WAIFF LA USA is the United States edition of the World AI Film Festival, the international AI film competition based in France with annual editions around the world culminating in the Grand Finale at Cannes. It takes place October 10 and 11, 2026, in Los Angeles, the city where Hollywood, the Mecca of filmmaking, lives and where the future of moving images will be debated loudest.

We launched WAIFF in the US because the conversation about AI and filmmaking is too important to be left to the people who love AI uncritically or the people who refuse to engage with it at all. All deserve to share their stories.

We are not interested in declaring winners and losers in the AI vs tradition culture war. We do not know yet what AI filmmaking will become. Nobody knows. Storytellers will decide how AI is used.

Tools evolve. Stories endure.™

Awards & Prizes

Eleven trophies. Five to Cannes. One Grand Prix.
The only AI film competition in the world that feeds directly into a recognized global pipeline.

11 WAIFF USA Winners
Nine Category Winners plus two Flag Awards (Best Student-Submitted Work and Best Youth-Submitted Work). Each winner receives the WAIFF USA Trophy and the official laurel for marketing use.

5 U.S. Representatives Advance to WAIFF Cannes 2027
From the 11 winners, a Grand, Honorary, and Academic Jury of senior figures selects 5 works to advance to WAIFF Cannes 2027. To advance to Cannes, a winning work must meet the category criteria of WAIFF Cannes France.

1 WAIFF USA Grand Prix
From the 5 advancing to WAIFF Cannes, the Jury names a single WAIFF USA Grand Prix, announced last at the ceremony. Sponsor prize packages and additional benefits, where available, will be posted at worldaifilmfestival.us at the time of selection.

Rules & Terms

WAIFF LA USA welcomes works from US-based creators. The following rules apply to all submissions.

Eligibility.
Open to creators 13 and older, US-based. Works must incorporate AI in their making. No premiere requirement. Online distribution, streaming releases, and prior festival screenings do not affect eligibility. Submitters under 18 need parental or guardian consent at submission.

Categories.
9 competition categories: Live Action Short Film, Feature Film, Animated Short, Documentary, Vertical and Mobile Content, Music Video, Advertisement and Commercial, AR / VR / XR Experience, Gaming. Best Student-Submitted Work and Best Youth-Submitted Work (ages 13 to 18) are flag awards across the submission pool, not separate entry categories. Self-identify on the form. Cross-entry across multiple competition categories is allowed; a separate submission fee applies per entry.

Standards.
All submissions follow the WAIFF USA Standards: AI tool disclosure; documented consent for any recognizable likeness or voice (SAG-AFTRA Digital Replica Rider); compliance with US federal and state law; music and footage cleared at sync, master, and mechanical levels; named director or creative lead. Full Standards at worldaifilmfestival.us.

Files.
HD 1920 by 1080 minimum, 4K 3840 by 2160 preferred. .mp4 or .mov file formats. Non-English works must include English subtitles (burnt-in or soft). Finalists may be asked to provide a DCP or Apple ProRes master for theatrical screening; specifications will be provided upon selection.

What to attach.
A representative still image (1920 by 1080 minimum), a 150-word synopsis, a 100-word director or creative-lead biography, and a complete credits list. Content Credentials (C2PA) encouraged on final files.

Production Journal.
Every submission must include a Production Journal identifying the AI tools used. Submissions missing a Production Journal will not be reviewed.

Fees are non-refundable. Jury decisions are final.
Full Terms and Conditions at worldaifilmfestival.us/terms. By submitting, you agree to them.