Influence needs a professional record
View counts describe reach. Industry partners also need representative works, creative roles, project history and verifiable screening or honour records.
[ Creators · HKAIIFF MCN · announced 4 September 2026 ]
AI Film Creators Global Growth Program
One MCN. Three industry entrances: Festival · Market · INDEX.
A partnership program for AI film and video creators worldwide, operated by the MCN unit of the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival Association. You keep your voice, your accounts and your rights; the program carries platform relations, business execution, rights documentation and the pathways into the festival, the Hong Kong AI Film Market and HKAIIFF INDEX.
- US$0
- Application and onboarding fee
- ≈7 days
- Assessment reply
- Oct 2026
- First cohort announced
- 50 / 60 / ≤70%
- Creator share · Douyin commercial tiers
Apply by email · mcn@hkaiiff.orgSee the market's first results →Applications open · no follower minimum · individuals and teams
The HKAIIFF Creator Global Growth Program (HKAIIFF MCN), announced 4 September 2026, is a free-to-apply creator partnership run by the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival Association. Creators keep their accounts, existing IP and copyright; the program provides eight cooperation interfaces — from Douyin commercial work to INDEX records, festival submission support and Hong Kong AI Film Market evaluation — under a 12-month term with 30-day exit notice. It does not offer free compute credits, traffic guarantees or incubation.
[ 01 ]
Why a creator partnership
As creative work matures, the hard problems move outside the work itself.
Work needs a stable place to be found
Feeds move on. A creator page, work pages and durable public links keep past work available to new collaborations.
Procurement needs clear choices
Tool versions, billing and commercial-use terms change constantly. An official procurement channel shows prices and orders so creators can compare and decide.
Business needs complete execution
Brief, quote, contract, review, delivery, payment, monthly reconciliation — a professional process lets creators focus on the content.
Mature projects need industry interfaces
Rights trading, pitching, financing and global distribution use different documents and logic from account operations.
Creation needs trustworthy rights records
Materials, music, fonts, likeness, voice, AI usage and versions affect publishing, procurement, licensing and disputes. The earlier they are organised, the easier a project is to review.
[ 02 ]
Three industry entrances
The program connects creators to three parts of the HKAIIFF system. Each has its own conditions; a result in one is never an automatic ticket to another.
Hong Kong AI International Film Festival
The world's first A-Class international AI film festival (IFAIFPA, 17 July 2026). Prepare submissions under the current call and take part in industry events.
Outcome: submission records and a real industry CV
Hong Kong AI Film Market
In operation since 20 July 2026; first results 101 titles / US$12M+. Mature works are evaluated for rights trading, pitching, financing or distribution.
Outcome: project evaluation, meetings, quotes or independent agreements
HKAIIFF INDEX (index.film)
A retrievable, versioned record for creators and works, with AI-participation disclosure and machine-readable endpoints.
Outcome: a public creator page and work records that stay discoverable
[ 03 ]
Eight cooperation interfaces
Creators keep independent expression and are responsible for production, tool choice and delivery. Within the agreement the institution carries platform relations, business execution, settlement, compliance coordination and ecosystem communication.
01 · Platform relations & account coordination
Platform binding, authorisation scope, institution display and notices. Accounts remain in the creator's real name; commercial permissions are confirmed separately.
02 · Douyin commercial cooperation
Within applicable permissions: Xingtu tasks, brand content and institution-sourced Douyin deals — from brief and quote to delivery, payment and monthly reconciliation.
03 · Content & operations coordination
Positioning, formats, cadence, representative works and commercial fit, with performance reviews. Production, training, material and compute costs follow the actual budget.
04 · Official token procurement channel (optional, paid)
When official terms are available, an optional purchase channel shows tool, price, quantity, validity and conditions. Creators compare and order voluntarily; not using it never affects core rights.
05 · Compliance & rights documentation
Checklists and templates for AI declarations, ad disclosure, material sources, music, likeness, voice, versions and rights. Creators warrant truthfulness; lawyers, notaries or registrations are separate services.
06 · HKAIIFF INDEX
Creator introduction, work-page data, capability tags and public permissions, applied and maintained on schedule. Rules, features and paid add-ons follow the current INDEX plans.
07 · Hong Kong AI International Film Festival
Current call and event information, material preparation and milestone communication. Qualified works take part through the festival's own mechanisms.
08 · Hong Kong AI Film Market
Identify market-ready works, coordinate preliminary materials and intent assessment. Distribution, agency, rights trading, pitching, financing or co-production are confirmed in separate project documents.
For creators outside mainland China, interfaces 05–08 are the core of the offer: China distribution and licensing through a registered mainland operating partner, festival credentials, Rights Cell + INDEX records, and a market pathway.
[ 04 ]
Four creator types
Follower count is not the sole criterion. Show the work, your creative role, AI participation and rights status.
A · AI film & video creators
Organise imagination into complete audiovisual expression.
Shorts, micro-dramas, animation, live-action/AI hybrids, music videos, trailers and other narrative work. We look at narrative structure, character consistency, audiovisual control, performance, style and the ability to deliver a finished work.
Representative works; your creative role; how AI participated; main material sources and version status. For series: character bible, story plan and delivery cadence.
B · AI tools & industry-review creators
Give judgement a method and opinion a basis.
Tool comparisons, version observation, production tests, applied experience and industry analysis under comparable conditions, so audiences understand where results apply.
Tool names, versions, test dates, parameters and limits; representative successes and failures; clear separation of fact, experience and promotion; disclosure of paid or gifted relationships.
C · Film criticism & commentary creators
Independent viewing, expression with weight.
Criticism, auteur and genre studies, audiovisual language analysis, AI-image observation and industry commentary built on original argument.
An identifiable editorial direction; source clearance habits (rights-holder licences, platform-approved lists, HKAIIFF-licensed works, permitted promotional material); independence from commissioned work.
D · Virtual character & AI image IP creators
One character opens a world.
Original characters, relationships, world-building, visual style and extensible IP. We look at consistency, recognisability, emotional connection, story potential and cross-format development.
Character sheets, names, settings, expressive style, process and materials; team contributions and third-party licences; how films and characters link in INDEX.
[ 05 ]
Terms first, in public
Three cooperation tiers apply only to Douyin-scene commercial revenue that both parties agree in writing and the institution helps to secure, manage or settle.
RISING STAR
Rising Star
50%
Clear direction, promising work, building stable content and business cooperation. Institution share 50%.
STAR
Star
60%
Continuous content, an existing commercial base, reliable delivery of agreed tasks. Institution share 40%.
MORNING STAR
Morning Star
up to 70%
Significant industry influence, representative projects and growth potential. Exact split agreed individually.
Distributable revenue = amount actually received − platform technical service fees − refunds. Creator revenue = distributable revenue × the confirmed tier. Tiers are a Douyin commercial arrangement, not a qualification level for the festival, INDEX or the market.
- No onboarding fee. Production, tool purchases, paid promotion and external professional services follow actual choices and budgets, confirmed before any spend.
- Accounts stay in the creator's real name; existing works, characters, worlds, trademarks, clients and channels keep their original ownership.
- Works completed independently during the term remain the creator's under applicable law; commissioned, invested, co-produced or brand projects are settled per project document.
- Market licensing is confirmed per work, per right, territory, medium, language, term and exclusivity — an MCN signing never grants blanket or perpetual worldwide exclusive rights.
- Standard term 12 months · 30-day notice to exit · 90-day client protection · every distribution, agency or trading deal is a separate agreement.
- Token procurement is a cost item, not commercial revenue: the three tiers do not apply, and buying tokens grants the institution no rights in works, characters, prompts or models.
Explicitly not provided
- Free compute or token credits
- Traffic or reach guarantees
- Incubation or investment promises
- Guaranteed festival selection or brand deals
[ 06 ]
How applications are assessed
Seven dimensions with reference weights. Assessment leads to a formal agreement only after both sides agree; it creates no automatic authorisation or fee.
| Creative & content ability | 25 | Completion, narrative, aesthetic consistency, audiovisual control, potential of representative works |
|---|---|---|
| Rights & compliance | 20 | Materials, music, likeness, voice, AI labelling and commercial disclosure habits |
| Consistency & execution | 15 | Updates in the past 90 days, delivery, reviews, communication cadence |
| Professional identity & voice | 15 | Real, recognisable viewpoint, long-term direction and contribution |
| Commercial fit | 10 | Understanding briefs, quoting, revisions, delivery and client service |
| International potential | 10 | Subject, language, cross-cultural readability and market fit |
| Teamwork | 5 | Joint proposals, task division, project communication and confidentiality |
Truthfulness is the basis of cooperation. Inflated metrics, fabricated reviews, plagiarism, impersonation, unlicensed cloning of another person's voice or likeness, or concealment of major violations disqualify an application.
[ 07 ]
The first 90 days
A standard framework after signing; the actual rhythm follows the creator's direction and the agreed plan.
Days 1–30 · Foundation
Platform binding and permissions; named contacts; positioning, formats, cadence and disclosure; catalogue of representative works and key rights.
Cooperation file, content plan, document checklist
Days 31–60 · Steady execution
Content and reviews as agreed; business quotes, introductions and delivery flow; token orders as chosen; INDEX data for suitable works.
Representative content, business materials, INDEX preparation record
Days 61–90 · Review and next stage
Review content, business execution, compliance and documentation; discuss tier and key works; identify festival or market directions.
Stage review, adjustments, project intent
[ 08 ]
Apply
Open to individuals and teams with work, judgement and the will to keep creating. No prior brand deals required.
1 · Send five items
Email the materials below. Reply within about seven days.
2 · Assessment and conversation
Work, collaboration style, accounts, existing agency relationships and long-term goals; supplementary work or rights information if needed.
3 · Confirm terms and sign
Signing entity, applicable accounts, service scope, commercial permissions, tier, revenue scope, term and exit. Platform binding and the 90-day framework start on the effective date.
4 · Add cooperation separately
Token purchases are ordered by the creator; distribution, agency, rights trading, financing and co-production are agreed when a concrete project appears.
- 01Links to three representative works or pieces of content
- 02Douyin and other main accounts, with updates over the past 90 days
- 03Your creative direction and your contribution to the works
- 04A short note on materials, music, likeness, voice and AI tools used
- 05Past project experience and a 30-day creative plan
Subject line: “Creator partnership application + name / account”. An online application form on hkaiiff.io is being prepared; until then email is the official channel.
Compliance is part of the service
Distribution in mainland China runs through a registered mainland operating partner. AI-generated content labelling rules (in force 1 September 2025), micro-drama administration (1 September 2026) and MCN direct responsibility for signed creators (from 1 September 2026) are handled as services, not guarantees. An INDEX record is not a copyright certificate; festival selection and brand deals are never guaranteed; the token channel is voluntary and includes no free credits.
FAQ
- Do I still own my account after signing?
- Yes. Accounts are held in the creator's real name. The institution only obtains platform binding, commercial agency and the operating permissions agreed in writing.
- Is all my revenue shared after signing?
- No. The three tiers apply only to Douyin commercial revenue within the agreed scope. Other platforms, existing clients not delegated to the institution and independent projects are handled by list or per project document.
- Is the Morning Star share always 70%?
- The exact share is agreed individually, with 70% as the maximum, and written into the formal agreement.
- Can I apply without many followers?
- Yes. Assessment weighs work, voice, execution, rights awareness and commercial fit. Whether a specific platform task can be taken still depends on current platform eligibility and permissions.
- I already have brand clients — what happens to them?
- They are listed at signing. Revenue not delegated to the institution is not automatically included; orders that need the institution's help are confirmed in writing, one by one.
- Must I buy tokens through the institution?
- No. The official token channel is a voluntary, paid option with no free credits. Not using it does not affect your tier or core rights.
- Does signing include free production or promotion?
- There is no onboarding fee, but production, paid promotion, translation, legal, registration and technical delivery are confirmed separately by need, quote and budget.
- How is revenue shared when a work enters the Hong Kong AI Film Market?
- Distribution, agency, rights trading, financing and co-production use independent project terms; the Douyin tiers do not carry over. Licensing, fees and settlement are confirmed in the project document.
- Is an INDEX page a copyright certificate?
- No. It is for indexing, retrieval, discovery and collaboration. Rights remain determined by applicable law, contracts, registrations or other valid evidence.
- Does signing guarantee festival selection or brand deals?
- No. Jury results, brand choices and channel adoption follow their own professional judgement and conditions. The institution provides agreed preparation, communication and execution support.
- Can creators outside China join?
- Yes. The program is global. For overseas creators the core is China distribution and licensing through a registered mainland operating partner, festival credentials, Rights Cell + INDEX records and the market pathway; Douyin tiers apply only if Douyin commercial work is part of the agreement.
- What happens when the cooperation ends?
- Unbinding, permission revocation, document handover and in-flight orders are completed per the agreement. Signed distribution, licensing or co-production projects continue, settle or terminate under their own documents; accounts and existing IP keep their original ownership.
Program terms per the Global Growth Program V8 (September 2026) and the announcement of 4 September 2026. Contact mcn@hkaiiff.org.