The use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking is a hot topic at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, China's only FIAPF-accredited A-list film festival, which opened on Friday.
The festival launched AI Backlot, an experimental lab dedicated to integrating AI into real-world film production. Four production teams, selected from seven countries and regions, are collaborating to create short films and document their creative processes.
The FIAPF, or the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, is an international organization that accredits many world-renowned film festivals.
On Sunday and Monday, the AI Backlot program will be open to industry professionals and the public. A supervisory panel and academic advisers will work with the four participating teams to identify 10 to 15 key topics drawn from actual production experience, sharing insights through interactive workshops.
"AI can significantly reduce production costs by streamlining both pre — and post-production workflows. For example, editing that would take a human editor a month can now be completed by AI in 10 minutes," said Tony Leung Chiu-wai, acclaimed veteran Hong Kong actor and president of the jury for the Golden Goblet Awards, the top honor of the film festival.
But Leung also expressed skepticism about AI's creative capacity, remarking that "AI has no soul". He explained that AI operates strictly within human-defined parameters and reference materials, comparing the difference between human actors and AI-generated performers to that between natural and artificial diamonds.
Jury member Xin Zhilei, winner of the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, echoed similar concerns.
"Technology evolves continuously, and no one can stop it," she said. "Over my 20-year acting career, I certainly wouldn't want to see two decades of experience replaced by algorithms. If AI reaches that level, we'll be living in a completely different reality, so anxiety feels premature. For now, AI remains a powerful tool, helping cinema to explore new creative possibilities."
Jury member and Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat said that long-term dedication is greatly needed from young directors, even though "anyone can shoot a film" with the help of AI. "You need to maintain a high level of spiritual focus, devotion and commitment," he said.
Addressing the opening session of the film festival forum on Friday, Gong Bo, director of the China Research Institute of Film Science and Technology, said that AI has already permeated visual creation — from feature filmmaking to a wide range of related industries.
"Two years ago, we were still discussing AI as a distant concept," said veteran filmmaker Huang Jianxin. "Today, however, it is advancing at a pace far beyond our expectations."
Over the next 10 days, more than 420 films from 77 countries and regions will be screened in approximately 1,600 screenings across 47 cinemas in Shanghai, as well as five other cinemas in cities across the Yangtze River Delta. The gala night and red carpet ceremony will take place on Saturday evening. The opening film, Afterpiece, will be screened on the same night.
The 28th SIFF runs through June 21, with the Golden Goblet Awards to be presented at the closing ceremony on June 20.
