Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already integrated into various phases of audiovisual production, but its inclusion in cinema still faces resistance from many industry professionals. In this context, the AI Film Awards is holding its first edition in Brazil, scheduled for September 24th to 26th at Itaú Cultural in São Paulo. The event will feature an in-person program and will be broadcast online via the e-Teatro WeDo! platform!
This international festival, which has roots in Cannes, aims to bring together productions created with the aid of AI. In the Brazilian version, the program will be supplemented by panels, workshops, masterclasses, and debates focused on the impacts that technology generates in audiovisual media. The organizers emphasize that the objective transcends the mere screening of films made with AI, seeking to establish a space for dialogue about the transformations promoted by this tool.
Vitória Mantovani, director of the AI Film Awards in Brazil, stressed the need for discussion, stating that ignoring AI is not an option because the technology is already present. She mentioned that the Brazilian edition was conceived differently from international versions, which tend to focus primarily on screenings and awards.
The conception of the AI Film Awards in Brazil began in 2025, when Vitória Mantovani was invited to lead the organization of the national edition. Although the application period has already closed, she approached the festival organizers to explore the possibility of participation. From this contact, discussions began with the international organizers about the model to be implemented in the country.
According to Mantovani, the Brazilian production gained autonomy to adapt the event to the local reality. Thus, while global editions prioritize film screenings and awards, the Brazilian agenda was expanded to cover discussions on public policy, cultural appropriation, audience formation, and other effects of artificial intelligence. She compared this to the Indian edition, which is one of the few international versions to include discussion panels.
The decision to broaden the debate is also linked to the resistance observed among artists and filmmakers. Mantovani reported that during preparations, it became evident that merely showing works made with AI would be insufficient. She explained that the debate about people's reluctance towards AI was initiated, recognizing the persistent resistance of artists and filmmakers against the technology, which required an in-depth conversation.
For her, the central focus of the Brazilian edition became this debate. The intention is to transform the event into a forum for conversations, free from judgment about what is right or wrong, or about the obligation to use it, allowing everyone to use the technology as they wish.
Executive Producer's View
Carol Guimarães, executive producer of the event and founder of WeDo!, the platform hosting the virtual program, also sees technological proximity as a way to reduce resistance. She believes it is essential to discuss something before fearing it, in order to understand the paths and approach the novelty, as fear only disappears with closeness.
Guimarães points out that part of the resistance stems from lack of knowledge and the fear that AI software might replace experienced audiovisual professionals. She described the shock caused when a software begins to perform tasks that the professional had been executing for years, creating what was in their mind.
During preparation, Mantovani and Guimarães also produced short films using AI and tested various tools. For Guimarães, this experience helped demystify some of the expectations created around the technology. She stated that the fear and expectation people project onto AI diminish as they use and interact with the tool.
Resistance to AI is not limited to those who work directly with the technology. In Hollywood, renowned directors have also expressed divergent opinions on the use of generative tools in cinema. In March 2026, during SXSW in Austin, Steven Spielberg was questioned about the role of AI in production, declaring he had never used it in his films. He showed favor toward AI in other spheres but opposed its use when it replaces a creative professional.
James Cameron also expressed apprehension about the replacement of actors and other specialists. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, before the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, he classified AI-generated actors as 'horrifying' and argued that generative AI cannot create anything genuinely new, given that it depends on previous human creations.
However, opinions are not uniform. George Lucas, in an interview with A Rabbit's Foot magazine, stated that the technology facilitates cinematic production. The creator of Star Wars compared rejecting AI to preferring horses over cars, arguing that technology represents progress and the future of cinema.
Brad Pitt adopted a more balanced stance in an interview with Esquire. The actor suggested that AI can help make mid-budget films viable by optimizing certain stages, but showed skepticism about replacing human actors. In the same conversation, Pitt commented on an AI-generated song that he initially found good but criticized for being repetitive and failing to achieve the emotional impact of human acting.
Although the initial proposal of the AI Film Awards is to receive works entirely produced with AI, hybrid productions were also accepted in Brazil. Vitória Mantovani justified this inclusion to increase the participation of Brazilian filmmakers and strengthen the community of AI filmmakers in the country, including a hybrid feature film among the received works.
Another strategic point is the free registration for Brazilians, unlike foreign participants who must pay. Mantovani and Guimarães noted, after serving as judges in past editions, that Brazilian representation was low in international versions.
Film evaluation follows traditional cinematic criteria, such as direction, narrative, audio, and performance, but also incorporates the specific challenges of AI production, such as maintaining visual coherence between different scenes and building a story from generated short videos.
Mantovani clarified that the jury was instructed to analyze the real role of the technology in each work. Besides standards like storytelling, audio, direction, and performance, it is crucial to answer: 'would this film exist without AI?' and 'how much did AI facilitate the production of this film?'
The issue of authorship will also be debated. For Guimarães, AI should be seen as a tool used by the creator, not as the author of the work. She reinforced that AI is a tool the creator employs to produce the film, just as choosing an aesthetic line.
Guimarães added that despite the debate about the reference sources used in training models, authorship remains tied to the creator behind the work.
From Mantovani's perspective, AI does not need to be applied in all phases of production. She prefers to use it mainly in image and video creation, but not in scriptwriting, as she considers the script the most creative aspect that the human brain can develop alone. She advises that the technology should only be inserted where it brings real value.
The areas most impacted currently include animation, special effects, and image generation. In addition to streamlining processes, the technology can reduce costs, giving access to resources that would be expensive in conventional productions for independent filmmakers.
Brazilian participation exceeded the organizers' expectations. At the time of the interview, the festival was close to reaching one hundred registrations, approximately eighty of them from Brazilians. Mantovani and Guimarães highlighted that in previous evaluations, international productions seemed to be in an experimental phase, while current Brazilian works demonstrate more elaborate narratives and greater care in execution.
Guimarães agreed, observing that some foreign productions still carried traces of technological experimentation, whereas Brazilian works brought a strong concern for narrative and cinematic execution. She contrasted this with previous Cannes editions, where there were many attempts bordering on advertising.
For Mantovani, a differentiator of Brazilian works on the international stage lies in the ability to incorporate local cultural references. She cited a short film that uses visual elements linked to Brazilian memories of the 90s, emphasizing the richness of Brazilian repertoire that allows filmmakers to escape predictable results and build a unique identity.
Guimarães hopes the festival demonstrates that Brazil has relevant production in this field. According to her, the core of the problem is not the absence of digital and AI producers, but rather the little attention given to the topic by various sectors. She concluded that it is necessary to go beyond independent artists, involving the public and private sectors, so that the country stops being trapped in discourses of doubt about whether technology will or will not be art.
