One Billion Followers Summit Reveals Top 12 For The World’s Largest AI-Generated Film Award

The 1 Billion Followers Summit has shortlisted 12 films for what organisers describe as the world’s largest AI-Generated Film Award, worth US$1 million. The award is run by the UAE Government Media Office in partnership with Google Gemini and focuses on films created mainly with artificial intelligence tools.

A specialist jury chose the 12 finalists from 3,500 entries submitted worldwide. The shortlist will be open to public voting from 21 to 25 December through the online portal aifilm.1billionsummit.com. After the vote, judges will select five final films for a public screening.

The Top 5 films will be shown on 10 January 2026 during the fourth 1 Billion Followers Summit. The event is scheduled from 9 to 11 January 2026 at Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, and Museum of the Future, under the theme "Content for Good". The overall award winner will be revealed on 11 January 2026.

Interest in the AI-Generated Film Award has been wide, with more than 30,000 people from 116 countries registering their intent to take part. Organisers say the award is designed to support films with strong social messages, created with diverse AI tools, and to build creative skills among content makers.

The 12 films explore two linked themes. "Rewrite Tomorrow" presents positive future visions, while "The Secret Life of Everything" examines hidden stories in the world around us. Each project uses generative AI technologies as a core production element while aiming for clear storytelling and ethical standards.

In "Rewrite Tomorrow", Heal by Egyptian director Mohamed Gomaa Rizk is set in 2030. It follows Laila, a young Egyptian woman who loses her voice after psychological trauma. Using emotional artificial intelligence, Laila journeys through her comatose mother’s memories, moving between past and present in search of recovery.

Cats Like Warmth, by South Korean director Lee Su Yeol, focuses on a data-driven robot living in a Korean village. The robot gradually understands emotional warmth and discovers that real connection comes from feelings rather than code. The story links technology with human empathy in a quiet, local setting.

The British film Homeward, directed by Nav Lotay, tells the story of Arri, lost in space for years. Arri is sent back to Earth’s past and is offered a chance to repair inner conflict. Through this journey, Arri discovers an unexpected route home and a new sense of self.

Roots of Tomorrow, by German filmmaker Daniel Titz, addresses microplastic pollution and its potential impact on humanity’s future. A scientist and a dog travel to distant planets searching for a plant that can break down plastic. Their mission reveals that the real answer to the crisis is very different from expected solutions.

Spanish director Hilario Abad’s Maestra portrays a veteran musician facing an artificial intelligence system that outperforms technical skills. Through their interaction, the musician realises that years of experience and struggle still matter. Those years give the musician the insight needed to guide and shape this new art form rather than reject it.

Dreams Don't Die, by Palestinian director Omar Rammal, follows a mother attempting to protect a child from war by hiding the child inside a magical storybook. Children from different conflict zones take shelter there. When war reaches the imagined world, the children rely on their dreams to confront the darkness.

AI-Generated Film Award finalists at 1 Billion Followers Summit with Google Gemini

The "Secret Life of…" category also features six films. The Translator by United States filmmaker Philip Lee follows a young woman whose deep interest in plants becomes vital for humanity. She decodes the Earth’s silent language, which guides her to hidden water sources, offering fragile hope in a deteriorating world.

Portrait No. 72, from Philippine director Rodson Fer Suarez, is set in Varanasi. An elderly photographer takes pictures of the dead and lives a quiet routine. Life changes when a curious child appears, forming an unexpected bond that restores a feeling of human warmth and renewed meaning.

In Ceremony, directed by German filmmaker Mark Wachholz, a young girl is the only survivor of a wiped-out city. During an interview about the disaster, the girl hides a serious secret. That secret exposes a disturbing truth about how society treats children and the burdens placed on them.

The Beginning, by Jordanian filmmaker Ibraheem Diab, follows Adamu, who travels 3,500 miles in search of safety and education. Along the route, supportive strangers help Adamu. Through these encounters, Adamu learns that human kindness can turn distant hopes into concrete chances for a better life.

LILY, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi, takes place in a rain-soaked city. A guilt-ridden archivist is haunted by a doll linked to a hit-and-run victim. The haunting drives the archivist to confess and seek moral repair, suggesting that even silent items may carry truth and ethical weight.

Pursuit of Pearl, by Canadian director Zahir Khan, tells the story of a young pearl diver from Dubai. After nearly drowning, the diver has a surreal, glowing encounter in the sea’s depths. The vision stays for a lifetime, especially after the diver’s father dies in a storm.

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The jury notes that the shortlisted films share clear narratives, strong visual choices, and careful use of AI tools. They also show artistic experimentation alongside a commitment to transparency and ethical practice in how artificial intelligence is deployed throughout production and post-production stages.

A total of 400 hours of film were initially assessed by a committee of 40 experts and specialists. This group created the first shortlist of 100 films. Entries that did not match the award’s thematic focus or eligibility conditions were removed during this early selection stage.

The 100 shortlisted films then went through an advanced technical review using Google Gemini. This process checked technical quality and verified that at least 70 percent of each film was created with generative AI tools developed by Google. Content and technical compliance were confirmed before public voting.

Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for Google in the Middle East and North Africa, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with the 1 Billion Followers Summit as we prepare to announce the winner of the world’s largest AI-Generated Film Award, created using Google Gemini models and tools. Submissions from 116 countries highlight the strong global interest among content creators in transforming their creative ideas into impactful films that deliver meaningful community messages through a wide range of artificial intelligence technologies. The award serves as a genuine platform for discovering talent among content creators and short-film makers, regardless of their resources or prior experience, and we look forward to celebrating with the winners soon."

Alia AlHammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Director of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, said the award’s response underlines the summit’s role in the digital content sector. Alia AlHammadi highlighted its influence across different creative formats and disciplines in a fast-changing media environment.

She said, "The strong interest in participating in the award reflects the position of the 1 Billion Followers Summit as a global platform that brings together ambition and innovation, demonstrated by the exceptional level of creativity seen in some of the submissions, which were characterised by deep human and artistic vision."

The AI-Generated Film Award aims to encourage content creators worldwide to use AI tools and Google Gemini models for stories with human-centred messages. Organisers state that the initiative supports positive, purpose-led narratives while improving visual storytelling skills. The 2026 summit will offer a global stage for these new voices in AI cinema.

With inputs from WAM