Dubai has become the epicenter of cinematic innovation with the revelation of twelve finalists for the world’s most valuable AI-generated film award, boasting a monumental $1 million prize. Organized by the 1 Billion Followers Summit in collaboration with Google Gemini, this groundbreaking competition has drawn global attention to the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in filmmaking.
The shortlisted films, selected from an astonishing 3,500 submissions across 100 countries, represent two distinct thematic categories: “Rewrite Tomorrow,” exploring futuristic narratives, and “The Secret Life of Everything,” revealing untold stories of existing characters. The selection process involved rigorous evaluation by a 40-member expert jury and advanced technical review using Google Gemini’s AI systems, ensuring each entry met stringent criteria including minimum 70% usage of Google’s generative AI tools.
Notable finalists include Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Gomaa Rizk’s ‘Heal,’ set in 2030 where emotional AI helps a traumatized woman access her comatose mother’s memories, and South Korean director Lee Su Yeol’s ‘Cats Like Warmth,’ about a data-driven robot discovering emotional connection. Palestinian filmmaker Omar Rammal’s ‘Dreams Don’t Die’ presents a poignant narrative of children escaping war through magical storybooks, while German director Daniel Titz’s ‘Roots of Tomorrow’ addresses microplastic pollution through interplanetary exploration.
The public voting window opens December 21-25 through the summit’s official website, allowing global audiences to participate in determining the future of AI-generated cinema. The top five films will screen on January 10, 2026, during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit at Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, and Museum of the Future, with the ultimate winner announced on January 11.
This initiative, hosted by the UAE Government Media Office under the theme ‘Content for Good,’ represents a significant milestone in legitimizing AI-generated content as a formidable force in the creative economy, potentially reshaping how stories are told and consumed worldwide.