The Artefact AI Film Festival returns for a Second Edition in partnership with mk2, with Cédric Klapisch as Jury President

The 2025 edition reaffirms the festival’s core ambition: to explore the new creative possibilities enabled by artificial intelligence. By making tools previously reserved for major productions accessible to all, generative AI is democratizing filmmaking while opening new narrative and visual horizons beyond traditional technical and budgetary constraints.
The competition remains open to all, from established filmmakers to first-time creators, with one single constraint: to create a short film lasting no more than 314 seconds, using at least one generative AI tool in each phase of production: pre-production, production, and post-production.

The second edition of the AI Film Festival will revolve around the theme “(Dis)play”, an invitation to dive into the playful and experimental universe of artificial intelligence, a space where rules are made to be invented, worlds to be built, stories to be subverted.

At its heart lies the notion of play, whether children’s games, wordplay, or role-playing, offering fertile ground for creative exploration.

Beyond creative experimentation, this theme also raises questions about the biases of interfaces and the invisible filters that shape our view and perception of the world.

Following Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who presided over the inaugural edition, the 2025 festival will be honored to welcome Cédric Klapisch as Jury President. A major figure in contemporary French cinema, Klapisch brings his humanist vision and mastery of generational storytelling to this cinematic creation laboratory.

As Jury President, Cédric Klapisch seeks to be an observer of the possibilities and limits of artificial intelligence in artistic creation, especially when it is placed in the hands of young creators.

The full jury will be revealed during the official opening of submissions in September.

“For AI to become a new creative tool, we must ensure that this artificial intelligence is not guided by the natural stupidity of some human beings…” Cédric Klapisch, President of the Artefact AI Film Festival Jury

In response to legitimate concerns within the industry regarding copyright and the ethical use of AI, the Artefact AI Film Festival is committed to promote a model of best practices that supports creativity and talent. Each participant will be required to submit a production journal detailing their use of generative AI tools, thus ensuring transparency and respect for intellectual property.

“I’m thrilled and proud to announce the second edition of the Artefact Film Festival! This project, passionately led by our teams, was born out of our desire to foster dialogue between AI and artistic creation. In a world where AI is often viewed with anxiety, we wanted to open another space: a place for reflection, imagination, and celebration of the enhanced creative gesture.”
Vincent Luciani, Co-founder and CEO of Artefact

“With this second edition of the Artefact AI Film Festival, we reaffirm our vision: AI becomes a meaningful tool when placed at the service of storytelling. At mk2, we support innovations that open new expressive avenues for authors. The fact that mk2 is now producing the feature film by Raphaël Frydman, winner of the first edition, continues the festival’s mission: to reveal new talent, push the boundaries of creation, and uphold a high standard of storytelling quality.”
Elisha Karmitz, CEO of mk2 Group

The Artefact AI Film Festival is a groundbreaking initiative launched by Artefact, an international leader in data and AI, and mk2, the leading arthouse cinema group in France. This international competition is open to all experienced or novice filmmakers and aims to highlight talents who explore new creative processes through the use of AI tools.

The theme of this second edition, entitled “(Dis)play”, invites participants to explore the playful and experimental world of artificial intelligence: children’s games, role-playing, and wordplay.

• Submission period: September 2, 2025 – December 3, 2025
• Public voting: December 10, 2025 – January 14, 2026
• Jury deliberation: Mid-January 2026
• Awards ceremony: Mid-February 2026
  

The competition offers four awards recognizing different creative approaches:

• Grand Prix (€10,000): awarded to the best film
• Jury Prize (€1,000): awarded to the film that impressed the jury for its cinematic quality
• Audience Prize (€1,000): awarded to the most popular film in the online vote
  Artefact “Best Use of AI” Prize: awarded to the film with the best use of AI and includes an incubator-style mentoring for the creation of a future short film

For more information:
Official website: https://artefact-ai-film-festival.com

Cédric Klapisch is a French director, screenwriter, and producer. He gained recognition in the 1990s with films such as Riens du tout (1992), Le Péril jeune (1994), and Chacun cherche son chat (1996). He achieved international success with his trilogy on European youth: L’Auberge espagnole (2002), Les Poupées russes (2005), and Casse-tête chinois (2013), which follow the adventures of Xavier and his generation across Europe.

Known for his generational chronicles and human comedy, Klapisch blends humor, emotion, and social observation. A filmmaker of modern urban life, he alternates between dramatic comedy and social chronicle with a dynamic visual style and a humanist approach that have earned him a unique place in contemporary French cinema. His most recent films include En Corps (2022) and La Venue de l’avenir (2025). He also contributed to the direction of the series Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent) and Greek Salad (Salade Grecque).

Artefact is a French consulting and engineering firm, the European leader in data and AI, operating in 25 countries with 1,700 employees. Based in Paris, the company supports organizations and individuals in the responsible and creative adoption of these technologies to generate positive impact. It develops custom solutions; from strategy to operations, tailored to the specific challenges of each sector. Artefact collaborates with major international groups across all key industries and is actively committed to ethical, accessible AI.

Founded in 1974, mk2 is one of Europe’s leading independent cinema groups. It operates a network of prestigious theaters, an internationally renowned production and distribution company (Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet, Kaizen by Inoxtag), and a fully integrated creative and media agency. The group runs 23 cinemas in France and Spain, drawing 7 million spectators annually.

As France’s leading arthouse circuit, mk2 promotes programming that combines auteur cinema, mainstream films, and cultural events, guided by three values: curation, diversity, and transmission. Its 12 Parisian cinemas attract over 4 million spectators each year, representing a 22.2% market share in the capital. Each year, 500 events are hosted in its venues, complemented by 7 restaurants and cafés and 1 Cinema-Hotel (Hotel Paradiso).

For over 20 years, the mk2 Bibliothèque cinema, the group’s flagship, has stood as a hub for cultural innovation and experimentation. In 2016, mk2 launched mk2 VR, Europe’s first permanent space dedicated to virtual reality, reinforcing its pioneering role in immersive experiences and new storytelling formats.

Vectors for mk2:
ai-film-festival@vectors-group.com
Chloé Luce: +33 6 32 80 98 18
Joseph Hamelin: +33 7 88 28 46 44

Taddeo for Artefact:
Camille Duchiron: camille.duchiron@taddeo.com : +33 6 50 52 44 43
Maud Ollieric: maud.ollieric@taddeo.com : +33 6 23 38 90 09