AI Movies: The Future of Film Industry?

The first short film festival in Bulgaria to feature a special category for AI-generated films took place on October 16-19, 2025, in Blagoevgrad, community centre “N. Vaptsarov.” It included both Bulgarian and international productions. Around 15 out of 38 were created with AI.

 

“AI allows for young film directors (...) to make a movie without thinking about logistics and finances. It gives you an opportunity,” says Kristian Iliev, lead organizer of Blagoevgrad Short Film Festival (BSFF). 

 

According to Iliev, Bulgaria is falling behind, compared to other parts of the world, where  AI film festivals are already an established practice. The AI Film Festival in Amsterdam and the AI Film Festival (AIFF) in the U.S. are some examples. 

 

Along with the creation of film festivals, the AI movie industry has recently acquired its first employable AI actress - Tilly Norwood. While talent agents seem interested in this new opportunity, actors are outraged. Renowned stars such as Emily Blunt, Sophie Turner, and Ralph Ineson commented on Tally’s Instagram page, expressing their concerns. According to actors’ union Sag-Aftra, AI actors devalue human artistry. 

 

Eline Van Der Velden, CEO of AI Talent Studio Xicoia, company designed to create hyperreal artists, does not agree. Velden assures that Tally is not a replacement for humans but a piece of art. She described her as an animation, a tool, and possibly the start of a new film genre. 

Legal concerns regarding the data AI actors are trained on keep circling around the film industry. Violation of copyright laws includes the use of voice replicas, images, and mannerisms without the actors'/production’s consent. Unauthorized creations featuring characters like Batman and Bugs Bunny led to Warner Bros studios filing a lawsuit against Midjourney earlier this year.

 

Yet, as actors, animators, and make-up artists fear the loss of their profession, other job opportunities appear. AI prompters have mastered the “communication” with AI algorithms and utilize them successfully,  

 

Jeremy Angelier, filmmaker and founder of the AI film platform Shaike, is one of the beneficiaries of this new genre. He gave a presentation on the step-by-step process of creating an AI film as part of the BSFF.

 

Angelier shared that AI platforms are helpful tools that support scriptwriting, image, and video generation, but do not undermine the creative process. The idea comes from the artist. 

 

“You have to give it [AI] instructions, what and how you want something done. When it gives you a product, you can always say 'move this to the left, change the color, make it softer, etc,’ “ said Liliana Aleksandrova, assistant organizer of BSFF.

 

“The human element is not lost. There is always an artist behind the project,” added Iliev. 

 

At least for now, but rules are changing. In their research, Tsiavos and Kitsios explore the topic of AI and its role in the film industry.

 

“We highlight emerging ethical concerns, such as authorship, creative integrity, and labor displacement that accompany AI’s expanding role,” say the researchers. 

 

Assuming AI follows a “collaboration, not replacement” paradigm, how do we respond to AI-generated films?

What turns moving images into meaningful experiences that move us?

 

The New York Times’ article shows that old movies are living a second life in Hollywood with screenings of “Black Swan” (2010), “Apollo 13” (1995),  “Jaws” (1975), and others. These movies were written by people, shot by people, and played by people.