AI filmmakers from around the world celebrated at a red carpet awards gala in Lisbon last night. The inaugural AIFA Awards recognised an extraordinary diversity of stories and the radically new visual language of AI. The event was also the launch of the AI Film Academy, a global institution to encourage ground-breaking creativity through emerging technology.
Denny the Shark scooped the AImagine Award for Best Film, a dark tale of a shark in need of a dentist. The film was created by collaborative duo LeMoon (Melody Bossan, France) and Ethereal Gwirl (Dina Lockamy,USA), together known as Ethereal Moon.
LeMoon says: “It’s amazing how my faded dream of becoming a filmmaker has been brought back to life thanks to AI. I found a creative partner in Ethereal Gwirl, who shares a similar life experience—we were both stay-at-home mothers when we discovered AI art and were immediately hooked.”
Ethereal Gwirl adds: “Transitioning from a stay-at-home mother to creating world-building films with this talented ‘stranger’ from across the globe, who somehow seems to read my mind, has been a life-changing experience.”
Denny was one of 13 films selected from an open call across six continents and screened to a full house at the Non Fungible Conference on 28 May. The AIFA Awards brought together the worlds of film, art, music and fashion, including Beeple, Vincent D’Onofrio, Randi Zuckerberg and Claire Silver, as well as leading web3 technologists and entrepreneurs.
Over 400 guests walked the red carpet into The Silver Mirror, an immersive cinematic journey by featured artist Fantastic Planet, followed by a showcase of pioneering AI work by the AIFA Jury and the screening of the Finalist films. Awards were announced by sponsors
Muse Frame, AImagine, SuperRare and HUG, along with AIFA founders Clare Maguire and Leo Crane. The evening was rounded off with a spectacular live performance by singer NOANNE in an immersive AI set.
Jury member Laurence Fuller reflected on the role of AI in the creative process, summing up the feeling in the selected films: “Technology for me is an instrument. It’s there, it’s inanimate, but when human fingers and ideas pick it up, it takes on a spiritual quality. I believe humans transcend technology in our capacity to feel and think and process the world around us.”
Works by all 13 finalists, jury members and featured artists are available to collect in a featured curation on SuperRare. They will be showcased next week at Casa Nua, the first permanent gallery for digital art in Brazil, and then at Sotheby’s Institute of Art as a case study for entrepreneurs. Further partnerships will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Media Images (click link)
AIFA Awards 2024: Winners
- Best Film: Denny the Shark by Ethereal Moon (Ethereal Gwirl & LeMoon)
- Innovation Award: Birthday Story by Rainisto
- Best Narrative: You Are, Unfortunately, an AI Artist by Mind Wank
- Best Visuals: Not a problem. By B O E Y
- Best Sound: AInferno by Mflux
- Community Award: Bacillus Anthracis by Hallidonto
AIFA Awards 2024: Finalists
- ‘night by arielko
- Space by Ilya Shapko
- Waters of Rebirth by Kiel
- The Tipping Force by Katie Morris
- Black Hole by Ø Studio
- Dream by Ejaneress
- How to Poison Art: A Step by Step Guide by Mindeye
AIFA Awards: Featured Artists
- Fantastic Planet
- Noanne
AIFA Awards: Jury
- Vincent D’Onofrio, actor, producer, director, writer
- Laurence Fuller, storyteller, actor, poet
- Claire Silver, AI pioneer
- Alejandro Cartagena, Fellowship founder
- Chikai, artist, collector, co-creator Google Earth
- Nygilia, artist, Head of Media for Ancurated, Rug Radio Africa
- Justin Trimble, Braindrops founder
- Ingrid-Mery Haziot, digital & entertainment lawyer
About the AIFA Awards
The AIFA Awards is an annual ceremony organized by the AI Film Academy, dedicated to promoting innovation and inclusivity in the film industry through AI and blockchain technologies. Founded by Clare Maguire and Leo Crane, AIFA empowers aspiring filmmakers and revolutionizes the way film is created, distributed, and monetized.
About the Founders
Clare Maguire has managed, advised and led brands, entrepreneurs, creators and businesses for over a decade. She is an expert in tech, growth, marketing, social media, blockchain + AI technology and more. Clare has helped to grow companies to achieve audiences of over 50 million and is an angel investor in Blockchain and AI startups.
Leo Crane is a producer, artist and educator. For 25 years, he has bridged physical and digital industries, founding three creative studios and forging long-standing relationships with cultural institutions, including V&A and Sotheby’s Institute. Specialising in animation, Leo’s work has been widely exhibited, published and broadcast, winning multiple awards. He runs the London-based studio Figuration.
Clare Maguire, co-Founder
+447825233038
aifa@aifilm.academy / www.aifilm.academy
