I. Award Categories

 

The festival will utilize a "Grand Prix + Innovation Awards + Audience Choice" structure to ensure recognition for diverse forms of excellence.

 

A. Core Grand Prizes (Cross-Category Selection)

These awards recognize works that achieve the highest overall standard across artistry, narrative, and technical application.

 

Award Name | Focus of Evaluation | Prize

 

Grand Prix | The film with the highest overall artistic achievement and the most seamless integration of narrative and AI application. | 200k Pollo AI Credits, $4,000 Value.

Jury Grand Prize | Work showcasing exceptional innovation, avant-garde artistic expression, or ground-breaking technical experimentation. | 200k Pollo AI Credits, $4,000 Value.

Best Director | Demonstrated mastery of cinematic language, unified artistic vision, and directorial control over the final product. | 200k Pollo AI Credits, $4,000 Value.

 

B. Genre Awards (Highlighting Narrative Diversity)

Awarded based on the primary category selected during submission (similar to Chroma Awards structure).

 

Award Name | Focus of Evaluation | Prize

 

Best Animated Short | Animation style, character design, visual flow, and creative use of motion. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

Best Feature Short | Strength of story structure, character development, emotional resonance, and narrative completeness. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

Best Concept Short | Non-traditional exploration of cinematic language, abstract expression, or philosophical conceptualization. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

Best Music Video | Perfect match with music and effective use of AI to enhance storytelling. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

 

C. Technical & Innovation Awards (Focusing on AI Craftsmanship)

These awards specifically target the technical execution and novel application of AI tools (similar to Artefact's "Best Use of AI").

 

Award Name | Focus of Evaluation | Prize |

 

Best Use of AI Innovation | The degree of creative contribution and core impact the AI tools had on the film's production, going beyond mere novelty. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

Best Production Value | Overall image quality, clarity, editing rhythm, visual effects, and technical completeness. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

Best Music & Sound Design | Musical score's thematic compatibility, sound effects' immersive quality, and overall balanced soundscape integration with the visuals. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

 

D. Special Recognition

 

Award Name | Focus of Evaluation | Prize

 

Emerging Creator Award | Recognizing first-time or early-stage AI filmmakers demonstrating significant potential. | 50k Pollo AI Credits, $1,000 Value.

 

Official Finalist | Granted to all films selected for the final jury review round. | Official Certificate.

 

All awards will include 20% Internet Voting points. Video Likes on all official platforms will count as Voting points.

 

 

II. Selection Rules and Process

 

A. Core Submission Requirements

 

 * AI Contribution Threshold: Over 50% of the filmâs visual content (imagery) or core narrative elements (e.g., script, storyboards) must be aided or directly generated by generative AI tools (e.g., Gen-2, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion).

 * AI Disclosure Mandate: Submitting filmmakers must provide a detailed "Statement of AI Tool Usage," specifying:

   * A list of all generative AI tools utilized.

   * The specific role of AI in pre-production, production, and post-production (e.g., character generation, environment creation, sound synthesis).

   * The approximate percentage of AI contribution.

 * World Premiere Preference: The festival strongly prioritizes works that have not been previously publicly exhibited on any platform (online or offline).

 

B. Judging Criteria (5 Equally Weighted Dimensions)

The jury panel will conduct both qualitative and quantitative assessments. All five dimensions are equally weighted (20% each).

 

Dimension | Detailed Evaluation Standards

 

1. Narrative Depth & Thematic Expression | Cohesion and completeness of the story, ability to evoke emotional connection, and clarity/attractiveness of the theme. 

2. Creativity & Originality | Novelty of the core concept, visual style, or narrative approach; demonstration of an original IP or world-view. 

3. AI Technology Innovation Contribution | Whether the AI tools genuinely enhanced the narrative or artistic expression, and whether the work showcases new possibilities unique to AI filmmaking. 

4. Production Quality & Technical Completion | High-quality visuals, absence of significant technical flaws (e.g., artifacts, glitches), smooth editing/transitions, and overall readiness for festival screening. 

5. Sound Design & Acoustic Integration | Suitability of the music to the film's atmosphere, immersive quality of sound effects, and the balance of the overall soundscape with the visual narrative. 

 

C. Three-Stage Review Process

 

 * Stage One: Eligibility Screening (Compliance Check, Pass/Fail)

   * Responsible Party: Organizing Committee & Technical Team.

   * Objective: Filter out films that do not meet basic format, duration, copyright, and the mandatory AI Disclosure requirements.

 * Stage Two: Artistic & Technical Selection (Selection Round)

   * Responsible Party: Pre-selection Jury.

   * Objective: Based on the "Narrative Depth" and "Production Quality" criteria, select 20-30 Official Finalists from the eligible pool.

 * Stage Three: Final Judging & Award Determination (Jury Voting)

   * Responsible Party: The Final Jury Panel (composed of film industry professionals, established directors, and AI technology experts).

   * Objective: The Final Jury scores the finalists across all five dimensions and conducts qualitative discussions and voting to determine the winners of all "Core Grand Prizes" and "Genre Awards." The Jury's decision is final and non-negotiable.