Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Director-General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, awarded Tunisian director Zubair Jassi’s film Lily with the $1 million AI Film Award. This award is hosted by 1 Billion Followers Summit in collaboration with Google Gemini.
The awards ceremony took place during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest event dedicated to shaping the content production economy. The summit, organized by the UAE Government Media Authority under the theme ‘Content for Good’, will be held from January 9th to 11th at Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Center and Museum of the Future in Dubai.
The summit will bring together over 15,000 content creators and influencers, as well as over 580 speakers, 150 CEOs, and global experts.
Sheikha Latifa said celebrating creators and encouraging innovation across the content creation sector underscores the UAE’s commitment to developing the talent that will shape the future of the cultural and creative industries.
“Purposeful content plays an important role in promoting positive values, strengthening a sense of community, and stimulating creative thinking. We are proud to support initiatives that enable content creators to express their perspectives, transform ideas into meaningful impact, advance knowledge, serve society, and contribute to a higher quality of life for their communities,” said Her Highness Sheikha Latifa.
Sheikha Latifa added that the Billion Followers Summit has evolved into a global platform that champions innovation and celebrates young talent who are making a difference in the world of new media. Guided by the vision and ambition of its leaders, the UAE remains committed to building a forward-thinking ecosystem that supports talent and provides creators with the tools to scale their impact on the world stage, she said.
Sheikha Latifa congratulated the winner, highlighting his creative vision and effective use of technology, which reflects the spirit of a new generation shaping the future of the content creation industry.
The AI Film Awards received 3,500 film submissions and more than 30,000 participants from 116 countries expressed interest in the awards, reflecting the scale of global involvement in this pioneering initiative. The award aims to support and encourage the production of impactful films that leverage various AI tools, including Google Gemini, and strengthen the creative and aesthetic abilities of creators to convey positive messages that promote cultural connections and raise awareness of humanitarian values.
A dedicated jury of 40 experts reviewed a total of 400 hours of film content. The films underwent a comprehensive evaluation process to ensure they adhered to the award’s standards and thematic focus. Following this process, 100 films were shortlisted, with non-compliant films excluded.
Shortlisted films then underwent advanced technical evaluation using Google Gemini to verify technical standards and content quality. The ratings ensured that each film was produced using at least 70% of Google’s generative AI tools and verified through an AI-based rating process.
An expert jury of global experts, advisors and creative content creators selected ‘Lily’ as one of 12 films shortlisted for public voting. After audience voting and internal evaluation, the film made it to the final list of five nominees.
The first theme, “Rewrite Tomorrow,” includes “HEAL” by Egyptian director Mohamed Gomar, “Cats Like Warmth” by South Korean director Lee Soo-yeol, and “Homew” by UK-based director Nab Lotay. ard”, German director Daniel Titz’s “Roots of Tomorrow”, Spain’s Hilario Abbado’s “Maestra”, and Omar Ramal’s “Dreams Never Die” were selected as finalists.
The second theme, “The Secret Life of”, includes “The Translator” directed by Pilip Lee from the United States, “Portrait No. 72” directed by Rodson Ver Suarez from the Philippines, “Ceremony” directed by Mark Wachholz from Germany, “The Beginning” directed by Jordanian Ibraheem Diab, “Lily” and “Pursuit” directed by Tunisian Zubair Jassi. “Pearl” directed by Canadian Zahir Khan.
The five shortlisted works in the final competition were Portrait No. 72, Cats Like Warmth, Lily, HEAL, and The Translator.
All shortlisted films reflect the award’s high standards in clear storytelling, visual aesthetics, creative integration of AI technology, artistic innovation, and adherence to transparency and ethical principles.
The judges included Dan Germain, executive creative director at Google Studios in London; Ali Ali, filmmaker, co-founder of Good People, Cannes Lions film jury member. Christian Haas, executive creative director at YouTube. Piotr Dabkowski is the co-founder and CTO of ElevenLabs, where he leads advanced AI voice research and was named to the TIME100 AI 2024 list. And Marina Mogilko, known as “Silicon Valley Girl,” is an entrepreneur, content creator, and podcast host with over 18 million followers.
The winning novel depicts a lonely archivist whose life is forever changed by a doll trapped in the bumper of his car in a hit-and-run accident.
Possessed by the object, which turns out to be a spiritual connection to the survivors, the protagonist is driven to confront his crimes, ultimately confessing to the police and choosing salvation by reuniting the doll and the child at the hospital.
The film powerfully depicts how objects are silent witnesses to our actions, carrying the weight of truth and demanding moral responsibility.
Wham
