Latifa bint Mohammed honours Zoubeir Jlassi, winner of the $1M AI Film Award
Posted: January 11, 2026 (UTC) - Dubai
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, awarded the $1 million AI Film Award to Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi for his film 'Lily.' The award is organised by the 1 Billion Followers Summit in collaboration with Google Gemini. The ceremony took place during the summit's fourth edition, hosted across Emirates Towers, DIFC, and the Museum of the Future under the theme "Content for Good."
The summit brought together more than 15,000 creators and influencers, alongside over 580 speakers, 150 CEOs, and global experts. The message was clear: creative work that blends artistic voice with smart use of AI has momentum-and support at the highest levels.
Why this matters for creatives
Her Highness highlighted the UAE's commitment to backing creative talent and pushing innovation in content. The award proves that AI tools can expand your reach without diluting your voice-provided you keep the story at the center.
- Strong storytelling still wins. Visual aesthetics and narrative clarity were core evaluation criteria.
- Transparency matters. Entries had to meet ethical and disclosure standards.
- AI wasn't a gimmick. Films needed meaningful integration of tools like Google Gemini, not just effects.
The winning film: 'Lily'
'Lily' follows a lonely archivist whose life spirals after a hit-and-run leaves a child injured and a doll lodged in his bumper. The doll becomes a spiritual bridge to the survivor, forcing the protagonist to face his guilt.
He chooses to confess and return the doll to the child in the hospital. The film lands on a clear insight: objects witness what we do-and truth has weight.
The summit at a glance
The 1 Billion Followers Summit is the largest event focused on the creator economy, run by the UAE Government Media Office. This edition ran from 9-11 January across Dubai's key venues with a global turnout.
- 3,500 film submissions, with 30,000+ participants from 116 countries expressing interest.
- 400 hours of film reviewed by a jury of 40 experts and specialists.
- 100 films shortlisted after a comprehensive review of criteria and themes.
How the award was judged
After the initial shortlist, films underwent advanced technical assessment using Google Gemini to verify standards and quality. Each film had to be produced with at least 70% generative AI tools from Google, confirmed via AI-based checks.
From there, the jury selected 12 films for public voting. Following audience input and internal evaluation, five finalists emerged-including the eventual winner, 'Lily.'
- Final five: 'Portrait No. 72,' 'Cats Like Warmth,' 'Lily,' 'HEAL,' and 'The Translator.'
Shortlisted films by theme
Rewrite Tomorrow
- 'HEAL' - Mohamed Gomaa (Egypt)
- 'Cats Like Warmth' - Lee Su Yeol (South Korea)
- 'Homeward' - Nav Lotay (UK)
- 'Roots of Tomorrow' - Daniel Titz (Germany)
- 'Maestra' - Hilario Abad (Spain)
- 'Dreams Don't Die' - Omar Rammal
The Secret Life of
- 'The Translator' - Pylyp Li (USA)
- 'Portrait No. 72' - Rodson Verr Suarez (Philippines)
- 'Ceremony' - Mark Wachholz (Germany)
- 'The Beginning' - Ibraheem Diab (Jordan)
- 'Lily' - Zoubeir Jlassi (Tunisia)
- 'Pursuit of Pearl' - Zahir Khan (Canada)
All shortlisted films demonstrated clear storytelling, strong visuals, thoughtful AI integration, artistic originality, and adherence to transparency and ethics.
Who judged
- Dan Germain - Executive Creative Director, Google Studios (London)
- Ali Ali - Filmmaker, Co-founder of Good People; Cannes Lions Film Jury member
- Christian Haas - Executive Creative Director, YouTube
- Piotr Dabkowski - Co-Founder and CTO, ElevenLabs; TIME100 AI 2024
- Marina Mogilko - Entrepreneur and creator ('Silicon Valley Girl'), podcast host
Practical takeaways for your next AI-led film
- Start with the human core. Let AI extend your visual language, not replace intention.
- Document your pipeline. If a contest has a 70% AI threshold, track tools, prompts, and outputs.
- Design for clarity. Judges favored coherent narratives over spectacle.
- Be upfront about AI use. Ethics and transparency were part of the criteria.
- Prototype quickly. Generate, edit, and iterate-then lock the story and polish.
Resources
- Google Gemini - official docs and capabilities.
- Generative Video - practical coverage of tools and workflows for AI-driven film production.
This award signals a simple truth: the next wave favors creators who combine narrative discipline with smart AI workflows. Keep your story tight, your process transparent, and your craft visible in every frame.
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