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Films awarded at the World AI Film Festival (WAiFF) in Istanbul will compete at the festival's international edition in Cannes, France, in April 2027, after 124 entries were evaluated across six categories.
Hosted by AI Yapim, the artificial intelligence subsidiary of Turkish production company Ay Yapim, the Istanbul event brought together representatives from cinema, music, art and technology to explore how AI is reshaping filmmaking and creative industries.
Held under the theme "The Future of Storytelling is Being Created," the festival featured discussions on AI-assisted production, international distribution and emerging approaches to visual storytelling.
The event opened with speeches by WAiFF founder and President Marco Landi, Türkiye's Cinema General Director Birol Guven and AI Yapim Deputy General Manager Yuce Zerey.
Director Umut Aral presented the production process behind "Vartolu Geri Dondu," an upcoming AI Yapim film scheduled for release on Prime Video. Its promotional trailer was screened publicly for the first time during the festival.
Other sessions addressed the international distribution of AI-generated content, the economics of AI production and the technology's growing role in music and visual arts.
Guven also took part in a discussion on AI and cinema support funds, addressing questions about the industry's future.
The program included a screening of "Ilelebet," an AI-produced commemorative film created by producer Hazal Aydin and director Turhan Dogu for Nov. 10, the anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's death.
The WAiFF Istanbul competition received 124 submissions, with a jury drawn from the film, music, technology and creative sectors selecting winners across six categories.
The winning productions included:
The jury included Cinema General Director Birol Guven, director Zeynep Gunay, composer Toygar Isikli, Google Türkiye General Manager Eren Kantarli, Amazon Prime Video representative Alptug Copuroglu and Pepper Root Creative founder Oner Biberkoku.
All award-winning productions qualified to take part in the international competition at the World AI Film Festival in Cannes in April 2027.
Organizers said the event aims to raise the international profile of creative talent working with AI in Türkiye while encouraging new collaborations between the film and technology industries.
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