AI In Film: A New Creative Dialogue is a project created by Fondation Liban Cinema in collaboration with Film London, with the support of the British Council International Collaboration Grant.

The project will fund and oversee the co-production of two live-action short films (under 15 minutes each), through which filmmakers from the UK and Lebanon will experiment with AI technology at each stage of the production process.

Our intention is to explore the use of AI tools in filmmaking from the filmmaker’s perspective, practically investigating the role of AI in the creative process, and the opportunities and efficiencies AI tools offer, particularly in relation to Intercultural collaboration. We will also invite interrogation of the limits, risks, and complexities of AI, both in creative and practical terms, as well as the legal and ethical implications of working with AI tools.
This exploration’s goal is to answer the questions we have been asking ourselves: Can AI help us make films? Can AI make filmmakers’ jobs easier?

DEADLINE: March 31st, 2025

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
We are calling for directors and producers to apply together by sending an email with a single PDF file with all the required documents to [email protected]

The project will begin with an online workshop in June, introducing the selected Lebanese and UK filmmakers to the creative potential of AI and its possible uses to support human-led storytelling and creative innovation. The workshop will include seminars, discussion panels, and case studies from filmmakers who have worked with AI, exploring how AI can enhance the filmmaking process from concept to completion alongside the ethical considerations around deploying the technology responsibly.

Through these workshops and mentorship, the teams will experiment with integrating AI into every step of their respective processes, from script development to editing and music composition.

The scheme will fund two short films, pairing directors and producers from Lebanon with British writers, editors and composers.

Each UK writer will collaborate with the Lebanese director, combining their creative visions and storytelling skills with the support of a script editor. The Lebanese producers will oversee the production of one film each, managing all logistical aspects and the creative aspects, in collaboration with the UK writer and Lebanese writer/director. Both films will share the same UK-based editor and composer.

At the end of the programme, Fondation Liban Cinema and Film London will produce a report, sharing the learnings from the programme. The report will offer practical insight from the filmmakers’ perspective into the opportunities, considerations, and limitations of working with AI in intercultural contexts, and at each stage of film production.

Ethics in AI
While we are excited to explore the possibilities AI offers creatives, we are aware that for many people the very idea of AI is problematic or worrying. Our intention is to use this programme to discover and report on how AI can support filmmakers rather than replace them, and to do so fairly and responsibly.

We will work within UNESCO’s Recommendations on the Ethics of AI, with a particular focus on harnessing AI trained with fairness and non-discrimination in mind.

The Brief:
The teams will pick one of three themes around which to write their film. The three themes are:
• AI and identity
• AI and the environment
• AI and future work

Timeline:

• February 26: Call Opens
• March 31st: Call Deadline
• May 10: Selection Results
• Early June: Online Workshop
• June-July: Writing
• August: Pre-Production/Shoot
• September: Edit/post-production
• October: Delivery

*Please note, dates may be subject to change

Once complete, the films will be distributed by Fondation Liban Cinema and Film London.

Directors and Producers must be based in Lebanon to take part in this scheme. If that’s the case, apply through Fondation Liban Cinema.

Director (Lebanon):
Eligibility
• Directed one fiction short film that has received an award in an international festival
OR
• Directed one feature-length fiction film.

You will be expected to:
• Attend and participate in the AI workshop (June)
• Collaborate with a UK scriptwriter online to co-write the film during the script-writing phase (June-July)
• Take part in script consulting sessions with a script doctor (June-July).
• Collaborate with UK composer from the writing stage to the post-production stage to compose music for the film (June-September)
• Oversee pre-production alongside your producer (August)
• Direct the film (August)
• Collaborate with UK editor in post-production (September)
• Share your experience and insight in the project’s end report

Producer (Lebanon):
Eligibility
• Individual that has already produced one feature film
OR
• Individual that has already produced two short films that applies as part of a production company

You will be expected to:
• Attend and participate in the AI workshop (June)
• Support the Director and their UK co-writer during the script-writing phase (June-July)
• Create and communicate the budget of the film (August)
• Oversee and manage pre-production (August)
• Oversee and manage production logistics (August)
• Oversee post-production (September)
• Share your experience and insight in the project’s end report

Director and Producer Pair application (Lebanon):
Requirements
• Link to the director’s award-winning short film OR link to feature film they directed
• Link to the producer’s produced feature film OR link to two produced short films
• IF applying with a production company, a letter from the production company confirming collaboration
• An intention letter signed by both the director and producer that confirms their collaboration together on this project, and why they want to participate (2 pages max)
• A short 2-minute video of the director explaining if they ever collaborated with another scriptwriter before, and how they intend to do it in this project
• Biography of director (400 words)
• Biography of producer (400 words)
• Links to previous work from director
• Links to previous work from producer

Writers and Director PAIR, apply by sending a SINGLE PDF FILE with all required documents to [email protected] by March 31st, 2025