Out of all the festivals and competitions dedicated to AI filmmaking, one clearly stands apart: The 1 BILLION AI FILM AWARD by 1 Billion Summit & Google Gemini.
Thousands of creators applied seeking for that $1.000.000 prize. Only a fraction made it through. Half of the finalist are actually SHAIKERS.
While in Dubai for the Creators Venture final, SHAIKE had the opportunity to meet and speak with the future potential millionaires…
Zoubeir JLASSIl, Tunisia
Director of LILY, Top 5 finalist
Rather than pushing visual excess, Zoubeir chose restraint.
A claymation inspired aesthetic. A strict respect of every competition rule.
“I wanted to prove that we can be incredibly creative while fully respecting the strict framework of the festival.”
For him, reaching the Top 5 in Dubai felt surreal.
Not expected, but deeply validating.
“It proves that with passion and the right tools, boundaries no longer exist for storytellers.”
Rodson SUAREZ
Director of Portrait No. 72, Top 5 finalist
Portrait No. 72 is a quiet film. About life, lived moment by moment.
“It invites the viewer to stop thinking about how life ends and start reflecting on how it is lived.”
For Rodson, being part of the Top 5 carries weight beyond personal recognition.
“This is a competition backed by Google and the 1 Billion Followers Summit. To even complete a short film using generative AI is already an achievement.”
As the only Southeast Asian finalist, he also sees this moment as representation.
“I feel proud to be here to champion Filipino ingenuity. The support has been overwhelming.”
Mohamed Gomaa
Top 5 finalist
Set in the year 2030, the film follows Laila, a young Egyptian woman who lost her voice due to psychological trauma. Using emotional artificial intelligence, she enters the memories of her mother, who is in a coma, embarking on a deeply moving healing journey between past and present.
Across the finalists, a similar feeling emerges. Surreal. Overwhelming. Grounded.
Mark WACCHOLZ
Top 12 finalist with Céremony, describes the moment clearly.
“When your film makes the shortlist, you realize that your ideas and execution got you there. But a million other things outside your control decide what happens next.”
The competition does not reward hype. It rewards control.
When asked about the future, none of the filmmakers spoke about disruption.
They spoke about maturity. Zoubeir describes 2026 as a moment of hybrid control.
“AI will stop being the subject and become an invisible tool. Longer formats. Perfect consistency. Clear directorial vision.”
Rodson is more cautious.
“AI filmmaking is still in a gray area. It needs to define its use case. But the visuals will become more believable, no doubt.”
Nav Lotay
Top 12 finalist with Homeward, puts it bluntly.
“The question is not how fast you can produce content, but how well you can tell a story. Once people forget it’s AI, the game is won.”
Different tones. Same direction.
What Happens Next
The Top 5 films will premiere on January 10 at the 1 Billion Followers Summit.
The $1,000,000 winner will be announced on January 11.
The jury includes Dan Germain (Google), Christian Haas (YouTube), Ali Ali, Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dabkowski (ElevenLabs), and Marina Mogilko.
The 12 Finalist Films
Congratulations to the twelve filmmakers whose work stood out among thousands of submissions and reached the final stage of the competition:
Heal by Mohamed Gomaa Rizk (Egypt)
Cats Like Warmth by Lee Su Yeol (South Korea)
Homeward by Nav Lotay (United Kingdom)
Roots of Tomorrow by Daniel Titz (Germany)
Maestra by Hilario Abad (Spain)
Dreams Don’t Die by Omar Rammal (Palestine)
The Translator by Philip Lee (United States)
Portrait No. 72 by Rodson Fer Suarez (Philippines)
Ceremony by Mark Wacholz (Germany)
The Beginning by Ibraheem Diab (Jordan)
LILY by Zoubeir Jlassi (Tunisia)
Pursuit of Pearl by Zahir Khan (Canada)
Discover more inspiring AI films on SHAIKE.