Austin AI Film Festival Announces 2026 Official Selection and Speaker Lineup

Directors, studio founders, and technologists will show how this year's best generative films were made, October 16 and 17.

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Austin AI Film Festival (AAIFF) today announced its 2026 Official Selection and speaker lineup for its second annual festival, October 16 and 17 at The Topfer at Zach Theater. AAIFF is the largest independent AI film festival in the nation and the only one in Texas.

Presented At: The Topfer at Zach Theater

From over 700 submissions, the Selection Committee chose 40 films in eleven competitive categories: features, shorts, micro-shorts, music videos, documentaries, series episodes, trailers, avant-garde films, commercial and brand films, hybrid live-action films, and student films.

The festival arrives as Texas begins distributing funds from Senate Bill 22, which commits $1.5 billion to the state's film incentive program over the next decade.

"Our mission is to build a physical space where filmmakers, artists, and fans can meet the people making these films and see how the work actually gets made," said Aaron Sanchez, Founder and President of AAIFF.

Featured speakers include Pinar Seyhan Demirdag (Founder & CEO, EVRN), Jason Fisher (Founder & CEO, StageRunner), Henry Daubrez (Founder, Odd Kid), Nik Kleverov (Co-founder & CCO, Native Foreign), Davide Bianca (Co-founder, CCO and CTIO, GRAiL), Jason Zada (Founder & CCO, Secret Level), Rupert Cresswell (Co-founder & CCO, Elevado Studio), Adrienne Lahens (Co-founder & CEO, Infinite Studios), Billy Boman (Founder, Boman Studios), Joni Dobrov (Co-founder & CCO, Exact), and C. Sean Yuksel (Founder, GRAFX Co. & Partner, Dreamspace).

This year's judges are director and cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg, production designer Rick Carter, Fox Entertainment's Jon Flynn (EVP and Head of FoxNXT), producer and director Sarba Das, journalist and filmmaker Seema Mathur, and generative artist BLVCKL!GHT.

Programming begins with The Global Virtual GenJam Hackathon, a free 48-hour event for creators worldwide, October 8 to 10, with Machine Cinema and AITX. Winning films screen at the festival.

Day 1, The Summit (Friday, October 16): a keynote, masterclasses where Henry Daubrez, Nik Kleverov, and Joni Dobrov show step by step how a project was made, and panels on brands and commercial work and on the craft of hybrid films.

Day 2, Screenings and Awards (Saturday, October 17): the Official Selection on the big screen, a fireside conversation on what is next for the industry, and the awards ceremony.

Screening ($79), Summit ($99), Festival ($149), and All Access ($199) passes are available at www.austinaifilmfest.com. For press accreditation or interview requests, contact [email protected].

About the Austin AI Film Festival:
The Austin AI Film Festival is a Texas 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering community, transparency, and education around generative and hybrid cinema.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Aaron Sanchez
Founder and President
Austin AI Film Festival (501(c)(3) Nonprofit)
915-274-6820
[email protected]
www.austinaifilmfest.com 

SOURCE Austin AI Film Festival