Around 200 artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders watched more than 90 AI films from 20 countries during the inaugural Seattle AI Film Festival.
The rise of generative AI has spawned a number of film festivals, including the inaugural Seattle AI Film Festival, which I attended March 29-30. Around 200 artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders watched more than 90 AI films from 20 countries, ranging from experimental shorts to lengthier, traditional narratives. The films were judged on storytelling, execution, and importantly, how well the filmmakers documented their work. At a time when generative AI tools are popping up like mushrooms, it’s important to know which tools are gaining traction.
Although the films were front and center, I found the presentations the most thought-provoking. They leaned heavily into the potential impact of AI on media creatives and the entertainment business. Renard Jenkins, vice president of the Hollywood Professional Association, advised creators to add AI skills to their resumes quickly, given the pressure on the industry to cut costs and embrace new tech. Debra Aho Williamson, who identified the marketing potential of social media nearly twenty years ago, labeled consumer-oriented services such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT as a new media form that will compete for ad dollars with traditional media and older internet media.
Adrienne Lahens, a former executive at TikTok who built the platform’s “creator marketplace,” called the current copyright regime “outdated.” She outlined ideas for new methods of compensation that put creators first and relegate distribution platforms to supporting roles. Finally, Alvin Wang Graylin, an executive at Taiwanese firm HTC and the co-author of Our Next Reality, predicted AI will soon take over many kinds of repetitive white-collar jobs while offering humanity greater opportunities for creative work.
But what about craft?
Missing from an otherwise fascinating weekend produced by Culture & Code was any in-depth discussion of craft. I would’ve appreciated a session on using AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT as assistants to streamline the writing process. (I use these tools almost daily.) I’ve been to several tech conferences, and I was surprised at how few vendors showed up to hawk their wares. Given the growing competition among AI video toolmakers, how come so few showed up? Heck, half the fun of these conferences is bringing home bags of swag.
Which videos took home honors? As of this writing, festival organizers haven’t published the list, but I can tell you which video was the crowd favorite. Check out the hilarious “RoadKill,” produced by writers Ian McLees and Daniel Bonventre at TalkBoysStudio. The writing and voices are human-made, but the visuals are all AI. About a minute in, I knew this one was produced by pros.
Check out my review of Mnemonade, another AI festival winner. I’ve written several other blog posts about AI and creativity.
Have you attended an AI film festival? Tell me about it.
Image: SAIFF