HKAIIFF · 2026 / HACKATHON
HKAIIFF AI Film Hackathon
The global discovery mechanism of the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival. 72-hour on-site creation + 7-day online refinement across world cities. Six creative tracks. The HKAIIFF City Selection Seat. The path from city station to the festival.
01 / why this exists
AI native cinema is being created in cities.
Traditional film festivals only see the polished result. The pre-festival year — the late nights in front of the laptop, the iterations between humans and models, the quiet experiments that never reach a screening room — is invisible to the world.
HKAIIFF AI Film Hackathon is built to make those months visible. We send the festival's evaluation framework, the Conductor Theory and the 51% standard, out to global cities. Wherever creators are working, they can step into the festival's field of vision without flying to Hong Kong first.
02 / what it is
72 hours on-site, 7 days online, six tracks, one seat.
Each city station runs the same format: a 72-hour on-site creation sprint, followed by 7 days of online refinement. Six creative tracks cover narrative shorts, interactive storytelling, virtual characters, brand films, city films, and AI film tools. Selected projects earn the HKAIIFF City Selection Seat — an 11-benefit package that opens the door to the festival's wider ecosystem.
03 / pick your entry
Creators
Solo or in a team of 1–5. No film background or coding required. Six tracks to pick from.
Register Now →Cities & Universities
Apply to host the HKAIIFF AI Film Hackathon. Resource-exchange model with revenue share.
Apply to Host →Brands & Partners
Title sponsor, strategic partner, AI tool partner, brand challenge, venue, media — six tiers.
Become a Partner →Jury & Mentors
Filmmakers, AI technologists, industry voices — apply to join a city station as jury or mentor.
Apply as Jury / Mentor →04 / six tracks
Pick the track that matches your craft.
AI Short Film Creation
Directors, screenwriters, video creators, editors, AI video creators
AI Interactive Narrative
Interactive storytellers, game developers, experience designers, screenwriters
AI Virtual Character & Performance
Virtual human teams, digital idol teams, animators, performance designers, AI model teams
AI Brand & Commercial Film
Advertising creatives, brand content teams, commercial video teams, creative studios
AI City & Cultural Film
Local creators, tourism content teams, documentary creators, students
AI Film Tools & Technology
Developers, technical teams, product managers, AI engineers, open-source contributors
05 / pathway
From a city sprint to the Festival.
Selected city projects earn HKAIIFF Recommended Submission status — they still go through the official Global Submission Center. Final selection, programming, and award decisions belong to the festival jury.
Full 9-step pathway →Important notice.
Earning a HKAIIFF Recommended Submission slot does not equal automatic selection, screening, or any award at the Festival. All selected projects must complete formal submission through the HKAIIFF Global Submission Center. Final selection, programming, and award decisions rest solely with the official jury of the Hong Kong AI International Film Festival.