Content planning firm Vision Culture said it will host the World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026) on March 6 and 7, 2026, at Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul. The event will be held with official sponsor Lotte and media partner The Korea Herald.
WAIFF is an international, network-based film festival that explores the artistic convergence of cinema and artificial intelligence. Founded by France-based Institut EuropIA, the festival has grown into a global platform with editions held in France, Brazil, Japan, China and South Korea. Each regional edition runs its own competition and jury while remaining linked through a shared international creative community.
The inaugural WAIFF was held in April 2025 in Nice, near Cannes, attracting more than 1,500 submissions from 85 countries. About 200 industry professionals and more than 1,000 audience members attended the first edition. Following that launch, Seoul was selected as the festival’s Asian premiere host city for 2026.
Cities confirmed to host WAIFF editions in 2026 include Sao Paulo, Kyoto, Wuxi and Seoul, with the Seoul event marking the first WAIFF edition in Asia.
WAIFF Seoul 2026 will run a full competition program focused on short-form works created using generative AI technologies. Submissions opened on October 15 through the official website and include four categories: AI short films, AI short series, AI advertising and youth AI films. All entries must involve video works produced using generative AI.
In addition to the competition, the festival will feature workshops, panel discussions, ethics forums, and industry exchange sessions covering AI-based content production, education, and collaboration.
The jury and honorary leadership lineup includes Marco Landi, former chief operating officer of Apple and chairman of Institut EuropIA; French Academy Award-winning director Claude Lelouch; Emmy Award-winning writer Sarah Lelouch; and internationally acclaimed actress Gong Li, known for her roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Farewell My Concubine.
Winners in each category will receive prize money and sponsorship support, and selected award-winning works will be invited to screen at the main World AI Film Festival event in Cannes in April 2026.
WAIFF Seoul 2026 is expected to serve as a platform connecting South Korea’s AI-driven content creators with global film and technology networks.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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