Second edition of the festival of films made with artificial intelligence, with screenings, director Q&As, a creator hackathon and an awards ceremony.
The Austin AI Film Festival is back for its second year at the Topfer at Zach Theatre, running Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17. It follows an inaugural 2025 edition that drew more than 300 people from around the world, and this time it's sitting right in the middle of the city's busiest stretch, between ACL and Formula 1. The festival describes itself as a showcase of the future of cinema: human stories powered by artificial intelligence.
Friday is the summit day. It's built around keynotes, live workflow deconstructions, masterclasses, and process-focused sessions led by directors and studio founders. The lineup includes Jason Zada, Nik Kleverov, Davide Bianca, Adrienne Lahens, and Billy Boman. The focus here isn't just on the finished image; these filmmakers will be on stage breaking down authorship, workflows, provenance, credit, and the role of human creative decision-making in production. If you've ever wondered how these tools actually fit into a filmmaker's day-to-day, this is the part of the weekend that opens the hood.
Saturday shifts to the big screen. The Official Selection will be showcased across 11 competitive categories, with director Q&As following each block. The day wraps with an evening awards ceremony. More than 700 films were submitted for the 2026 edition, so the screenings draw from a wide pool of work. Between the screenings, there's a live creator hackathon running throughout the weekend, which, along with the Q&As, keeps the focus on the people making the films rather than just the results.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Austin and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The whole thing runs across two days at the Zach Theatre, combining screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and the hackathon. It's aimed at creators and film lovers alike, so you can come for the finished films on Saturday or spend Friday listening to the people who made them explain how they did it.
