BAUN AI CINELAB International Student Artificial Intelligence Film Festival Applications Have Begun

Click here to access the Application Form

The “BAUN AI CINELAB International Student Artificial Intelligence Film Festival,” organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts, Balıkesir University, is an artistic meeting point that aims to explore new forms of expression pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.
By bringing together short films and visual works produced using artificial intelligence technologies, the festival seeks to open the doors to a creative and critical dialogue on the aesthetic language of the digital age.

To be held for the first time in 2025 at an international level, the festival is among the pioneering AI-themed film festivals not only in Turkey but also worldwide.
In this context, BAUN AI CINELAB aims both to make visible the interaction between artistic production and technological development and to support innovative approaches in this field.

Initiated under the leadership of Balıkesir University Faculty of Fine Arts, this unique event provides a significant platform for bringing together art, technology, and academia, contributing to the transformation of contemporary art.

Awards and Award Ceremony

The festival will be held in fiction, documentary, and animation categories.

The festival will take place at Balıkesir University Faculty of Fine Arts between 1–3 December 2025.

Awards will be granted to the individual applicant in individual submissions and to the responsible applicant in group submissions.

Our Awards:

🏆 Best Fiction Film Award
🏆 Best Documentary Film Award
🏆 Best Animation Film Award
⭐ Jury Special Award
🌟 Honorable Mention Award

International Award Categories

🏆 Best Fiction Film Award
🏆 Best Documentary Film Award
🏆 Best Animation Film Award
⭐ Jury Special Award
🌟 Honorable Mention Award

Award-winning participants will receive a trophy and a certificate of participation, along with the opportunity to stay at Burhaniye BUBYO Application Hotel according to their ranking.
In the International Award Category, award-winning participants will receive only certificates of participation and achievement.

Files must be prepared in accordance with the following items and uploaded to a Google Drive folder.

The folder link (set to “Anyone with the link”) must be sent to the festival email address.

· The film in HD or 4K h264 “.mp4” format
· A current student certificate obtained via e-Devlet (Turkish e-Government system)
· A Word file containing:

• The film script and AI prompts used

• One production photo or poster from the film

• The AI applications used and at which stages they were applied

BAUN AI CINELAB INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FILM FESTIVAL

REGULATIONS

A. PURPOSE

The Artificial Intelligence Short Film Festival is a platform dedicated to students, aiming to bring together art and technology in a creative context.
The festival offers young creatives the opportunity to explore how AI-based production tools can be transformed into unique and aesthetic narratives through the language of short film.
Encouraging students to develop innovative forms of visual expression, the event seeks to establish an intellectual foundation for understanding the evolving nature of cinema.
By examining the possibilities of artificial intelligence in artistic production, the festival aims to highlight the creative relationships future artists build with technology.

B. ORGANIZING INSTITUTION

The festival is organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts, Balıkesir University, and conducted by the Festival Committee composed of faculty members from the Faculties of Fine Arts and Communication.

C. THEME OF THE COMPETITION

Participants may produce short films on any subject without thematic limitation.
However, the submitted film must be produced using AI-based image generation tools (e.g., AI animation, AI video production tools).

D. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Applicants must choose one category among Fiction, Documentary, or Animation.

2. Participants submitting an advertisement film must produce it for a fictional product or brand.

3. Participation can be individual or in groups.

4. Each participant may submit only one film.

5. Films must have been produced after January 1, 2025.

6. Films must be at least 1 minute and no longer than 5 minutes. There is no duration limit for advertisement films.

7. Participation is free of charge.

8. Participants must provide a production note explaining the AI tools used and how they were applied in the film.

9. Films must not have been published previously on social media or any video-sharing platform.

10. Participants may submit more than one film, but a separate application form and required documents must be completed for each film.

11. The decisions of the pre-selection committee and the jury are final. The pre-selection committee determines which films qualify and reserves the right to exclude any film from competition.
    The jury evaluates based on technical quality, artistic originality, and content integrity. Objections to jury decisions will not be accepted.

12. Films that pass the pre-selection will be screened within the festival program. Screening dates and times will be announced on the official website and social media accounts.

13. Screenings are planned to take place at Balıkesir University buildings/halls, but may also be held online if necessary.

14. The application deadline is November 7, 2025. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

15. Participants declare that they own all copyrights of the submitted films. Balıkesir University and its Faculty of Fine Arts assume no responsibility for third-party copyright claims. All legal liabilities rest with the filmmaker.

16. Competition results will be determined at the main jury meeting and announced at the festival award ceremony. Participants have no right to appeal after the announcement of results.

17. Jury members and their first-degree relatives are not eligible to participate.

18. The participation conditions consist of eighteen (18) articles in total. Submission of a film signifies acceptance of all these terms.

E. APPLICATION

The following items must be prepared and placed in a Google Drive folder.
The folder link (set to “Anyone with the link”) must be sent to gsf@balikesir.edu.tr, along with the completed application form and all required materials.

· Films must be submitted in MOV, QuickTime, Apple ProRes, or HD H264 formats and uploaded to the application platform. Ensuring technical compliance is the applicant’s responsibility.
· A current student certificate obtained via e-Devlet.
· A Word file containing:

• The film script and AI prompts used

• One production photo or poster from the film

• The AI applications used and the stages where they were applied