Venice Film Festival Unveils New Cinema Academy, Premieres, and AI Filmmaking Debates

The Venice Film Festival served as a dynamic nexus for global cinematic discourse, hosting pivotal discussions on emerging technologies, celebrating unique artistic visions, and fostering initiatives for film education in challenging regions. Among the significant events was a panel titled “AI x Cinema: The 10,000 Parallel Universes Initiative,” held at Hotel Excelsior as part of the Venice Production Bridge.

Co-hosted by TapNow and Dogme23, and moderated by Sabrina Qin from TapNow, the panel delved into the creative and economic impacts of AI filmmaking. Key participants included Tianshu Zhu of Alibaba Token Hub, film educator Barry Dignam from FilmEU, Ben Chimoy of PROMPTR, and Shawn Song from Sonilo. Ben Chimoy, a veteran of traditional filmmaking who transitioned to AI video, shared an unexpected insight: a client preferred an AI-generated fashion film for its emotional resonance over a traditionally produced one. Chimoy posited that AI can foster connection, bringing creators together. Barry Dignam, representing a network of 50 European film schools, stressed that AI elevates the importance of critical thinking and core craft values in film education, rather than offering a shortcut to filmmaking expertise. Tianshu Zhu introduced HappyHorse, Alibaba Token Hub’s AI video generation model, designed to address budget and resource limitations, particularly in pre-production tasks like storyboarding and 3D character placement. Alibaba Token Hub plans to release HappyHorse 2.0 and a “world model” called HappyHorse Control for real-time interaction by late September. Shawn Song highlighted Sonilo’s licensing agreements with Universal Music Group and Sony Music, which ensure commercial users can confidently employ AI-generated music, with revenue shared among publishers, labels, and creators. Sonilo’s tools demonstrated remarkable efficiency by reducing composing time for the AI-generated series “Primodia” from 10 hours to mere seconds. TapNow also unveiled its Creator Growth Plan, featuring three tiers—Experimental, Selected, and invitation-only Signed Creator—to support emerging AI creators. The panel concluded with a technical breakdown of “Primodia,” an S-level flagship series within TapNow’s “10,000 Parallel Universes” initiative, directed by first-time AI directors Haonan Liu and Yuhang Qiao, showcasing the use of TapNow’s tools for concept art and conversational prompt-based video generation. Sabrina Qin encapsulated the session’s broader message, asserting that “AI will not define the taste of future content, but creators will.”

The festival also featured the debut of Tsai Ming-liang’s “Dust,” the 11th installment of his acclaimed “Walker” series. This film marks the first time the barefoot monk, portrayed by Lee Kang-sheng, journeys through Spain, specifically San Sebastian, after traveling across various global cities. Tsai Ming-liang initiated the “Walker” project in 2012 as a departure from narrative filmmaking, seeking “pure visual expression” through the recurring image of Lee walking in near-stillness. He describes “slowness” as a powerful method, allowing audiences to truly observe and feel, and views it as a form of rebellion against cinema’s tendency to treat images as mere information. The series, a documentation of Lee Kang-sheng’s aging body over a three-decade collaboration, is a testament to Tsai’s enduring artistic partnership. Having won the Golden Lion for “Vive L’Amour” in 1994, Tsai continues to challenge the boundaries of cinema, questioning the conservative nature of theatrical spaces and exploring what else film can express beyond traditional storytelling. He observes a growing number of young people open to his non-narrative work and anticipates the series will continue until either he or Lee Kang-sheng is no longer able to participate, with the next film set in Jeonju, Korea.

Another significant premiere at Venice was Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Look Back,” his third adaptation of manga, based on Fujimoto Tatsuki’s popular one-volume story. The film, which premiered in Venice competition, follows the intertwined paths of two aspiring manga artists, Fujino and Kyomoto. Kore-eda was deeply moved by the manga during the pandemic, finding inspiration in it during a period when movie theaters were closed. He described the film as an act of gratitude towards Fujimoto Tatsuki, an answer to why he continues filmmaking. Kore-eda's adaptation masterfully blends his characteristic naturalistic approach with child actors and the dynamic pacing of the original manga. He meticulously depicted the manga-making process, from the sound of pens on paper to digital transitions. For live-action, Kore-eda thoughtfully softened Fujino’s often brash character, transforming monologues into dialogues and actions to enhance realism. The director drew parallels between the characters’ artistic rivalry and his own formative experiences, recalling a childhood classmate whose voracious reading inspired him to pursue literature with similar intensity, a connection that endures to this day.

Adding a crucial dimension to the festival’s humanitarian focus, a group of prominent Palestinian, Arab, and international filmmakers and industry professionals launched the Gaza Cinema Academy. This initiative aims to establish a sustainable space for film education, training, and production in Gaza, fostering connections between emerging Palestinian filmmakers and the global film community. Supported by figures such as Venice Silver Lion winner Kaouther Ben Hania, directors Annemarie Jacir and Mai Masri (a co-founder), Ezzaldeen Shalah (founder of the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival and co-founder), and actors Hiam Abbas, Ramy Youssef, and Saleh Bakri, along with producer Graziella Bildesheim and promoter Alaa Karkouti, the academy emphasizes supporting young talent and women. Ezzaldeen Shalah underscored the profound role of cinema in Gaza as a means of preserving memory, reclaiming self-image, and empowering a new generation to tell its stories. The academy seeks to build an international network of partners to provide learning and production opportunities, helping films from Gaza reach global audiences and festivals. The first Gaza International Women’s Film Festival, held amidst rubble in October 2025, opened with “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The Venice Film Festival itself showcased two Palestinian films this year: Ahmed Hassouna’s “Citizen Osama,” depicting a photographer navigating his roles as a father and journalist during wartime, and Muayad Alayan’s “Conversation With the Sea,” which follows an elderly Palestinian man entangled in Israeli bureaucracy.