The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) opened on Friday in Shanghai, spotlighting the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in filmmaking while sparking discussion over its impact on creativity. As China’s only FIAPF-accredited A-list film festival, SIFF introduced an AI Backlot experimental lab that brings together four production teams from seven countries and regions to collaborate on short films integrating AI technologies, documenting their creative processes along the way.
The AI Backlot program, accessible to industry professionals and the public on Sunday and Monday, features workshops led by a supervisory panel and academic advisers, who will distill 10 to 15 key topics based on the teams’ real-world production experiences. The International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) oversees the accreditation of the festival and remains closely involved.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai, veteran Hong Kong actor and president of the Golden Goblet Awards jury, highlighted the practical benefits of AI in filmmaking, noting that AI can drastically reduce production timelines—tasks taking human editors a month can now be completed in about 10 minutes. However, Leung expressed skepticism regarding AI’s creative abilities, stating that “AI has no soul” and operates solely within human-imposed frameworks. He likened the distinction between human actors and AI-generated performers to the difference between natural and artificial diamonds.
Similar concerns were voiced by Xin Zhilei, jury member and Volpi Cup winner for Best Actress at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. While acknowledging the unstoppable evolution of technology, Xin said she hopes that two decades of acting experience would not be replaced by algorithms and that AI remains, for now, a tool to aid cinematic creativity rather than supplant human artistry. Kyrgyz director and jury member Aktan Arym Kubat stressed the importance of dedication for filmmakers, asserting that despite AI enabling more people to shoot films, true artistic commitment requires spiritual focus and perseverance.
Gong Bo, director of the China Research Institute of Film Science and Technology, remarked during the festival’s opening forum that AI has already become deeply integrated into visual creation, spanning feature films and related industries. Veteran filmmaker Huang Jianxin reflected on the rapid development pace of AI, noting the shift from a distant concept two years ago to a pervasive presence today.
Over the next ten days, SIFF will showcase more than 420 films from 77 countries and regions through approximately 1,600 screenings in 47 Shanghai cinemas, as well as five additional venues across cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The opening film, Afterpiece, premiered on Friday night, with gala events and a red carpet ceremony scheduled for Saturday evening. The festival will conclude on June 21, with the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony set for June 20.