High Prize AI Film Contests ($10K+)

AI Video Contest 2026: Win $10,000 With Your AI Short Film

Pippit AI

Enter the 2026 AI storytelling contest to showcase your amazing short films! Create cinematic stories with Pippit's advanced video generator and win up to $10,000. The contest focuses on narrative cohesion and requires at least 70% of the footage to be generated natively on the platform.

Tyrannus Angel Awards 2026 — AI Film Red-Carpet Gala

Tyrannus Foundation

Faith-driven AI film awards seeking stories of courage, restoration, redemption and hope, judged on emotional impact rather than technical showmanship. A $50,000 prize pool across Original, Adapted and Animated divisions, with a red-carpet gala in downtown Los Angeles on October 24, 2026.

Runway AI Film Festival

Runway

The Runway AI Film Festival showcases innovative films that utilize AI tools in their creation. This annual festival features a screening in New York City, providing filmmakers with significant industry exposure. Submissions are open to all genres, emphasizing creativity and the use of AI technology.

Slamdance Film Festival — DIG (AI Films Encouraged) 2027

Slamdance

The legendary indie festival Tarantino and Russo Brothers came up through is actively encouraging AI-made films in its DIG category. Winner package includes the $25,000 AGBO Fellowship from the Russo Brothers plus a Utopia theatrical distribution deal — one of the most career-defining wins in indie cinema. Deadline October 6.

PixLight 2026

PixVerse

PixLight 2026 is an annual AI film contest seeking genre pilots and feature screenplays. The contest aims to greenlight innovative projects, with a total prize pool of $300,000. Winning projects will receive development and production support.

Runway Hundred Film Fund

Runway

Rolling grant fund offering $5K–$1M+ per project plus up to $2M in Runway credits. Decisions within ~14 days.

AI Film Fest Monaco 2026

AI Film Fest Monaco

Global AI film festival requiring AI-generated content for short films. Screens at festival in Monaco.

Cannes Film Awards 2027 — New AI Category

Cannes Film Awards

Cannes Film Awards just opened dedicated categories for AI films, VR, games, and 360° video for the very first time. Event date: June 26, 2027 on the Riviera. $1K+ cash and $25K+ in promotional/partner awards on the line. If you want a Cannes credit on an AI short, this is the cleanest entry point on the calendar.

Atlanta AI Ad Fest — AIAF 2026

Atlanta AI Ad Fest (AIAF)

A brand-new festival built for the ad world at the exact moment AI is rewriting it — the inaugural Atlanta AI Ad Fest launches November 21 with a live vote for Best of Festival. Entry is FREE, $2,500 cash on the table, and every finalist gets screened in front of Atlanta agency talent. If you make AI-driven ad, brand, or commissioned work, this is your ground-floor moment.

Bengaluru International Short Film Festival — AI Film Category (17th Edition)

Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF)

India's only Oscar-qualifying short film festival runs a dedicated "Machine Made Movies" AI Film competition section alongside its International and Indian programs.

AI for Good Film Festival 2027

ITU / UN AI for Good

The UN's AI for Good Film Festival returns for 2027: 1-10 minute films where AI is a core part of the filmmaking, completed between September 1, 2026 and May 1, 2027. Finalists are invited to the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva (June 21-25, 2027) with a speaker pass and a public premiere screening.