Dubai Launches $1 Million AI Film Contest to Spotlight Humanitarian Creativity

Dubai Launches $1 Million AI-Generated Short Film Contest

Dubai has announced a $1 million prize for short films created entirely with artificial intelligence, in partnership with Google’s Gemini. This contest is part of the upcoming 1 Billion Followers Summit, scheduled for January 9 to 11, 2026.

The grand prize will go to the best AI-generated short film, while the top 10 finalists will have their films showcased during the summit’s fourth edition. This event will gather industry leaders, creators, and tech experts to spotlight innovation in content creation.

What the Contest Looks For

The UAE Media Government Office, the event organizer, emphasized that entries must be fully produced using AI tools. Films will be judged on:

• Storytelling quality
• Creative use of AI technology
• Technical execution
• The ability to communicate a humanitarian message

The contest focuses on short films because of their effectiveness in delivering powerful messages quickly and memorably. More details about the contest will be shared next month.

Supporting Creativity and Content Economy

Mohammad Al-Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, highlighted the summit’s role in driving the “content economy.” He noted that the UAE is positioning itself as a leader in content innovation, emphasizing the economic potential of creative industries.

In addition to the film contest, the UAE has allocated $13.6 million to fund creative projects by content creators. These grants aim to back initiatives with cultural and economic impact worldwide and support joint ventures led by content creators or creative tech developers.

Another $13.6 million is set aside to help startups and creators pitch ideas to top investors and companies, increasing the chances of sponsorship and investment for promising projects.

Summit Highlights

The 1 Billion Followers Summit, themed “Content for Good,” will bring together around 400 speakers who collectively have over 3 billion followers. Attendees include top content creators, leading technology firms, industry experts, and entrepreneurs.

The summit provides a platform for networking, collaboration, and scaling creative projects globally. It encourages purposeful content that resonates with audiences and promotes positive messages.

For creatives interested in enhancing their skills with AI tools, exploring courses in AI video production and prompt engineering can be a practical next step. Platforms like Complete AI Training offer tailored courses that help you integrate AI into your creative workflow.