1 Billion Followers Summit Calls on Creators Worldwide to Submit Original Films Made Using AI Technology.
Dubai: The 1 Billion Followers Summit has officially begun accepting entries for the second edition of its AI Film Award, offering a grand prize of $1 million to filmmakers and digital creators who use artificial intelligence to produce compelling and meaningful stories.
The international competition welcomes participants from across the globe, encouraging them to create AI-powered films that explore important topics related to society, technology, the environment, communities and human connections.
The award is being organised in collaboration with BytePlus, the enterprise technology solutions division of ByteDance. This year’s edition also receives support from TikTok, helping the competition reach a broader international audience.
Shortlisted films will be showcased during the fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Dubai from January 8 to 10, 2027.
The winner of the $1 million grand prize will also be revealed during the event.
Submission Deadline and Eligibility Criteria
Filmmakers and content creators interested in participating must submit their entries by November 20, 2026.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and are required to produce an original film specifically for the competition.
Each submitted film must have a duration of five to seven minutes and follow a horizontal 16:9 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1080p.
Entries must be uploaded in either MOV or MP4 format.
Participants may create their films in any language, but submissions in languages other than English must include English subtitles.
A key requirement is that at least 70 percent of the finished film must be generated using Dreamina Seedance, ByteDance’s artificial intelligence video-generation model.
Filmmakers may incorporate other AI-powered applications, conventional editing software and original live-action footage for supplementary elements, provided the required proportion of Dreamina Seedance-generated content is maintained.
Importantly, participants will continue to retain ownership and copyright of their submitted creative works.
Five Themes Encourage Meaningful AI Storytelling
The competition features five storytelling themes designed to inspire filmmakers to explore subjects with social, technological, environmental and human significance.
Through these categories, participants are encouraged to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can support creative expression while addressing issues that resonate with audiences worldwide.
The AI Film Award features five categories designed to encourage filmmakers to explore important global issues and human experiences through artificial intelligence.
The first theme, “Society, Community, and Humanitarian Issues,” invites participants to highlight challenges affecting individuals, communities and society as a whole.
The second category, “Truth, Fake News, and Misinformation,” focuses on the influence of information on public understanding, individual behaviour and perceptions of reality.
The “Humans and AI” category examines the changing relationship between people and artificial intelligence, including the growing role of technology in everyday life.
Meanwhile, “Climate, Nature, and Our Changing Planet” encourages filmmakers to address environmental concerns, climate change, extreme weather events and the future of the planet for coming generations.
The fifth category, “Human Relationships,” explores the emotional connections that shape people’s lives, including family relationships, friendships, romantic partnerships and bonds between parents and children.
Submitted films will be evaluated according to several criteria, including the effective use of artificial intelligence, narrative quality, originality, visual presentation and technical production standards.
The competition seeks to recognise filmmakers who successfully combine advanced AI-generated visuals with imaginative concepts and engaging storytelling.
UAE Seeks to Strengthen AI-Driven Creative Industries
Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, highlighted the importance of empowering content creators to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence.
She explained that encouraging the creative use of AI supports the UAE’s broader ambition to establish itself as a leading international centre for innovation, advanced technology and the digital economy.
According to Al Hammadi, the summit provides a collaborative platform connecting digital creators, technology companies, online platforms and industry specialists.
These connections allow participants to experiment with emerging technologies, develop innovative concepts and transform creative ideas into projects capable of reaching global audiences.
She emphasised that the AI Film Award is intended to identify emerging talent with the potential to influence the future of digital content creation.
Al Hammadi also highlighted the importance of using artificial intelligence to complement human creativity rather than replace it.
She explained that the competition gives filmmakers opportunities to communicate personal experiences, address social challenges and explore global developments through responsible and imaginative applications of AI technology.
BytePlus Supports Emerging Filmmakers Worldwide
Long Li, General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at BytePlus, described the partnership as an opportunity to encourage creative talent and build stronger relationships between filmmakers, digital platforms and technology providers.
He explained that the competition enables creators to experiment with new filmmaking techniques while developing stories that address meaningful issues affecting communities around the world.
Li also highlighted the 1 Billion Followers Summit’s role as an international platform for discovering fresh ideas and emerging creative talent.
According to him, combining human imagination with advanced AI capabilities can help filmmakers discover innovative approaches to visual storytelling.
He added that technological advancements offer creators greater freedom to experiment with artistic concepts, communicate their ideas and connect with wider audiences through distinctive visual experiences.
Top 10 Finalists to Be Revealed in December
The competition’s selection process will continue through December, with the top 10 shortlisted entries scheduled to be announced on December 15, 2026.
Public voting will also begin on the same day, allowing audiences to participate in the selection process.
The five finalists will be revealed on December 25, 2026.
Their films will subsequently be screened during the fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, taking place in Dubai from January 8 to 10, 2027.
The competition will conclude with the announcement of the $1 million grand prize winner during the summit.
Through this initiative, organisers aim to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can broaden the creative possibilities of filmmaking while ensuring that human imagination, originality and meaningful storytelling remain central to the filmmaking process.
