{"id":17130,"date":"2025-12-17T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/?post_type=news_en&#038;p=17130"},"modified":"2025-12-17T03:34:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T18:34:28","slug":"the-future-of-filmmaking-in-the-age-of-ai-debated-by-global-industry-leaders-international-conference-now-available-on-demand","status":"publish","type":"news_en","link":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/news_en\/creators\/the-future-of-filmmaking-in-the-age-of-ai-debated-by-global-industry-leaders-international-conference-now-available-on-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Filmmaking in the Age of AI <br>Debated by Global Industry Leaders \u2014 <br>International Conference Now Available On-Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"474\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03479-1-1-740x474.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03479-1-1-740x474.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03479-1-1-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03479-1-1-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03479-1-1.jpg 1473w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>An Academy Award\u00ae-qualifying festival and one of Asia\u2019s largest international short film festivals, Short Shorts Film Festival &amp; Asia (SSFF &amp; ASIA), released today the archived video of its international conference <strong>\u201cThe Future of Filmmaking with AI: Creativity, Collaboration, and Ethics,\u201d <\/strong>held on October 26 as part of the SSFF &amp; ASIA 2025 Screening in Autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conference is now available to audiences in Japan and overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Future of Filmmaking with AI: Creativity, Collaboration, and Ethics | Japan Cultural Expo 2.0\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rK8lMt5JA_8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The conference opened with remarks by Seigo Tono, Executive Director of SSFF &amp; ASIA, who provided an overview of the growing presence of AI-powered works at the festival.<br>He noted that SSFF &amp; ASIA receives approximately 5,000 submissions from abroad each year, and that the share of films utilizing AI has been rising rapidly in recent years. He reported that AI-assisted works accounted for about 2% (112 films) in 2024, increasing to approximately 6% (275 films) in 2025.<br>The conference brought together filmmakers, producers, researchers, and industry leaders from 10 countries. Participants engaged in lively discussions across three themes: \u201cCreativity &amp; Collaboration,\u201d \u201cEthics &amp; Cultural Responsibility,\u201d and \u201cFuture Vision of AI Cinema.<br>\u201dThe sessions explored how AI technologies are transforming the filmmaking process, with active debate around creativity, ethics, and copyright.<br>A detailed event report will follow on the next page.<br>This event was held as part of the FY2025 Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Evolution of \u201cCreativity &amp; Collaboration\u201d Brought by AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this session, speakers shared a wide range of real-world practices that position AI as a \u201ccreative partner\u201d in filmmaking. Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kushida (Last Dream) spoke about producing his AI-assisted short film Last Dream, describing AI as \u201ca dialogue partner that draws out humanity\u2019s memories through wordssomething that goes beyond being a mere tool.\u201d Fellow director Hiroki Yamaguchi (GRANDMALEVIT) noted that \u201cat this point, AI is closer to an assistant that helps visualize a creator\u2019s intentions, but in the future it may become a true co-creator.\u201d<br>From Germany, composer and filmmaker Marcel Barsotti presented the production process behind his AI film Imperial, completed after layering more than 30,000 prompts. He emphasized that \u201cno matter what technology we use, the core of cinema remains the story.\u201d Co-screenwriter Gundula Barsotti-Bast added that, while the fundamentals of writing do not change, AI production introduces a new kind of labor: \u201cAt the beginning there is no big difference between real and AI films, but once prompting starts, you have to rewrite over and over because the prompts never come out as you want.\u201d<br>French media executive Alexandre Michelin added that \u201cin France, some discussions view AI as a cultural threat, but looking back at the history of art, new technologies have always reinvented creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209576_0-1-740x555.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209576_0-1-740x555.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209576_0-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209576_0-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209576_0-1.jpg 1477w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209564_0-740x555.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209564_0-740x555.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209564_0-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209564_0-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209564_0.jpg 1477w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Possibilities and Challenges of AI Cinema Across Regions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, panelists from around the world shared the current state of AI adoption and the challenges emerging in their respective regions. Javid Sobhani, programmer for the Tehran International Short Film Festival (Iran), stressed that AI\u2019s role cannot be reduced to a single label: \u201cI can\u2019t call it just a tool, and I can\u2019t romanticize it as a co-creator either,\u201d noting instead that in constrained environments AI becomes \u201ca shield\u201d that can even function like a producer or co-writer. Senegalese filmmaker Hussein Dembel Sow echoed this view from another context, emphasizing AI\u2019s potential for leapfrogging production barriers: \u201cWhere I come from, we are happy because it will help us build new industry,\u201d adding that without AI, large-scale VFX-driven genres such as fantasy or science fiction would remain out of reach.<br>Douglas Montgomery, former strategic advisor at Warner Bros. (USA), highlighted the expanding possibilities and future outlook enabled by AI, saying that \u201cAI is not perfect and does not replace humans, but it is getting better every day,\u201d and predicting that animation production timelines will likely be shortened not by small margins but \u201cby a factor of two to five going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209581_0-740x555.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209581_0-740x555.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209581_0-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209581_0-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/S__6209581_0.jpg 1477w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-740x493.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17109\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-740x493.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC03440-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Submissions of AI-Assisted Works on the Rise <br>\u2014 A New Wave of Cinematic Expression <br>\u201cAI Does Not Take Away Creativity; It Expands It.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Mexican director Oscar Parres pointed out that Mexico is still in an early stage of adoption and that institutional frameworks lag behind creators: \u201cThey told me AI is not creative or copyright\u2014it\u2019s just a tool,\u201d insisting that education and ethical awareness will be essential as technology spreads.<br>In addition, Shin Chul, Festival Director of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Korea), warned that \u201cevery morning a new game-changer AI tool appears,\u201d and expressed concern that a drift toward \u201cfull autocreation\u201d could be frightening, risking the loss of a filmmaker\u2019s intent\u2014yet he also emphasized the democratizing upside, arguing that AI allows young creators to start from \u201cthe same starting point as James Cameron,\u201d shifting the competition toward originality.\u201c <br>With the growing number of submissions incorporating AI technologies, AI cinema is no longer a passing experiment. Rather, it may be establishing itself as a new genre of visual expression.\u201d Guided by this question, one message was repeatedly underscored throughout the discussions: AI is not something that deprives humans of creativity, but a presence that expands it. At the conference, Tetsuya Bessho, Founder\/President of SSFF &amp; ASIA, expressed this vision in his remarks: \u201cOur mission is to continue celebrating the power of storytelling, no matter what era of technological innovation we are in.\u201d With strong attendance and enthusiastic engagement, the conference concluded on a high note\u2014sharing a collective sense of anticipation for a new era of filmmaking in which humans and AI create together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-2.57.22-am-740x554.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-2.57.22-am-740x554.png 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-2.57.22-am-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-2.57.22-am-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-2.57.22-am.png 1074w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OUTLINE of the International Conference \u201cThe Future of Filmmaking with AI\u201d <br>&#x1f538;Date &amp; Time\uff1aSun, Oct. 26 10:00-13:00 <br>&#x1f538;Venue\uff1aAkasaka Intercity Conference the AIR <br>&#x1f538;URL\uff1ahttps:\/\/shortshorts.org\/jce_mice\/ <br>&#x1f538;Organizer: Pacific Voice Co., Ltd., Japan Arts Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u3010Japan Cultural Expo 2.0\u3011<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am-740x313.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17111\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am-740x313.png 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am-768x325.png 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am-1536x650.png 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screen-Shot-2025-12-17-at-3.00.58-am.png 1630w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJapan Cultural Expo 2.0\u201d aims to build momentum toward the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, promote the recovery of inbound tourism, and further stimulate domestic travel demand. At the same time, it seeks to foster the advancement of Japan\u2019s culture and arts, which embody the beauty and spirit of the nation, and to share their diverse and universal appeal with the world. https:\/\/japanculturalexpo.bunka.go.jp\/en\/about\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Panelists of the International Conference \u201cThe Future of Filmmaking with AI\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"740\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-740x740.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-740x740.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Marcel-Barsotti-Portrait-2025.01.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Germany\uff09Marcel Barsotti <\/strong>Composer, Filmmaker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, Marcel Barsotti made his debut as a film director with \u2018TRANSFORMATION\u2019, a dystopian, elaborately AI-generated science fiction short film that received 12 international awards and 37 nominations, also the \u2018Valuable Rating\u2019 in Germany. With IMPERIA Barsotti realized his second big AI Science Fiction project, together with BAI Pictures and Schmerbeck Entertainment, which received just the \u2018Honorary Tribute Film Award\u2019 at the International Peace Festival in Toronto and starts worldwide on international festivals in Tokyo, Rome, Toronto, Utah, Munich, Paris and many more. Barsotti is also an international film composer from more than 100 international motion picture projects, like \u2018Pope Joan\u2019, \u2018The Sea Wolf\u2019 or \u2018The Miracle of Bern\u2019 and received more than 50 international awards for his film scores, and music videos. Also he composed many commercials and corporates for tv and streamers, among Sky, Concorde or RTL2, Barsotti is lecturing on universities in Europe, realized orchestral concerts with his film scores worldwide, he is CEO of the International Sound Library ETHNO WORLD and the music production company TUNESFORMOVIES. Barsotti is also brand ambassador of VSL, Waldorf and UVI products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast-740x555.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast-740x555.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Gundula-Barsotti-Bast.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Germany\uff09Gundula Barsotti-Bast<\/strong> Author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gundula Barsotti-Bast has been managing the office of the chair for Educational Sciences at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. She was a member of the Munich International Choral Society as soprano for decades. She works as a consultant on the film scores of her husband Marcel Barsotti and for the publishing house BAM Music Publishing. Gundula Barsotti-Bast was co-author on the film projects \u2018Transformation\u2019 and \u2018Imperia\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-740x493.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-740x493.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BIFAN_Festival-director_SHIN-Chul-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Korea\uff09SHIN Chul<\/strong> Festival Director, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shin Chul, head of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) since 2019, has been central to the modernization of Korean cinema. As a producer, he shaped influential works such as Marriage Story, Lies, and My Sassy Girl. The latter ignited the Korean Wave, sweeping across Asia and inspiring remakes in Hollywood, China, and beyond. Its success attracted fresh creative talents and prompted major companies to invest in film, marking a new golden era. Widely recognized as the producer who reshaped Korean cinema, Shin continues to pursue new goals. Since BIFAN 2024, he has led the \u201cBIFAN+\u201d project, dedicated to exploring the impact of generative AI. The initiative seeks to expand artistic freedom and present a vision for the future evolution of films and film festivals worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/606A3921-1-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Senegal\uff09Hussein Dembel Sow <\/strong>Filmmaker, Screenwriter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hussein Dembel Sow est un r\u00e9alisateur et sc\u00e9nariste s\u00e9n\u00e9galais pionnier dans l\u2019utilisation de l\u2019intelligence artificielle pour la cr\u00e9ation cin\u00e9matographique. Laur\u00e9at du World AI Film Festival (WAiFF) 2025 avec son film Thiaroye 44, il d\u00e9veloppe un studio de cin\u00e9ma g\u00e9n\u00e9ratif en Afrique, visant \u00e0 d\u00e9mocratiser l\u2019acc\u00e8s \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation audiovisuelle et \u00e0 promouvoir les r\u00e9cits africains \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9chelle mondiale. Passionn\u00e9 par les nouvelles technologies et leur impact sur l\u2019industrie cin\u00e9matographique, il est \u00e9galement le repr\u00e9sentant \u00e0 Dakar de la communaut\u00e9 mondiale AI Thinkerer, d\u00e9di\u00e9e \u00e0 l\u2019innovation collaborative en intelligence artificielle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1-740x416.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1-740x416.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/147206-5-95fd2edc5c7e87bbb814893a61e1cea1-1920x1080-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Japan\uff09Takeshi Kushida<\/strong> Filmmaker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Born in 1982 in Osaka, Kushida works at Pyramid Film in Tokyo. His debut feature Woman of the Photographs (2020) screened at Tokyo, Fantasia, and FrightFest, winning 40 awards and releasing in 10 countries via MPX. Second feature My Mother\u2019s Eyes (2023) played top genre fests and is distributed by Reel Suspects. His third feature Acting for Beginners (2024) was produced for the opening gala of SKIP City International D-Cinema Festival. His latest AIgenerated short film, Last Dream (2025), won the top AI prize at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, praised as &#8220;a groundbreaking work that will change the future of AI cinema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"987\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-740x987.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-740x987.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KIF-274-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\uff08France\uff09Alexandre Michelin<\/strong> Knowledge Immersive Forum (KIF) Founder &amp; Curator<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexandre Michelin is a French media executive whose career traces the constant search for new frontiers in storytelling. He began at Paris Premiere Cable TV, learning the fundamentals of broadcasting, before moving to Canal+ as Director of Programs, where he embraced the creative boldness of premium television and European digital innovation within the Canal+ group. In 2005, his pioneering work in interactive formats earned an International Interactive Emmy Award for Cult (France 5), confirming his instinct for innovation. In 2006, he joined Microsoft as Head of MSN for Europe, Middle East and Africa, leading for ten years one of the company\u2019s largest global regions and building the foundations of digital content platforms across three continents.. From 2021, he chaired the Centre National de la Cin\u00e9matographie Commission on Digital Experiences, championing immersive formats in VR, AR, and XR. In 2024, he launched the initiative \u201cYou + AI\u201d, anticipating how artificial intelligence will redefine creative practices and cultural engagement. Today, as founder of the Knowledge Immersive Forum (KIF), he curates global conversations on the future of culture and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"440\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Douglas-Montgomery.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Douglas-Montgomery.jpg 440w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Douglas-Montgomery-269x300.jpg 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\uff08USA) Douglas Montgomery<\/strong> Global Media Executive<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Douglas is a 20+ year media and retail executive. During this time, he worked for Walmart Stores integrating newly acquired overseas retail. After this, Montgomery worked 15 years for Warner Bros. in 3 different countries (U.S., Japan, and U.K.) as a strategic advisor for both WB management and major partners. Additionally, he was the Chairman of the 114-year-old Japan America Society of Southern California, which honored Marie Kondo and Shohei Ohtani as \u201cInternational Citizens\u201d. In 2021, Douglas founded \u201cGlobal Connects Media\u201d, where he serves as President and CEO. Global Connects Media aids its clients in gaining access to the world entertainment and retail market.<br>Douglas co-founded and produced \u201cGlobal Stage Hollywood\u201d Film Festival, focused on providing a platform in Hollywood for diverse groups from around the world. Montgomery also produced and curated the 2021 Taiwan Biennial Film Festival (both in-person and online) and served as a judge for the inaugural Ceylon Film Festival 2022 held in Santa Barbara. Douglas earned an MBA (Dean\u2019s List) from the University of Southern California. Prior to USC, Douglas completed a BComm from the University of Alberta. Douglas splits his time between Los Angeles and Tokyo, Japan. He also serves an AI consultant for anime<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Who-is-God-director.-Oscar-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Who-is-God-director.-Oscar-.jpg 600w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Who-is-God-director.-Oscar--225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\uff08Mexico\uff09Oscar Parres<\/strong> Filmmaker<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oscar Ad\u00e1n L\u00f3pez Parres is a Mexican engineer and independent filmmaker specializing in Artificial Intelligence. His work explores how technology can expand the limits of art and storytelling. In 2023, he was invited to speak at the Honorable Chamber of Deputies of Mexico about the role of AI in diverse sectors, highlighting his interest in implementing this technology in multiple areas of society and culture.<br>His debut short film, Who is God? (2023), created entirely with artificial intelligence, was officially registered at the National Institute of Copyright in Mexico as one of the first AI-generated short films in the world. The project positioned him as part of the new wave of creators who are redefining the relationship between cinema, spirituality, and emerging technologies.<br>Currently, he is developing Yo Soy (I Am), a continuation of this exploration, conceived as a love letter to God and as the second part of a diptych that reflects his personal and spiritual search. This new project represents another step in his ongoing path to fuse symbolic narratives with technological innovation, aiming to reach international audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250927_165803-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250927_165803-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250927_165803-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250927_165803-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250927_165803.jpg 852w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Iran\uff09Javid Sobhani<\/strong> Tehran International Short Film Festival Programmer, filmmaker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Javid Sobhani is a screenwriter and director, born in 1991 in Iran, holding a Master&#8217;s degree in Industrial Engineering. He is a member of the Iranian Society of Screenwriters Guild and has served as the Festival Programmer and International Programs Coordinator for the OSCARS\u00ae-Qualifying Tehran International Short Film Festival since 2018, one of the largest short film events in Asia. In this role, he handles strategic planning, programming, and international coordination.<br>Since 2020, Sobhani has been the International Programs Coordinator and representative at the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, one of the leading global institutions for short film production and film education.<br>So far, His works include a feature film screenplay (Torpedo) and short films as a writer and director. His latest project \u201cThe White Horse\u201d received the Grand Prize for Feature Film Pitching at the 20th Kazan International Film Festival in Russia (2024). He is currently developing his second feature film project as a screenwriter.<br>Sobhani has served as a jury member and selection committee member for several international film festivals in Portugal, France, and Italy etc\u2026<br>He introduced the AI competition program to the Tehran International Short Film Festival starting with its 41st edition in 2024, and it is now part of the official international competition since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs-740x490.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs-740x490.jpg 740w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YamaguchiCs.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>\uff08Japan\uff09Hiroki Yamaguchi <\/strong>GAUMAPIX CEO\/Film director<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hiroki Yamaguchi is a Tokyo-based Japanese film director from Kyoto. In 2004, his first theatrical feature, \u201cHellevator,\u201d was released in theaters; the film won at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and was officially invited to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. He is known as a feature film director for \u201cBloody Chainsaw Girl\u201d and \u201cTorinoko City.\u201d<br>In 2024, his first generative AI film, \u201cIMPROVEMENT CYCLE,\u201d was officially invited to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, the Busan International AI Film Festival, and the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. In August 2025, the AI film \u201cGRANDMALEVIT\u201d had its theatrical release in Japan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17105,"parent":0,"template":"","e_news_cat":[550,548,641],"class_list":["post-17130","news_en","type-news_en","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","e_news_cat-creators","e_news_cat-event","e_news_cat-filmfestival"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_en\/17130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_en"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news_en"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"e_news_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/e_news_cat?post=17130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}