The inaugural international festival for AI-generated short films, themed "Synthetic Stories, Human Hearts," saw "To Dear Me" by Gisele Tong triumph over more than 1,000 submissions from 59 countries. Egor Kharlamov's "One Way" took second place, while Mansha Totla's "Jinx" secured third.
Reply, a company specializing in AI and digital media, partnered with Mastercard to announce the winners of the first Reply AI Film Festival. The awards ceremony took place at the Hotel Excelsior in Venice.
An international jury, including Adam Kulick, Caleb & Shelby Ward, Denise Negri, and Rob Minkoff, selected the winning films from twelve finalists. The competition attracted over 1,000 short film entries from 59 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, China, and India. Participants ranged from AI artists, directors, producers, animators, and VFX artists to amateurs.
The top prize went to "To Dear Me" by Gisele Tong. The film portrays a young woman's memories of her parents' divorce and her mother's solitary grief. She finds the courage to love but gradually loses herself in repeated hurt and mistrust. Ultimately, she realizes that only she can save herself.
Tong explains that the film is a message to girls and women worldwide. "Many women carry the scars of their upbringing. They lack love, yearn for it, and don't know how to love," the director says. With this film, she aims to encourage women to love themselves, even when they lose love.
AI short film "To Dear Me" by Gisele Tong | Video: Gisele Tong
Second place went to "One Way" by Egor Kharlamov, a story about how life can offer a second chance, even when one seemingly has nothing left to lose. "Every technology is a powerful tool in human hands that can be used to advantage," Kharlamov comments.
Third place was awarded to "Jinx" by Mansha Totla, depicting the life of World War II veteran Jinx Akerkar. According to Totla, using AI to create World War II footage was the most crucial element of her film. She believes AI will transform the film industry in the future.
AI short film "JINX" by Mansha Totla | Video: Mansha Totla
The full short films can be seen on the festival page.
