AI Film Festival Japan

Please read the following rules carefully before submitting your project. Participation in the festival implies the unconditional acceptance of all provisions in these rules and terms. All information, eligibility guidelines, and rules are subject to change by AIFJ without prior notice.

1. Eligibility

Open to creators of all nationalities, ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Individual or group submissions are accepted.

Multiple submissions are allowed, and each work may be entered in multiple categories. The festival reserves the right to award works in different categories than those chosen by the submitter.

A brief synopsis and creator/filmmaker bio are required.

Entrants under 18 require valid parental consent.

All submitted works must have been completed on or after January 1, 2026. While premiere status is not mandatory, World, International, or Japan premieres are strongly preferred and will be given priority consideration.

Works with poor production quality or containing inappropriate content (extremist propaganda, hate speech, violence against a specific group, pornographic content) may be disqualified at the festival's discretion.

2. Submission Period

Opens: July 1, 2026 00:00 (JST)

Deadline: September 15, 2026 12:00 (JST)

3. AI Transparency and Generative AI Ethical Policy (Mandatory)

The festival accepts works that were made with substantial use of AI tools in their production or which illuminate the possible consequences of the AI revolution (e.g., beyond simple upscaling or noise reduction).

Mandatory Disclosure: You must meticulously list the specific AI tools, models, and platforms used (e.g., Midjourney, Google Veo, Runway, Kling, Suno, Udio) in your submission cover letter or project description.

No Tracing or Direct Imitation: Prompting that specifically targets and mimics the exact style of existing illustrators, film directors, musicians, or studios is strictly prohibited to mitigate copyright infringement risks.

Strict Ban on Unauthorized Voice Cloning: Using AI to clone the voice of real, existing singers or individuals without their explicit, documented consent is absolutely forbidden and will result in immediate disqualification. Deepfakes or synthesized representations of real people must include a clear disclaimer in the credits.

Ethical Models: Submissions relying on models explicitly known for illegal data scraping or piracy may be disqualified at the organizer's discretion.

4. Runtime / Format

[AI Creative Category - Narrative, Animation, Experimental]

Length: 90 seconds to 15 minutes

Format: MP4(H.264), MOV, Full HD, 4K

Frame rate: 29.97fps or 30fps

[AI Film Music Category - Score, Sound Track, Vocal Track]

Length: 60 seconds to 5 minutes

Audio Format: MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC

Final screening delivery (if selected): Because works will be shown on a large screen, finalists will be asked to provide a master that follows the venue’s delivery guidance.

5. Language / Subtitles

Films in any language are accepted. If dialogue is not in English, English subtitles or dubbing must be provided (Japanese dialogue may be exempt if announced in guidelines).

6. Rights / Clearances / Warranty

By submitting, you confirm that:

Your film is original work and does not infringe copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or any third-party rights.

All necessary permissions (music, visuals, likeness releases, etc.) have been cleared by the creator.

Applicants must agree to the following:

I have read and agreed to the Official Rules and Terms & Conditions.

I understand and consent that excerpts from my film and still images may be used in the festival’s promotional materials across our websites, social media, YouTube, and partner platforms.

I confirm that all copyright clearances related to this work have been properly handled.

In addition, the organizer may apply minor adjustments (e.g., cropping, color correction, format conversion) for proper presentation.

By submitting, you also agree to indemnify and hold AIFJ, its partners, and sponsors harmless from any and all copyright or other intellectual property infringement claims related to your submission. By submitting, you consent to the festival processing your personal data for all purposes concerning the festival operation.

7. The Film Music Score Category Special Rules

Participants entering AI Film Music Category must solely score the Official AIFJ Visual Asset, which will be available for download on our main website. The submitted music must be 100% original, created specifically for this festival. Copyright of the visual asset remains entirely with AIFJ; participants may not use or distribute the provided footage for any commercial purposes outside of this specific festival submission.

8. Selection Criteria / Process

Submissions will be evaluated with emphasis on:

Craft / Completion

Originality

Story / Concept

Aesthetics (visual quality)

The festival reserves the right to make the final judgment on which works are selected, awarded, or screened. All jury decisions are final and non-negotiable. Feedback for non-selected entries is not guaranteed.

9. Fees

Submissions are accepted via FilmFreeway. Submission fees are non-refundable.

For full details regarding the Privacy Policy, please check our official website at https://aifilm.jp

We will also update further details via our official website at https://www.aifilm.jp