The Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival is a global film festival exploring one of the most defining questions of our time: can machines meaningfully express human emotion—and what does that reveal about us?
The festival brings together traditional filmmakers and generative AI creators on the same stage, not to compete by technique or genre, but to engage in a deeper creative inquiry. Unlike conventional film festivals, Human vs. AI categorizes films by Emotion, asking creators to define their work by what it makes audiences feel rather than how it is made.
Each submitted film is centered on one of eight core human emotions: Joy, Sorrow, Intensity, Serenity, Love, Hate, Desire, and Disgust. Emotion becomes the common language between human storytelling and machine-generated cinema, and the lens through which all works are evaluated.
More than a competition, the Human vs. AI Film Festival functions as both a Turing Test for AI films and a creative compass for filmmakers. It examines how effectively AI can evoke genuine emotional response, while simultaneously challenging human creators to reflect on how cinema expresses humanity in an age of intelligent machines.
UDGING ----------------
The judging process functions through a three-stage pipeline evaluating entries on technical quality, specialized categories, and blind comparative screening. In Stage One, technical jurors eliminate entries failing to meet minimum festival standards, such as subpar visuals, weak storytelling, noncompliance, or eligibility issues. In Stage Two, specialized grand juries evaluate traditional and AI-generated works separately: the Grand Jury of Cinema awards the Best Picture Award, while the Grand Jury of AI Innovation grants the Best AI-Generated Award. Both nominate top contenders across core emotional categories. Finally, Stage Three brings together 200+ film school professors globally in the Grand Jury of Academia to evaluate nominated traditional and AI films side-by-side in a blind screening, scoring them purely on cinematic quality and emotional power. Category winners are chosen by overall vote, with the top-rated film earning the festival's highest honor, the Sparknify Humanity Award.
At its core, the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival is not about humans versus machines—but about emotion as the measure of cinema, connection, and what it means to be human.
*** 2026 Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Premiere
The nominated films will premiere on September 26, 2026 at San Francisco’s famous Delancey Street Screening Room. Located inside the Delancey Street Foundation’s landmark Embarcadero complex, the venue carries a story that goes far beyond cinema. Delancey Street is one of San Francisco’s most extraordinary social enterprises, built around the idea that people can rebuild their lives through work, responsibility, education, and community. Its Embarcadero Triangle complex was constructed in part by Delancey residents themselves, becoming both a physical home and a symbol of transformation on the San Francisco waterfront.
That makes it a fitting home for the Human vs. AI Film Festival: a festival about emotion, humanity, reinvention, and the future of storytelling. Alongside the film premiere, the evening will feature panel discussions on the future of cinematography, product presentations from cutting-edge tech startups, and a festive networking atmosphere, culminating in the awards ceremony honoring the 2026 Sparknify Humanity Award and the emotion category winners.
MWFIFF is an International Film Festival, which promotes new filmmakers, students, professionals by exchanging of knowledge, information, cultures, through movies. This will be 2 days Event with LIVE Screening & Award Ceremony along with Entertainment Programme in the heart of Mumbai city, India.
All Categories, All Genres All Languages are Accepted from All Continents including the Music Videos.
*English Subtitle is Compulsory.
*DCP / J2K File would be Compulsory if the film is selected for Screening in the Film Festival or Extra Cost would be charged if the filmmakers wants us to convert the file for the same. Extra Cost For the Film Conversion Would be $25 per movie.
We will be screening ONLY selected movies. Final Winners will be Awarded with Lady Trophy and Certificates. Nominated, Participants will be receiving Certificates ONLY. All the Awards and Certificates will be given by our Panel of Jury listed on our website and also by the Chief Guest, Bollywood Celebrities, VIP's guest etc present on the day of the Event. FOR more Updates please visit our websites: www.mwfiff.com
Juries
We have Jury From Radio Mirchi 98.3fm , World Famous Singer, Film Producer, Director, Choreographer International TV fame Personality and many more on the list.
Film or music video can be submitted directly through our website : www.mwfiff.com , www.festhome.com/f/4015 , OR (youtube / Vimeo, / Google Drive, like platforms) and sending us link ( and password if protected ),
In case of using submission platforms like Festhome, or any other platforms Press Kit, Film Posters, DCP file etc MUST be E-mailed to - contact@mwfiff.com, in order to complete submission.
Other Requirements :
Crew & Cast List including the technical team, Filmography of the Film director.
1. ( One Photograph of Director ).
2. ( Two Posters of film in JPEG format COMPULSORY (300 dpi, 768 x 1169 - pixel size) and (300 dpi, 3508 x 4961 - Pixel size)
Your film's trailer link not more than 1 minute in duration (Optional, for promotion & publicity purpose)
Direct Online i.e. submissions through our website : www.mwfiff.com
Step 1- Submit your film or music video through our direct online page available on our website : www.mwfiff.com/submission then share the link of your film or music video ( e.g. youtube, Vimeo, Google Drive etc) which is protected with the password, you will be required to mention the URL of your project in our direct online form.
Step 2- E-mail the "FILM PRESS KIT" to - contact@mwfiff.com ( NO HARD COPIES, ONLY SOFT COPIES TO BE E-MAILED )
Step 3- Pay the Appropriate Entry Fee to complete the registration.
Other Requirements :
Crew & Cast List including the technical team, Filmography of the Film director.
1. ( One Photograph of Director ).
2. ( Two Posters of film in JPEG format COMPULSORY (300 dpi, 768 x 1169 - pixel size) and (300 dpi, 3508 x 4961 - Pixel size)
Your film's trailer link not more than 1 minute in duration (Optional, for promotion & publicity purpose)
Direct Online Downloadable Film or Music Video Form i.e. submissions through our website by downloading form : www.mwfiff.com/submission
Step 1- Submit your film or music video by downloading the entry form through our website : www.mwfiff.com/submission
Step 2- Fill the form and email it to- contact@mwfiff.com along with "FILM PRESS KIT" ( NO HARD COPIES, ONLY SOFT COPIES TO BE E-MAILED )
Step 3- Pay the Appropriate Entry Fee to complete the registration.
Other Requirements :
Crew & Cast List including the technical team, Filmography of the Film director.
1. ( One Photograph of Director ).
2. ( Two Posters of film in JPEG format COMPULSORY (300 dpi, 768 x 1169 - pixel size) and (300 dpi, 3508 x 4961 - Pixel size)
Your film's trailer link not more than 1 minute in duration (Optional, for promotion & publicity purpose)
Award Ceremony Event Venue :
Balgandharva Rangmandir ( Sheila Gopal Raheja Auditorium ) 24th and 32nd Road, near to Patwardhan Udyan, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Film Screening Venue :
INOX Metro
Mahatma Gandhi Road, Dhobi Talao, New Marine Lines, Junction, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020
DATE AND LOCATION
The 30th edition of the European Short Film Festival of Bordeaux will take place from March 19th to 21th 2027. The projection nights will take place at the Utopia cinema in Bordeaux.
GOALS
The European Short Film Festival of Bordeaux aims to promote the short film format to the Région Aquitaine's audience. It facilitates the access to cinema for a large public, from all ages. It also supports the discovery of talented directors coming from all over Europe.,It’s a way for the filmmakers to be appreciated by a jury, no matter if they are mere enthusiasts or professionals.
FICCI is a cinematographic event with a social and cultural vision and free entry for everyone. Each year, FICCI interprets the particular circumstances of Colombia, Ibero-America, and the world, offering a world-class edition guided by the preservation of freedom and the expansion of cultural conversation through relevant, human, subtle films, industry meetings, and academic events that are in constant dialogue with its audience and cultural agents. Our goal is for the festival to be a space for meeting and exchange, serving as an inclusive and diverse platform that strengthens the audiovisual ecosystem and empowers new ways of building critical, conscious, and free cultures and societies.
FICCI is Latin America's oldest and most permanent stage for Colombian, Ibero-American, and world cinema. Actively present on the global cinematographic map since 1960, its 66th edition will continue to offer spaces for memory, reflection, diversity of voices, and, as always, for the best cinephilia.
The FICCI values the creative freedom of filmmakers around the world, welcoming works of any format, duration, nationality, theme, genre, technique, and mode of production. The search is for films that meet the highest quality standards, dare to take narrative and material risks, and offer proposals of great human and cinematographic value, with relevance and a vision of sustainability.
Sleeping Owl Film Fest event which aims to discover and recognize new talents from all over the world. It was created in order to support short filmmakers providing a critical evaluation of their work.
What makes a short film a great film it's not how ambitious the story is, but the way the story is being told. The ingredients to have a great short film are a great script, directing,camerawork, lighting and editing.
There are a lot of films that are interesting, but have a careless sound. Every filmmaker must care about the sound before the shooting, it's one of the most important cinematic elements. Catch great actors, not models! It's another advise we provide so that stories can be told in a real way, not in a theatricality way.
"The Inédit Festival: A Year in One Evening" invites you to tell the story of the seasons through cinema. The concept is simple: four seasons, an emotional journey through an entire year.
We are looking for films that explore, either literally or symbolically, the spirit of spring, summer, autumn, or winter. The seasons may represent emotions, transformations, memories, encounters, or new beginnings.
The Central American Film Festival in Vienna has become a firmly rooted tradition, establishing itself as a key cultural event in the city.
Vienna, recognized as one of the world's most important cultural hubs, provides an ideal and prestigious platform to showcase the increasingly innovative and notable productions emerging from the Central American region.
This year, the festival returns from November 15 to 21, 2026, with the hope of once again welcoming our loyal audience, who will have the opportunity to enjoy the latest and most outstanding works of Central American cinema.
The program includes the categories of Feature Film, Short Film, Documentary, and Animation, along with several non-competitive parallel sections, including: "Pioneers of Central American Cinema," "Works in Progress," "Guest Film," "Bonus Films," and "Latin American Perspective," the latter dedicated to works portraying contemporary life in Latin America. All details are specified in the official festival regulations.
FESTIVAL VISION
We want to bridge emerging voices worldwide with Nigeria's creative ecosystem. More than a screening event, this festival is a visibility accelerator and a networking platform crafted to connect your work with a passionate audience and industry professionals
Exclusive Benefits for Submitted Projects
We want to ensure your project gains visibility the moment your submission is confirmed, regardless of the official selection results.
Personalized Social Media Campaigns
If you opt-in, we will promote your project across the festival's official profiles, free of charge.
Campaign Content
Dedicated posts featuring your official poster, synopsis, and director/writer credits.
Industry Reach
Your work will be showcased to an international network of filmmakers, agents, and industry press.
World-Class Projection & Venue Partnership
We know how much precision, color grading, and sound design go into your final cut. Your work deserves to be experienced exactly as you envisioned it.
Professional Live Execution
While our team brings over 6 years of international festival organization experience to curate and manage the event, the live projections and venue operations are handed over directly to Mcrystal Cinemas.
By partnering with an established, high-end theatrical exhibitor like Mcrystal Cinemas, we guarantee:
State-of-the-art projection technology calibrated for optimal brightness and color accuracy.
Immersive audio systems delivering crisp dialogue and rich sound design.
A seamless theatrical environment run by seasoned cinema staff dedicated to flawless live playback.
You focus on bringing your story to Lagos; we—along with Mcrystal Cinemas—ensure a flawless big-screen premiere.
19th INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF THE EAST IN CONCEPCIÓN
Vitascopio 2026 Open Call: 2026 Inter-University Audiovisual Showcase
WE ARE LOOKING FOR STORIES MADE BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM COLOMBIA AND AROUND THE WORLD.
Presented by BLOODSTREAM TV, the REAPER FILM FESTIVAL is an inaugural Los Angeles horror and genre event with a single purpose: help short filmmakers reach the audiences their work deserves.
We built Reaper for the creators without the industry connections, the festival budget, or the inside track, who are making the most fearless work out there anyway.
We keep the entry low, the process honest, and we put your film in front of a room that came to be scared.
Every Official Film Selection receives non-exclusive distribution on BLOODSTREAM TV.
Your film keeps working for you long after the lights come up.
EVERY OFFICIAL SELECTION EARNS:
Your short film streaming worldwide on BLOODSTREAM TV!
ALL officially selected films will stream on BLOODSTREAM TV, non-exclusive, giving selected films a streaming home beyond festival night while filmmakers retain ownership of their work and make money back on their films.
GET SEEN
One night. Three screening blocks. A room full of genre fans who showed up specifically to be scared by your work.
GET AHEAD
The Reaper trophy, one-on-one industry consultations, featured placement, distribution opportunities, and direct interaction with filmmakers and industry professionals for the projects that cut the deepest.
TWO WAYS TO ENTER -
SHORT FILM
Horror and horror-adjacent short films under 15 minutes, including credits.
We welcome supernatural, slasher, psychological horror, folk horror, body horror, creature films, found footage, gore, science fiction, action, thriller, fantasy, and other work with a significant horror, dark, suspense, or genre component.
Completed films only.
Previously screened and previously distributed films are welcome, provided they are not currently subject to an exclusive agreement that would prevent the non-exclusive Bloodstream TV distribution associated with Official Selection.
Films may be in English or subtitled in English.
SHORT SCREENPLAY
Great horror starts on the page.
Reaper accepts original horror and horror-adjacent short screenplays of 10 pages or fewer, excluding the title page.
Every eligible screenplay is read and scored.
The Top Five Finalists receive one-on-one consultations and first-look consideration from the Reaper Film Festival team and partners.
The winning screenplay is announced live at the festival.
HOW WE JUDGE
Every eligible submission is watched or read in full, more than once, by working filmmakers and industry professionals.
No algorithms. No skim-and-score judging. Entries move through a disciplined judging pipeline, conducted blind wherever practical, so the work speaks louder than the name attached to it.
Every eligible entry is checked for category requirements before being assigned to at least two independent reviewers.
Every reviewer watches or reads the complete submission before entering a score.
Entries are scored from 1 to 10 across a defined rubric. Reviewer scores are averaged, and a significant scoring disagreement triggers an additional review so no single opinion determines a project's fate.
Top-scoring entries move to jury deliberation. Jurors may re-screen or reread contested projects, defend their selections, and must recuse themselves from projects in which they have a personal or financial stake.
Watched in full. Scored blind. Decided on the merits.
THE 2026 REAPER JURY
SCREAM QUEEN JUDGE
JENNA KANELL
Actor / Scream Queen Judge
Terrifier, The Bye Bye Man, Renfield
Who better to judge horror than someone who has survived it on screen? Our Scream Queen Judge hunts for the films that get under your skin and stay there.
HONORARY JUDGES
MARCUS J. MCGILL
Executive Producer
Terrifier
JASON NEESE
Producer
The Umbrella Academy
KIMBERLY SKYRME
Casting Director
Cut Shoot Kill
JAMES CULLEN BRESSACK
Producer
I Have Proof
JONATHAN MARTIN
Founder of FilmQuest
GIGI SAUL GUERRERO
Director
The Purge
JESSE COVE
Actor
Scream Boat
MICHAEL YEDWAB
Executive Producer
Monster Party
RACHEL PAULSON
Director
Stuck
DAVID M. PARKS
Director
Static Codes
MICHAEL PICKLE
Director
The Dead Place
JP OUELLETTE
Producer
Affection
SUNNY ZHAO
Director / Cinematographer
The Gift
More judges to be announced.
OUR PARTNERS
BLOODSTREAM TV
Founding Presenter / Distribution Partner
Bloodstream TV is the horror, thriller, and science fiction streaming service from The Horror Collective.
The platform launched with more than 1,500 genre titles and includes free ad-supported viewing, premium subscription programming, FAST channels, and direct uploads built for independent filmmakers.
Every Reaper Official Film Selection receives non-exclusive distribution on Bloodstream TV.
STUDIO DOME
Development & Distribution Partner
Studio Dome provides a direct connection to the professional development and distribution ecosystem.
Its services include VOD aggregation, global licensing to platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV, marketing, PR, and real-time royalty tracking.
Studio Dome was founded by industry veteran Shaked Berenson, who has released more than 1,000 films and series.
For Reaper, Studio Dome opens the door to consultations for top filmmakers and first-look consideration for screenplay finalists.
David Joshua Lawrence, Head of Acquisitions
THE NIGHT
IN-PERSON SCREENING AND AWARD SHOW AT THE EARL
OCTOBER 22, 2026
6:00 PM TO 12:30 AM
THE EARL
4408 W 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90004
This is not a theater full of strangers politely clapping. It is a night out in Los Angeles.
Killer horror on the screen, a drink in your hand, and a room where the person beside you might be your next collaborator, producer, actor, writer, crew member, or the reason the next film gets made.
The night includes:
Three 45-minute screening blocks
30-minute intermissions for drinks and networking
Award presentations
Winner announcements
Prize giveaways
The announcement of the Reaper Screenplay Competition winner
Dedicated networking and conversation areas
Horror atmosphere and costumed characters
A silent costume contest
Sponsor giveaways
Festival merchandise
Industry interaction
THREE ROOMS AND A PATIO. ONE ROOF.
The Earl gives Reaper a darkened screening chamber for the films, dedicated space for handshakes and war stories, another room that can open up once the credits roll, and an outdoor patio to breathe between the screams.
Seating is limited to 200.
Attendance is encouraged and celebrated, but it is never required to be judged, become an Official Selection, win, or receive applicable distribution.
COME DRESSED TO DIE FOR
The Earl does not simply host the night. For one night, it becomes part of it.
Expect horror props in the shadows, scream queens working the floor, costumed characters, and festival staff joining the atmosphere.
Attendees are encouraged to come in costume.
A silent costume contest runs throughout the night.
No stage interruption. No stopping the screenings.
Winners are selected during the evening and can walk out with:
Cash
Drink tickets
Sponsor prizes
Festival merchandise
Additional giveaways
WHO'S IN THE DARK WITH YOU?
Reaper is a real industry night wearing a horror party's clothes.
You will meet the filmmakers coming up beside you: future collaborators, producers, actors, writers, crew, and friends, alongside the people already working inside the industry.
Our founders, festival directors, jury, and distribution partners bring their circles out to watch, meet filmmakers, and spend the night with the community.
Depending on attendance, the room may include:
Studio and distribution executives
Producers
Executive producers
Development professionals
Acquisitions professionals
Investors and financiers
Streaming professionals
Established filmmakers
Actors and recognizable talent
Horror icons and scream queens
Writers and directors
Jury guests
Emerging filmmakers and creatives
One room. All night. Everybody in it.
You never know who you will end up talking to at The Earl.
THE VENUE
THE EARL
4408 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90004
The Earl is an adaptive arts and culture space in mid-city Los Angeles founded by Michael Earl. For two decades, the venue has brought intersecting communities together for creative cross-pollination across art, music, design, and performance. It offers an intimate stage, green room, multiple gathering spaces, and an outdoor patio.
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS
JUDAH RAY
Screenwriter / Director / Producer
Writer, director, and producer with more than 100 festival honors and experience participating in more than 200 festivals worldwide.
DAVID JOSHUA LAWRENCE
Distributor / Screenwriter / Actor
Distributor, screenwriter, actor, and Head of Acquisitions at Studio Dome, providing a direct connection between the festival and worldwide distribution.
CLAIRE MCLEOD HILL
Executive Producer / Producer
Executive producer and producer with multiple films distributed worldwide and an eye for genre stories worth backing.
GET DISTRIBUTED. GET SEEN. GET AHEAD.
This artistic-cultural mediation initiative seeks to bring cinema closer to people with a physical/ mental or neuro-atypical disability. As part of this festival, several documentary films (short and medium-length films) will be broadcast in connection with the experiences of these people.
Festival President and Artistic Director Gabriel Daniel Dorobantu is having the pleasure of welcoming you to The Third Edition of The Moonlight Online International Film Festival which is organized and administered by the Swedish creation, production and distribution company Dorobantu Film & Television.
The Festival aims to promote original feature films and short films of high artistic quality and to support independent cinema worldwide.
In addition to the awards, both among the films submitted to the Festival but not selected and among the films selected for Festival participation, feature films and short films with high market potential may also be selected for film sale and / or distribution agreement proposals. (In such cases, the rights holders of the respective films will be contacted by the festival management office within three months after the festival.)
The Mairena del Aljarafe Short Film Festival, Mairena Film Festival (here in after MAIFF) will be a cultural event with a program that will host different activities (meetings with industry professionals, 36h short film making rally, projections of the official section...). The festival will be held from October 9 to 17, 2026
in the Seville town of Mairena del Aljarafe.
You are invited to participate in the first *Revista El Coloso* micro-cinema festival. The event will take place on Saturday, September 26. In the days leading up to it, a poster will be released featuring the names of the selected participants, the venue, the time, and all relevant details. A brief tribute to the life and work of the great Tim Curry will also be held.
VIII INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF FILM AND SCIENCE 2026
The International Exhibition of Cinema and Science is an event that will take place at Centro Cultural Doctor Madrazo (Santander, Spain), between the 10th and 13th of November, 2026. Is admitted any work of any genre related to science and scientific divulgation.
The objective of the exhibition is to promote the production and divulgation of works that foster the positive and progressive values of science and technology, and that serve as a consultation for any type of audience. The subject is totally free and can refer to own or other people's research, hot topics in the society or scientific community, personal scientific-technical passions, basic science concepts, scientific milestones, historical figures, the science of the future or past, etc.
17th Piélagos Short Film Festival "Piélagos en Corto"
The Piélagos City Council presents the 17th edition of its film festival, a showcase for local and international talent. Featuring competitive categories for Cantabria, Spain, International films, and the UNESCO Costa Quebrada Geopark, the event celebrates the finest in short filmmaking (fiction, up to 30 minutes).
Official selections will compete for awards such as Best Cantabrian, National, and International Short Film, alongside technical category recognitions and the prestigious Geopark Award, which honors works highlighting this natural heritage site.
Submissions are open until December 20, 2026, exclusively via Festhome.
The closing gala in 2027 will feature screenings, networking events, and accommodation for nominees.
An unmissable gathering for emerging cinema, where landscape and storytelling converge!
Objective
Marere Film Festival main objective is to promote and screen feature films related to art in any of its major artistic forms (cinema, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance, literature, and their derivatives), as well as other audiovisual and cinematic works that bring culture closer to the public.
Dates and Venue
The second edition of Marere Film Festival will be held from March 17 to 22, 2026, in Jávea. The central location will be the Jayan Cinema, located at C/ Santísimo Cristo del Mar 14, CP 03730 Jávea (Alicante).
The Huarte Tipu Films film festival aims to promote short films and establish the medium-length film as a film format in its own right, by providing a dedicated platform for screening and promotion that supports emerging filmmakers.
WHERE HUMAN DREAMS MEET
Upstream Film Festival is an Estonian experimental film festival exploring how artificial intelligence is changing cinema. It is taking place in Tallinn, Estonia, for the first time.
This year is experimental for us, just as AI is for the world today, so for our first year, our mission is simple: to introduce high-quality AI short films of various genres to Estonian audiences.
We live in an era of rapidly changing visual effects, where it is becoming harder to tell what is real and what is generated. However, the human remains the creator, deciding what the films of the future will ultimately look like.
We are open to discussion: is AI just a tool, or can it be a creator too?
Join us to test these new possibilities and bring your wildest dreams to the big screen!
