Lumara Film Festival names six finalists from over 700 AI film submissions

Oct 16, 2026
Lumara Film Festival selected six finalists for its inaugural event, with awards totaling $52,000 and 5.2 million Venice AI credits.

Lumara Film Festival named six finalists in an announcement for its inaugural AI film competition. Presented by MoonPay and Venice AI, the festival received more than 700 submissions from filmmakers worldwide.

The finalists are Black Thunder by Ryan Lightbourn, Candy by Jiaze Li, Gabriel by T Zhang, Killabears: The Broadcast by Mikael Tyrsen, Living with a Merman by Chris Capel, and Mianmian by Yingjie Chen. They will compete for a $32,000 Grand Prize with 3.2 million Venice AI credits and a $20,000 Jury Selection award with 2 million credits.

The films will screen at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in New York on October 26, when the festival will announce the main winners. Five category winners will also receive cash and Venice AI credits. The winning films will premiere on X and YouTube on October 27.

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