Dubai Opens Registration For $1-Million AI Film Award Timeline, Criteria Revealed

Dubai has officially opened submissions for the world's largest award dedicated to AI-generated short films, with a $1-million prize to be handed out during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January 2026. The submission deadline is November 20.

The competition calls for short films between seven and ten minutes, with at least 70 per cent generated using Google Gemini's AI tools such as Veo, Imagen and Flow. Two themes are set:

• Rewrite tomorrow (stories exploring the future with a positive twist)

• The secret life of (untold or hidden stories that AI can help visualise)

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The announcement was made on Tuesday at Creators HQ in Emirates Towers, in the presence of Saeed Al Eter, Chairman of the UAE Media Council, Alia Al Hammadi, Deputy Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office and Director of the Billion Followers Summit, and Najeeb Jarrar, Regional Director of Product and Marketing at Google, Middle East and Africa.

“This award is a first step in showcasing what can be achieved when creativity meets AI,” Al Hammadi said.“We want to see stories that could not be told with traditional production methods, brought to life through AI.”

The award is open globally, but only individual content creators actively publishing on social media are eligible. Submissions must be made under one person's name, although teams can support the production. Each creator can submit more than one film, including those in different genres.

Submissions can be in any language but must include English subtitles. Participants must upload their films as unlisted videos on YouTube and register via the summit's website.

According to Jarrar, entries will be evaluated across four key areas:

Storytelling: Clear narrative structure, character development, dialogue or monologue, and emotional impact.

Creativity and aesthetics: Originality of concept, consistency in visual style and tone, cinematic quality and atmosphere, and creative use of facial expressions.

Technical execution: Sound quality, subtitles, and smooth transitions.

Ethical use of AI: Transparency about tools used, avoidance of biased or misleading content, and ability to provide open files when requested.

“We believe AI should amplify creativity and support creators,” Jarrar said.“This award is about giving storytellers the chance to push the limits of imagination with Gemini and share those stories with the world.”

He added,“The more descriptive your prompts, the better the results.” He emphasised that although it's AI, the creator is still the director.“You control the visual expression, the angles, the atmosphere. AI doesn't replace creativity, it amplifies it.”

• September 23, 2025 – Submissions open

• November 20, 2025 – Submission deadline

• December 5, 2025 – Top 10 shortlist announced

• December 10–15, 2025 – Public voting on shortlisted films

• January 10, 2026 – Premiere of the top five films during the summit

• January 11, 2026 – Winner of the $1-million prize announced

Al Hammadi confirmed that the ten shortlisted films will go to a public vote in December.“We want to have that engagement and participation from audiences,” she said.“The top five will premiere on January 10, and the winner will be revealed the next day.”

Al Eter said the initiative reflects the UAE's long-term commitment to AI, from teaching it in schools to appointing the world's first Minister of State for AI in 2017.“It is natural for the UAE to incubate such a global initiative,” he said.“This award is a statement that creativity is now open to all. A kid in Africa with just a laptop and the right tools can produce a movie that moves hearts and minds.”

Organisers said the award also aligns with the summit's 'Content for Good' theme, recognising the growing influence of short films in delivering impactful messages and the role of technology in enabling new forms of creativity.

Jarrar underlined that the competition builds on Google's decades-long work in AI.“AI has been part of almost every Google product for the past 25 years, from Google Translate to spam filters in Gmail to the results you see in Search,” he said.

“In the last couple of years, we've brought AI closer to people. When we launched Bard, now called Gemini, we were excited to see how content creators used it, from brainstorming and script writing to building entire stories. With this award, we want to showcase what's possible when creators combine their imagination with Gemini's tools.”

He confirmed that films must use Gemini as the primary AI engine.“You can combine real-life footage if it helps your story, and you can use other tools for editing or sound. But to qualify, the majority of the film needs to be generated through Gemini.”

The summit will also feature Creators Ventures, a Dh50-million hybrid business-building and acceleration programme to fund and mentor content entrepreneurs, and a Creators Market pavilion showcasing startups.

The 1 Billion Followers Summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, will run from January 9 to 11, 2026, across Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Museum of the Future. More than 400 speakers are expected, with a combined following of over three billion people.

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