GOYANG, KOREA, November 14, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Gyeonggi Content Agency announced that it successfully hosted the 1st Korea International AI Film Festival (K-AIFF). It emphasized that the festival was Korea’s first and largest international AI film festival, open only to films created using generative AI technology.
Dong-yeon Kim, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, remarked during his opening speech, “The combination of cinematic imagination and AI technology ushers us into a new era. Although concerns exist, this festival represents our proactive approach to the rapid technological advancements.”
He added, “With the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, we now have a well-rounded trio of film festivals in Gyeonggi. We’re grateful for the 2,067 unique stories submitted and hope attendees enjoy this festival, where imagination meets AI.”
The festival received 2,067 entries in four categories—narrative, documentary, art and culture, and free format — with approximately 80% (1,636) coming from abroad. The films in competition were notable for their exclusive use of generative AI technology, setting K-AIFF apart from other AI film festivals.
In the finals, “Mateo,” by Korea’s Mateo AI Studio (Shinwoo Moon, Eekjun Yang, Juwon Jung), won the Grand Prize. At the same time, Brazil’s Vanessa Rosa received a Global South Prize for “Little Martians: Dear Human, My Muse.” Governor of Gyeonggi-do, Dong-yeon Kim, awarded these teams.
There are four category award winners, one from each category, awarded by the director of Gyeonggi Content Agency, Sang-jin Kim. Category winners included:
• Narrative: Story by Jin Ho Lee (Republic of Korea)
• Documentary: The Myth of the Cave, A Love Affair by Kenneth Russo (Spain)
• Art & Culture: The Shadowed Memoir by Team Shadowed Memori (Yun Park, SungYup Lee) (Republic of Korea)
• Free Format: When Autumn Comes by Reza Delavar (Iran)
The grand prize winner, Mateo, tells the story of a man who turns to illegal activities to succeed, neglecting his impoverished father. The film follows his journey through the avocado market, where he partners with drug cartels and, ultimately, his search for true values in life.
Shinwoo Moon of Mateo AI Studio accepted the award and said, “This festival has been a much-needed opportunity for creators like us, providing a rare space to connect with creative minds from around the world.”
Festival jury chair Dae-sik Kim praised the festival’s entries, noting, “The quality of submissions surpassed those at other AI film festivals. I am eager to see the work in future K-AIFF events.”
Accompanying events included a conference on AI in content creation, screenings of winning films, and discussions with directors. The conference featured speakers such as Dae-sik Kim (Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST) on AI Technology, Fred Grinstein (Director, Co-Founder, and CEO of Terremoto Content Inc) on AI in Media, and Min-Jae Kim (Head of the AI Tech Center, NCSOFT) on AI Content. Directors of winning films shared both the challenges of AI filmmaking and the joy of their success during audience discussions.
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