Europe's first film festival dedicated entirely to AI cinema. Five nights in Venice, an international jury, 12 categories, and a new Best Hybrid Film award. Submit via FilmFreeway before 15 June 2026.
FilmFreeway is the only accepted submission platform. All entries are reviewed by the international jury and notified within 4 weeks of the deadline.
12 Competition Categories
Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Music Video, Sci-Fi, Experimental, Scientific, Horror, Comedy, Student, Female Filmmakers, Best Hybrid Film
International Jury
Researchers, filmmakers, and technologists evaluate every entry
Screening + Networking
Venice premiere, Q&A sessions, and exclusive filmmaker events
Festival Pass Included
All selected filmmakers receive complimentary access to all screenings and events
Best Hybrid Film — New 2026
Live action fused with AI. A category unique to BAIFF IV. No other major AI film festival has this.
Europe's First AI Film Festival
Founded in Venice 2023. Four editions defining a new language of cinema.
BAIFF was born in the Venetian lagoon — on an island famous for transforming patience, skill, and imagination into something tangible. That's exactly what AI filmmakers do. The festival doesn't treat AI as a gimmick or a shortcut. It treats it as an emerging language, one that's rewriting the rules of storytelling, authorship, and the relationship between image and thought.
Every October, filmmakers, researchers, and artists gather in Venice to show what happens when human vision meets machine intelligence.
AI must drive creative decisions. Post-production AI alone (upscaling, color, music) disqualifies. BAIFF has the strictest eligibility bar among AI film festivals globally.
"Artificial intelligence is not a production shortcut. It is a new voice in cinema — one that questions, disrupts, and expands what an image can do."— BAIFF Mission Statement
The festival promotes the ethical use of AI in filmmaking and encourages filmmakers to consider the social and cultural impact of their work.
AI enters the process creatively — but the human factor does not disappear. The best AI films are the ones where the human leads, not follows.
Filmmakers, artists, developers and researchers from around the world meet in Burano to network, exchange ideas, and build international collaborations.
The idea is born. First European AI film festival. Burano becomes the crossroads of art and technology.
Growth and recognition. International jury established. Selected films screened at Venice and Torino AI & VR Festival.
Rai Cinema Channel becomes media partner. Deepfake panel with PwC. School Award launched. BAIFF selected by IFFI India.
Fondazione Querini-Stampalia, Venice. October 13–17. New Best Hybrid Film category. The festival cements its position.
UpcomingCineFrameOS keeps the festival running — so the team can focus on what matters: the films, the filmmakers, and the conversation.