AI film festival TAIFF returns to Istanbul this December – Türkiye Today
AI film festival TAIFF returns to Istanbul this December
Humanoid robots walk a red carpet in a conceptual image illustrating artificial intelligence’s growing role in filmmaking. (Collage by Türkiye Today/Zehra Kurtulus)
The third edition of the Türkiye International Artificial Intelligence (AI) Film Festival, known asTAIFF, will take place Dec. 7-9 at the Yesilcam Cinema inside the AtatürkCultural Center (AKM), the event’s organizers announced.
The Ataturk Cultural Center is one of Istanbul’s principal performing arts venues, and its Yesilcam Cinema takes its name from Yesilcam, the historic district long associated with Türkiye’s mainstream film industry—a symbolic setting organizers have tied to the festival’s focus on cinema’s future.
First held in 2024, TAIFF has received more than 2,000 film submissions from over 100 countries to date. The festival’s second edition was held Dec. 9-11, 2025, hosted by Marmara University’s Faculty of Communication, before this year’s move to the AKM Yesilcam Cinema.
Organizers describe TAIFF as one of the most prominent Türkiye-based international platforms dedicated to AI-generated cinema.
A poster promotes Türkiye International Artificial Intelligence Film Festival (T-AIFF) in Türkiye. (Photo
New judging categories this year
This year, AI-generated films will be judged and awarded for the first time based on distinct stages of the production process, rather than solely as finished works.
Organizers have said the change reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being applied across filmmaking, from scriptwriting to visual effects and post-production.
Awards will be presented in categories including Grand Prize Best AI Film, along with special jury awards for Best AI Director, Actor, Cinematographer, Editing, Sound Design, Music, Visual Effects, Animation, and Documentary. Every category will have separate national and international winners.
TAIFF’s growth mirrors a wider international trend, as AI-focused film festivals and competitions have launched in multiple countries in recent years to showcase AI-generated filmmaking.
Applications are open through the FilmFreeway platform until Nov. 1.
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