Program

A cinematic evening on how AI is reshaping storytelling
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A curated program exploring authorship, creative control and real production workflows in the age of AI.

June 5, 2026
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Toronto

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What to expect

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• Short, focused talks from filmmakers, VFX artists and industry experts
• Real perspectives on how AI is used in creative practice today
• A curated screening of AI-assisted films on a cinema screen
• A shared live experience bringing together film, tech and creative communities

Program structure

Talks

A series of short interventions across key perspectives shaping the industry today:

• Traditional filmmaking and AI-native creation
• Production and VFX workflows
• Legal and authorship questions
• Structural shifts in how stories are made and distributed

Featuring voices from film, VFX and creative technology.

Each talk is concise, focused and designed to bring a clear point of view.

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Film showcase

A curated selection of AI-assisted short films presented in a cinema setting.

The program highlights new voices alongside filmmakers experimenting with hybrid production approaches.

Selected films will be recognized through jury awards.

Why this matters

AI is already changing how films are made.

But there are very few spaces where filmmakers, technologists and creatives can compare real experiences and understand what this shift actually means in practice.

Cinema Shift Festival creates that space.

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