Rules & Terms:
A. Submissions:
Celebrating the creative talents making extensive use of AI globally, we at the BLACK AI FEST - "International A.I Film Academy Festival & Awards" open submissions to all media of film, text, audio, video, and fine art, provided they incorporate one or more of the aforementioned AI techniques. Mighty Jot has launched this initiative to showcase AI-generated films or those that incorporate AI tools in satisfactory proportions. The festival management and execution are jointly managed by the same team behind the Realtime International Film Festival (RTF). Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your AI-generated content. Submit your entries to the BLACK AI FEST - "International AI Film Academy Festival & Awards" today!
We are excited to announce that entrants will have the chance to showcase their skills and techniques. However, we take authenticity very seriously. To ensure that all content submitted is legitimate, we will verify the AI content used.
Entrants will need to present proof of using AI tools and techniques through any of the following: video recordings, screenshots, or any other validation techniques. Further clarifications can be requested by the Organizer at its sole discretion.
We are giving everyone a chance to showcase their AI skills and techniques.
B. Eligibility:
The Festival is open to eligible individuals, including adults who, at the time of entry, are at least 18 years old, and children between the ages of 5 and 17 who compete for the award for best Junior AI-Creative. The Entrants submitting a Submission are expected to present a valid form of identity that could include their social media handles, to be eligible to enter and participate in BLACK AI FEST - "International AI Film Academy Festival & Awards".
The following individuals are not eligible to compete in the award categories:
Employees, representatives, agents, directors, and officers of the Organizer, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and marketing agencies, or any other parties involved in the administration of the Black AI Fest (collectively the “Film Festival Parties”) and each of the immediate family members of such Film Festival Parties (i.e., spouses, parents, children, siblings, and stepfamily) and all persons living in the same household of each of the Film Festival Parties.
Each Entrant may submit more than one (1) Submission to the Black AI Fest.
By participating in Black AI Fest, Entrants (and their team) agree to be bound by these official rules (“Official Rules”) and by the decisions of the Organizer, which shall be final in all matters relating to Black AI Fest.
C. Submission guidelines:
By submitting work, the Entrant agrees:
• They have all rights necessary to submit the Submission, including, without limitation, the title or rights in any content, trademarks, artwork, text, and/or music featured in the Submission, and to grant the Organizer the right to use the Submission as outlined in these Official Rules.
• To indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer against all expenses, damages, and losses of any kind (including reasonable legal fees and costs) incurred by the Organiser in connection with any claims, actual or threatened, of any kind, including copyright or any other intellectual property infringement claims arising from any Submission provided to the Organizer.
• To have full rights to use any and all music, images, video clips, or other intellectual property included in the Submission, unless the use qualifies as “Fair Use” under the relevant applicable law.
• To grant the Organizer an exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free license to use, edit, reproduce, distribute, and share the Submission's poster, trailer, synopsis, images, pictures, clips, and movie stills in Black AI Fest and the Organizer’s social media, website, Film Freeway, educational institutions, with the press and other communication channels. The Organizer will be entitled to retain all revenue generated from such exploitation.
• To have their Submission reviewed by the panel of judges and scored according to the criteria to shortlist the top 20 submissions in the various award categories. The film with the highest score will receive the ‘Best Film’ award, while the film with the highest score in the ‘Quality of Overall Film Composition’ category will receive the ‘Best Director’ award. All entrants whose submissions are nominated in the various categories will have their submissions opened to a public vote, with the film that has the highest number of votes receiving the ‘People’s Choice’ award. A specialized AI tool will select the winner of the ‘AI Choice’ award.
• All Submissions must include English subtitles (unless the spoken language is English)
• Every submission made is deemed to have been enacted by entrants who have reviewed and accepted all of the Black AI Fest Official Rules imposed by the Organiser.
• The organizer reserves the right to judge which Submissions are selected, awarded, or screened, and the Black AI Fest jury is free to make their own choices. The jury’s decisions are final and non-negotiable; no answers will be provided about unselected films. The Organizer will not offer Entrants any compensation or pay screening fees.
By submitting the Submission, the Entrant agrees that the Submission does not contain:
• Extremist or propaganda content, which is determined based on the Organiser’s sole discretion. The Organizer does not accept content from political organizations in all matters relating to the Black AI Fest.
• Works involving politics/films promoting a political agenda
• Material that is indecent, lewd, pornographic, obscene, profane, hateful, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous, or that promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing), violence, illegal conduct, or animal cruelty
• Poor production standards (bad sound, lack of subtitles/captions for non-English films, video resolution less than 720p HD, etc.)
• Any viruses, Trojan horses, trap doors, back doors, easter eggs, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, or other computer programming routines that are intended to interfere with or cause harm to the Organizer’s website/platform or any computer or software
• Inappropriate material for the general public
• Material that is unlawful in any jurisdiction where the Entrant’s Submission is created.
The Organizer, in its sole discretion, can consider any work to be disqualified if the content is considered inappropriate for BLACK AI FEST - "International AI Film Academy Festival & Awards".
D. Selected Submissions:
The Black AI Fest jury will review the Submissions after the deadline, providing a score from one to 10 for each of the four evaluation criteria:
• Production quality (20%)
• Narrative integrity and message clarity (20%)
• Innovative concept and creative exploration (20%)
• AI technique(s) integration (40%)
Each Submission will receive a minimum of five and a maximum of 40; the highest average score across all judges will determine the final scores. The most impressive submissions that meet Black AI Fest’s criteria will be shortlisted, while those with the highest scores will be nominated for awards afterward. The Organizer shall publicly announce the finalists, as determined by the jury’s scoring.
Selected Submissions, awards, and screening selections will be notified according to the schedules listed on the Black AI Fest website. The Organizer is not responsible for schedule delays.
The jury’s ratings and decisions are final and binding on all participants. The jury’s scores will not be shared with the Entrants or the general public. In the event of any tie, the finalists shall be determined by looking at the individual scores of the judging panel in a predetermined hierarchy. The decisions of the jury shall be final in all respects. The Organizer will notify the individual Entrant through the email address provided in the registration form or during the registration process.
Preference will be given to Submissions that have not previously been shown to the public.
If selected to be showcased at a live screening event, all screening copies must be received a minimum of 14 days before screening.
Successful Entrants are responsible for all travel, lodging, and other expenses should they attend a Pan African International AI Festival (Black AI Fest) screening event. The Organizer does not provide financial support in any scenario.
E. Trophies
Our AI Academy Award is very expensive and glamorous. It is specially crafted and customized for the festival. The only way to receive your trophy after the festival is through local/international shipping. As a policy, filmmakers who are unable to attend the festival or collect their trophies in person will be responsible for covering both the trophy and shipping costs after the festival season. Awards and Memorabilia shall be shipped to participants at the expense of the participants and shall include any processing fee deemed necessary by the Organizer and Black AI Fest.
The same principle applies to our customized nominee trophies. The only thing we can send without a cost is the digital certificate in PDF format.
F. Publicity:
The Organizer reserves the right to use, edit, reproduce, and distribute images and video clips from the Submission for publications, public relations, advertisements, and the posting of images or video clips on the Internet (for websites, social media portals, listings, etc. of the Black AI Fest and its organizers. It is agreed that the Organizer will be entitled to retain all revenue generated from such exploitation, if any.
Participation in the Pan African International AI Festival (Black AI Fest) implies the unconditional acceptance of the Official Rules. The Entrants, including producers, distributors, or other persons or organizations submitting work, must attest that third parties involved in the production agree with their participation in the Festival.
The Organizer is authorized to use, edit, reproduce, and distribute excerpts from any film or creative work submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Black AI Fest for promotional use. This includes photographs of the submitters (Producers, Directors, Writers, Prompters) available on the FilmFreeway submission page as part of the film's EPK, particularly if the film wins an award and the submitter is absent to accept it.
In this situation, we reserve the right to create an image of the winner holding our trophy to promote their achievement.
The Entrant – individuals or organizations – submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and agrees to these requirements and regulations. The Entrant shall indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and court costs) that may be incurred because of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, or loss of or damage to the Submissions. Entrants hereby consent to the Organizer processing the personal data that is transmitted as part of the application for all purposes concerning the International AI Film Academy Festival and Awards (Black AI Fest). Entrants confirm that they have the right to make the contact details of third parties available for this purpose, when required.
Entrants can revoke this consent at any time, but will therefore be disqualified from Black AI Fest.
LEGAL WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER OR NOT A PARTICIPANT, TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL AI FILM ACADEMY FESTIVAL AND AWARDS IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE ORGANISER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND PURSUE ALL OTHER REMEDIES AGAINST ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
The Organiser may prohibit an Entrant, or their associated team, from participating in the Black AI Fest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said Entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the festival by cheating, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programmes) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Entrants or any Black AI Fest parties.
