 3-to-5-minute AI short with a clear human story and a disclosed pipeline could realistically enter SDAFF (free), HKAIIFF ($99), GAMFF, and AI Artist Festival from the June 30 group, then BAIFF and Neu Wave on July 1, and - if it carries a social-impact angle - Inspiring Asia on July 6. Before you fire off multiplied submissions, confirm two things per festival: that it allows films already submitted elsewhere (these generally do, as none is a world-premiere-only event), and that your runtime and any theme requirement fit. Keep a simple tracker of fees paid, confirmation numbers, and tool-disclosure notes so nothing slips.
What to do in the next 48 hours, and what comes after July 6
Move in priority order. First, if you can build a 60-second film in LTX Studio, start it today - June 28 is the nearest cliff and the tool requirement means there is no shortcut. Second, line up your strongest existing 3-to-6-minute AI short for the June 30 cluster: submit it free to SDAFF, and add HKAIIFF if its $99 fee and 51%-AI standard suit the work. Third, slot July 1 (BAIFF, Neu Wave, AI for the Future) and July 6 (Inspiring Asia, free) according to fit. Render exports, account creation, large uploads, and payment processing all take longer than expected near a deadline, so aim to submit a full day early. After July 6 the calendar eases but stays active: Kerala's free KIAFF closes July 20, then the summer's two biggest cash prizes - the Astana AI Film Festival ($1,000,000) and the Future Vision XPRIZE ($3.5 million-plus) - both close August 15, alongside Austin AIFF. Those August deadlines reward a more ambitious, treatment-heavy submission, so a film that misses this two-week window has somewhere bigger to go. Bookmark our July 2026 deadline calendar, our roundup of AI film festivals in Asia 2026, and our step-by-step HKAIIFF and Astana submission guides to sequence the rest of your year. The contests on this page, though, are the ones closing now - and the free ones cost nothing but a submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What AI film contests are closing this week (June 2026)?
As of June 21, 2026, the AI film contests closing within roughly two weeks are: the AI Shortest Film Competition by LTX Studio x Forward Festival Berlin (June 28), then on June 30 the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival (HKAIIFF), the Seoul Design AI Film Festival (SDAFF), the Gyeongsangbuk-do GAMFF, and the AI Artist Festival 5th Season. July 1 closes BAIFF Burano, Neu Wave (Hollywood), and the AI for the Future HLPF edition; AIMagica closes July 2; and the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival's $10,000 Best AI Film Award closes July 6.
Which AI film contests closing soon are free to enter?
Four of the closing-soon contests are free: the AI Shortest Film Competition (June 28, which also includes free LTX Studio access through the deadline), the Seoul Design AI Film Festival or SDAFF (June 30), and the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival's Best AI Film Award (July 6). Just beyond the two-week window, Kerala's KIAFF (July 20) is also free. Together these free contests still put a $3,000 prize, an about $18,000 pool with a 222-metre DDP facade screening, and a $10,000 award within reach at no cost.
What is the biggest prize among the AI film contests closing this week?
By headline figure, the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival (HKAIIFF), closing June 30, is the largest at roughly $1,000,000 in festival prize support - but that is delivered as computing-resource grants, not cash. Among cash and cash-equivalent prizes, Seoul's free SDAFF offers a KRW 24,000,000 (about $18,000) total pool plus a DDP facade screening, the Inspiring Asia award is $10,000 cash, and the LTX shortest-film prize tops out at $3,000. If you need cash specifically, the much larger Astana AI Film Festival ($1M) and Future Vision XPRIZE ($3.5M+) close later, on August 15, 2026.
Can I submit the same AI film to several of these festivals?
Usually yes. Most of these festivals accept any AI tools and are not world-premiere-only, so one finished 3-to-6-minute AI short can target several at once - for example SDAFF, HKAIIFF, GAMFF, BAIFF, Neu Wave, and Inspiring Asia. The clear exception is the LTX Studio x Forward Festival shortest-film competition, whose LTX-only build requirement and 60-second cap mean that film cannot be reused elsewhere. Always confirm each festival's runtime, any theme requirement (Inspiring Asia wants a community-empowerment angle), and that it permits work submitted elsewhere before multiplying your entries.
What is the deadline for the Seoul DDP facade AI film festival?
The Seoul Design AI Film Festival (SDAFF), organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, closes June 30, 2026 at 11:00 local time. It is free to enter and accepts 3-to-5-minute films in MP4 with sound, made with any AI tools. Ten winners share a KRW 24,000,000 (about $18,000) pool, and the grand-prize winner (KRW 10,000,000) has their film projected on the 222-metre Dongdaemun Design Plaza facade - a Guinness World Record holder for the largest 3D mapping on an atypical building - during Seoul Light DDP 2026.
Do these closing-soon contests accept Sora, Runway, Veo, or Kling?
Yes, with one exception. HKAIIFF, SDAFF, GAMFF, AI Artist Festival, BAIFF, Neu Wave, AI for the Future, AIMagica, and Inspiring Asia all accept any AI tools, so films made with OpenAI Sora, Runway, Google Veo, Kling, Luma, Midjourney, Higgsfield, or a hybrid pipeline are eligible (HKAIIFF additionally requires that AI account for at least 51% of the film, and BAIFF requires 25-to-100% AI). The exception is the LTX Studio x Forward Festival competition, which requires the film to be built in LTX Studio specifically.
What AI film contests close right after early July 2026?
After the July 6 Inspiring Asia deadline, the next free contest is Kerala's KIAFF on July 20, 2026. The summer's largest prizes follow on August 15, 2026: the Astana AI Film Festival ($1,000,000) and the Future Vision XPRIZE ($3.5 million-plus), alongside the Austin AI Film Festival. Those August deadlines reward more ambitious, treatment-heavy submissions, so an AI film that misses this two-week window has bigger targets ahead. See our July 2026 deadline calendar and Astana and XPRIZE submission guides to plan them.