PAIFF PRAGUE AI FILM FESTIVAL (1)

Festival start: 28 November 2026      Festival end: 28 November 2026

PAIFF PRAGUE AI FILM FESTIVAL is an international film festival dedicated to a new generation of filmmaking shaped by artificial intelligence.

PAIFF is not a festival about artificial intelligence. It is a festival about the future of filmmaking.

The festival welcomes filmmakers from around the world who use AI as part of their creative process — from AI-assisted production to AI-generated works — while placing artistic vision, storytelling and human creativity at the heart of every project.
The inaugural edition of PAIFF will take place on November 28, 2026, at the historic Lucerna Palace in Prague, Czech Republic.

Selected works will be evaluated by an international jury, with awards presented during the official festival ceremony in Prague.

PAIFF brings together film, technology and creativity in one of Europe’s most iconic cultural cities.

AI is not replacing filmmakers — it is expanding their creative possibilities.

Cash Prizes: 900$

PAIFF PRAGUE AI FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

BEST AI FEATURE FILM — USD 300

BEST AI SHORT FILM — USD 300

BEST AI MUSIC VIDEO — USD 300

The AI Innovation Award is a special award selected by the International Jury and is not a separate submission category.

The Infinity Award is an honorary distinction presented by the festival and is not open for submissions.

Award winners are selected by the PAIFF International Jury.

PAIFF – PRAGUE AI FILM FESTIVAL 2026
RULES AND TERMS


1. Eligibility

PAIFF – Prague AI Film Festival accepts submissions from filmmakers, creative teams, production companies, students, and independent creators from all countries.

Participants under the age of 18 must have their submission made or approved by a parent or legal guardian.

2. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Submitted projects must use artificial intelligence as a meaningful part of the creative or production process.

AI may be used, for example, in image or video generation, animation, visual effects, editing, sound, music, voice generation, script development, post-production, or other creative areas.

PAIFF reserves the right to request information about the AI tools used and how they were incorporated into the creation of the project.

3. Categories and Submissions

All projects must be submitted through an official festival submission platform, including Festhome, where PAIFF has an active listing, and entered into the most appropriate available category.

PAIFF reserves the right to move a project to a more appropriate category where necessary.

Incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading submissions may be disqualified.

4. Language and Subtitles

Films in languages other than English must include English subtitles.

Subtitles must be clear and sufficiently accurate to allow the Selection Committee and Jury to properly evaluate the project.

5. Submission Fees

Submissions to PAIFF – Prague AI Film Festival and the applicable submission fees are processed through the official submission platform, Festhome, as applicable.

PAIFF – Prague AI Film Festival is organized by Central Europe AI s.r.o., Czech Republic. Central Europe AI s.r.o. is the designated recipient of submission fees payable to the festival, subject to the payment arrangements of the relevant submission platform.

Submission fees are used to cover costs associated with the preparation, administration, organization, production, promotion, and development of the festival.

Submission fees are non-refundable, including in cases where a submitted project is not selected for the Official Selection, except where a refund is required by applicable law.

Payment of a submission fee does not guarantee Official Selection, nomination, screening, or an award.

6. Rights and Permissions

By submitting a project, the submitter confirms that they are authorized to submit the project and hold all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, and consents related to its creation, submission, and presentation at the festival.

This includes, in particular, rights relating to music, visual materials, footage, performances, voices, likenesses, archival materials, and content created or modified using artificial intelligence.

The submitter assumes responsibility for any third-party legal claims relating to the submitted project to the extent permitted by applicable law.

The submitter confirms that they are authorized to grant the physical festival screening rights set out in Section 10.

Submission of a film does not, by itself, grant PAIFF any public online screening rights.

Such rights may only be granted separately by the authorized rights holder through the express consent procedure described in Section 11.

This requirement applies to all films, regardless of their original submission date.

7. Ethical and Lawful Use of AI

Submitters must ensure that the use of artificial intelligence in their projects complies with applicable laws and with the terms and conditions of the AI tools and services used.

Projects must not unlawfully use, imitate, or misuse another person's identity, voice, likeness, performance, or copyrighted or otherwise legally protected work.

8. Selection Process

Each eligible project is reviewed by the PAIFF Selection Committee.

Projects are evaluated primarily on storytelling, originality, creative use of artificial intelligence, technical quality, artistic vision, and overall impact.

Selected projects may receive Official Selection PAIFF 2026 status.

Official Selection does not in itself guarantee an award or a public screening of the full film.

9. International Jury and Awards

Award winners are selected by the PAIFF International Jury.

All decisions of the Selection Committee and Jury are final.

PAIFF is not required to provide individual evaluations, scores, feedback, or explanations regarding its decisions.

PAIFF reserves the right not to present an award in a particular category if, in the opinion of the Jury, no submitted project meets the required standard.

Jury Members & Conflict of Interest

Jury members may submit films to PAIFF or be professionally involved in submitted films.

In such cases, the jury member will be excluded from evaluating, discussing, or voting on any film in which they have a direct professional, creative, or financial interest.

The film will be evaluated solely by the remaining independent jury members.

Award Presentation

Winners will receive an official PAIFF Winner Laurel and a digital award certificate.

Physical trophies or awards, where applicable, are presented in person at the PAIFF Awards Ceremony in Prague.

PAIFF is not obligated to ship physical trophies or awards to winners who do not attend the ceremony in person.

The absence of a winner from the Awards Ceremony does not affect the validity of the award.

Winners who are unable to attend may be invited to provide a short video message for presentation during the ceremony.

10. Festival Presentation and Physical Screenings

The festival may present selected or winning films, trailers, excerpts, or other parts of submitted projects as part of its programme.

Official Selection or receipt of an award does not automatically guarantee a public screening of the full film.

If a film is selected for a physical festival screening, the submitter grants PAIFF a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publicly screen the film as part of the PAIFF festival programme.

PAIFF may charge admission for festival screenings.

No screening fee, royalty, or revenue share is payable to the submitter or rights holder in connection with such festival screenings unless separately agreed in writing.

PAIFF determines the final format, content, duration, and schedule of the festival programme and individual presentations.

This license is limited to PAIFF festival activities and does not transfer ownership of the film or any underlying rights to PAIFF.

Physical festival screenings and screenings for the professional jury are separate from the public online cinema programme.

A filmmaker's decision not to participate in the online cinema or Audience Award does not affect eligibility for the Official Selection, professional jury awards, or physical festival screenings otherwise authorized under these Rules and Terms.

11. Online Cinema, Licensing and Audience Award

11.1. Online Screening Platform

PAIFF – Prague AI Film Festival 2026 intends to operate its international online cinema through Eventive (www.eventive.org), a professional film festival streaming and ticketing platform.

The official PAIFF Online Cinema viewing link will be published following platform activation.

The online programme will allow audiences worldwide to watch selected AI films and music videos, subject to the rights granted by their respective rights holders.

Films uploaded directly to and streamed through Eventive may be protected using Digital Rights Management (DRM) and digital watermarking, subject to the available technical configuration.

These security measures reduce the risk of unauthorized copying and redistribution but cannot guarantee absolute protection.

11.2. Voluntary Participation and Express Consent

Participation in PAIFF Online Cinema is entirely voluntary.

No submitted film will be made publicly available through PAIFF Online Cinema without the rights holder's separate, express authorization.

Each filmmaker or authorized rights holder may choose one of the following three options:

OPTION A – AUDIENCE AWARD ONLY

Planned online screening period: November 1–28, 2026.

The film may be made available worldwide through PAIFF Online Cinema and participate in the Audience Award.

Audience voting will close on November 25, 2026.

The online screening authorization will end immediately after the official PAIFF Awards Ceremony on November 28, 2026, and in all cases no later than the end of that day (Prague local time).

After that time, the film will no longer be publicly available through PAIFF Online Cinema.

OPTION B – AUDIENCE AWARD AND EXTENDED ONLINE SCREENING

Planned online screening period: November 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.

The film may participate in the Audience Award under the same conditions as Option A.

Audience voting will close on November 25, 2026.

Following the festival on November 28, 2026, the film may remain available for worldwide online viewing through PAIFF Online Cinema until June 30, 2027, at 23:59 Prague local time.

The license will automatically expire at that time without renewal.

OPTION C – NO ONLINE SCREENING

The rights holder does not authorize PAIFF to make the film publicly available through its online cinema.

The film will not be included in PAIFF Online Cinema or the Audience Award, either before or after the festival.

This choice does not affect participation in the independent professional jury competition or physical festival screenings authorized separately.

It does not revoke the limited promotional permissions granted under Section 12.

11.3. License Scope and Retained Rights

By selecting Option A or B, the rights holder grants Central Europe AI s.r.o., the festival's designated licensing entity, a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to make the specified film available to the public through Eventive for the selected period.

This includes technical hosting, encoding, secure storage, transmission and processing necessary for the authorized online screenings, including use of Eventive's technical service providers.

All copyright and ownership rights remain with their respective rights holders.

Filmmakers remain fully free to publish, screen, distribute, license, sell or monetize their films elsewhere, including on YouTube, Vimeo, social media, television, other streaming platforms, cinemas and other festivals, before, during and after PAIFF.

PAIFF does not require exclusivity or removal of films from other platforms.

Films already publicly available on YouTube, social media or other platforms are not automatically excluded from participation in PAIFF Online Cinema.

PAIFF may recommend temporarily restricting free public access to a film during Audience Award voting, but such a restriction is voluntary and is not a condition of participation.

Filmmakers are responsible for checking any separate exclusivity, premiere or distribution commitments they may have with third parties.

11.4. Paid Audience Access

The online cinema may offer paid multi-film, programme or festival viewing passes.

The screening license under Option A or B is granted voluntarily and free of charge.

No screening fee, licensing fee, royalty or share of viewing-pass revenue is payable to the filmmaker or rights holder unless separately agreed in writing.

Revenue from viewing passes will be retained by the festival operator, subject to applicable taxes, transaction fees, platform charges and operating expenses.

11.5. Audience Award

The Audience Award is a separate competition based on public audience voting and is independent of awards decided by the professional festival jury.

Audience voting will close on November 25, 2026.

The exact voting closing time and detailed voting procedure will be announced before voting opens.

Results will be announced at the PAIFF Awards Ceremony on November 28, 2026.

Films authorized under Option B may remain available for viewing after the voting deadline, but no further votes will be accepted.

11.6. Rights and Permissions

The person granting the license confirms that they own or control the necessary rights, or are duly authorized by the relevant rights holders, to permit worldwide paid online streaming.

This includes the necessary rights and permissions relating to music, footage, images, performers, voices, likenesses, archival material, AI-generated elements and other third-party content.

Any restrictions on worldwide online rights must be disclosed to PAIFF before consent is granted.

11.7. Confirmation and Records

The filmmaker or authorized rights holder must confirm their chosen option by replying in writing to PAIFF at info@paiffestival.com.

The confirmation must include:

- The full name of the rights holder or authorized representative.
- The exact title of the film or films.
- The selected option A, B or C for each film.

One email may cover multiple submitted films, with a separate option specified for each film.

Selecting Option A or B constitutes express acceptance of the applicable licensing terms under this Section 11.

Selecting Option C grants no public online screening authorization.

Silence or failure to respond does not constitute consent.

Without express authorization, the film will not be publicly screened through PAIFF Online Cinema.

The filmmaker is not required to modify the original submission or film description to provide this authorization.

PAIFF will retain written confirmation records for the purpose of documenting the agreed license and complying with applicable legal obligations.

11.8. License Duration and Changes

The planned start of online screenings is November 1, 2026, subject to activation of the Eventive platform.

If online screening begins later, the agreed license end date will remain unchanged.

PAIFF may not extend the license period or use the full film for other online distribution purposes without additional authorization.

The license does not transfer ownership or exclusive distribution rights to PAIFF.

Any extension or material change to the agreed license requires separate consent from the rights holder.

12. Promotional and Media Use

By submitting a project, the submitter grants PAIFF permission to use the film title, poster, still images, trailer, synopsis, subtitles, names and biographies of the creators, and short excerpts from the project for the purposes of festival promotion and related media coverage.

These materials may be used on the PAIFF website, the festival's official submission platform profiles, social media, press and promotional materials, media communications, and during festival events.

This permission does not authorize public online streaming of the full film without the separate consent required under Section 11.

This permission does not constitute a transfer of ownership or copyright in the submitted film to PAIFF.

13. Withdrawal and Disqualification

If a project is withdrawn by the submitter, any submission fee already paid will not be refunded, except where required by applicable law.

PAIFF reserves the right to disqualify a project if the submission contains false or misleading information, violates applicable law, lacks the necessary rights or permissions, or materially breaches these Rules and Terms.

14. Festival Changes

PAIFF reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the programme, schedule, venue, festival format, categories, Jury composition, awards, deadlines, or other organizational arrangements where required for organizational, legal, technical, or safety reasons, or due to circumstances of force majeure.

Material changes will, where reasonably possible, be communicated through PAIFF's official communication channels.

Changes to the festival programe, schedule or technical arrangements do not authorize PAIFF to extend an agreed online screening license or expand its scope without the rights holder's express consent.

15. Acceptance of Rules and Governing Law

By submitting a project, the submitter confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Rules and Terms.

These Rules and Terms are governed by the laws of the Czech Republic.

In the event of any inconsistency between the Czech, English, or any other language version of these Rules and Terms, the English version shall prevail.

Acceptance of the general festival Rules and Terms does not replace the separate authorization required for public online screening under Section 11.

No revision of these Rules and Terms shall be interpreted as retroactively granting PAIFF online screening rights without the relevant rights holder's express agreement.