Watch.
Screen a curated program of AI-native short films at Black Box.
// AI-native cinema · Toronto · 2026
The future of cinema,
prompted into existence.
PROMPT FESTIVAL arrives in Toronto on July 26, 2026 — an evening dedicated to bold short-form cinema, emerging voices, and films that spark conversation long after the credits roll.
Prompt Deadline closes in
—
About
A festival for AI-native cinema.
Set inside Black Box in Scarborough, PROMPT FESTIVAL brings filmmakers, artists, and curious audiences together for a program built around fresh storytelling, unexpected perspectives, and genre-bending work from around the world.
From visually striking experiments to emotionally sharp narratives, the selection celebrates cinema that feels immediate, playful, and alive. PROMPT FESTIVAL is dedicated to creators exploring new cinematic language through artificial intelligence — whether through film generation, visual development, animation, voice work, sound design, editing assistance, script development, concept generation, poster creation, or hybrid workflows.
Meet.
Connect with filmmakers, artists, and curious minds in an intimate setting.
Exchange.
Trade ideas with the creators building tomorrow's cinematic language.
Awards
Fifteen categories. One signature prize.
PROMPT FESTIVAL celebrates creators shaping the future of cinema through AI.
// festival grand prize
Best Prompt
Can a creator produce a complete, compelling short film from a single prompt?
Best Prompt honors storytelling precision, conceptual clarity, and mastery of AI tools through minimal human intervention. The ideal benchmark is a finished short film generated from one prompt, or as close to that vision as possible.
This is not just a technical exercise. This is a new form of authorship.
- 01
Best AI Short Film
Narrative shorts with AI in the pipeline.
- 02
Best AI Director
Vision, control, and creative authorship.
- 03
Best AI Storytelling
Screenplay, structure, narrative voice.
- 04
Best AI Cinematography
Composition and visual language of the frame.
- 05
Best AI Editing
Rhythm, pacing, temporal craft.
- 06
Best AI Sound Design
Audio, music, and sonic atmosphere.
- 07
Best AI Animation
Animated work across techniques.
- 08
Best AI Experimental Film
Non-narrative and structural experiments.
- 09
Best AI Music Video
Music-driven AI visual work.
- 10
Best AI Visual Innovation
Radically new visual language.
- 11
Best Hybrid Film
AI mixed with live action and traditional craft.
- 12
Best AI Character Creation
Synthetic actors and performance-driven work.
- 13
Best AI Worldbuilding
Films defined by the world they construct.
- 14
Audience Choice Award
Decided by audience vote on the night of the screening.
What you receive
An official screening, laurels, and a real audience.
Selected filmmakers receive
- Official screening at PROMPT FESTIVAL Toronto
- Official selection laurels
- Access to the live event and filmmaker networking
- Eligibility for all competition categories
Winners receive
- Winner laurels
- Official inclusion in the winners program
- Category award recognition
- Featured placement across festival communications
- Priority consideration for future curated showcases
Eligibility
If AI was used anywhere in your creative pipeline, your project qualifies.
Image generation
Video generation
Animation
Screenplay development
Concept development
Voice generation
Sound design
Music generation
Editing assistance
Visual effects
Character creation
Poster creation
Hybrid AI / traditional workflows
All genres accepted. Short films, experimental works, music videos, hybrid projects, and AI-native works are welcome. Non-English entries must include English subtitles.
Venue
Black Box, Toronto.
An intimate Scarborough venue built for discovery — where filmmakers, artists, and audiences meet in close quarters to share work that feels immediate and alive.
Black Box 1085 Bellamy Rd N Scarborough, ON M1H 3C7 Canada
Submit
Submissions open through July 11.
Submit through FilmFreeway. Entry fees are non-refundable. Final programming decisions remain at festival discretion.
RoundDeadlineFee
Prompt DeadlineJul 11, 2026$15
Submit on FilmFreeway →
Notification date: July 19, 2026 · Event: July 26, 2026
2026 Winners
The films that won our first edition.
Award winners and official selection from our inaugural season, screening together at Black Box on July 26, 2026.
Award Winners
Six categories
Official Selection
Four films
Contact
Get in touch.
For press, partnerships, and general inquiries:
admin@promptfilmfest.com