AI Toronto Shorts Film Festival

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JULY 16 · 2026

A night dedicated to short films made with AI.
Real story. Real craft. Real point of view.

163 Sterling Road · Toronto, ON · Doors 7:00 PM

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The Festival

Honestly, one of the most interesting rooms you can be in right now.

The tools changed. The workflows changed. What one person can pull off in a weekend now would've taken a studio and a six-figure budget two years ago.

We want to see what people are actually doing with that. Not the demo-reel stuff, not the "look what the model can generate" stuff — actual shorts. Real story, real craft, real point of view. AI just happens to be in the pipeline.

Expect a lineup of work from filmmakers, technologists, and creators who are figuring out the grammar of this new medium in real time. Some pieces are technically wild. Some are quiet and human. A few will probably start arguments. Good.

✨ What to Expect

The Night, in Four Acts

Curated Screenings

The best AI-made shorts from creators around the world, played on the big screen with proper sound.

Live Filmmaker Q&As

Ask them how they actually made it — what broke, what worked, what surprised them.

Panel Conversations

Directors, AI artists, and people building the tech. Short, sharp, no fluff.

Awards Ceremony

Live audience voting decides the night's biggest honors. Trophies, applause, the whole thing.

FILMMAKERS· TECHNOLOGISTS· CREATORS· AI ARTISTS· STORYTELLERS· THE NEW GRAMMAR· FILMMAKERS· TECHNOLOGISTS· CREATORS· AI ARTISTS· STORYTELLERS· THE NEW GRAMMAR·

🏆 Awards

Categories & Honors

Winners are decided by a curated jury and live audience voting on the night.

★

Best AI Short Film

The night's top honor — story, craft, vision in 30 minutes or less.

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Best AI Director

For the strongest creative voice across the program.

✎

Best AI Screenplay

The script that made the room lean in.

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Best AI Cinematography

Frames worth pausing on.

✦

Best AI Visual Effects

The technical gymnastics that disappear into the story.

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Best AI Sound Design

Score, foley, voice — everything you don't realize is doing the work.

▲

Best AI Editing

Rhythm, pace, cut. The invisible craft.

♥

AI Audience Choice

Decided live, on the night, by everyone in the room.

📜 Submission Guidelines

The Rules — Short and Honest

Runtime: 30 minutes max, including credits.
AI must be a meaningful part of the production — generation, editing, sound design, animation, writing, VFX. Your call. Just be honest about it.
Original work only. No copyrighted characters, music, or likenesses you don't have rights to.
Process note: Submit a short note on how AI was used in your process — we'll share it with the audience.
English subtitles required for non-English films.
Recency: Must be completed within the last 12 months.
One submission per filmmaker / team.
Screening rights: By submitting, you grant the festival the right to screen your film on July 16 and use it in promotional materials.