AI & THE CRAFT
THE BEST POLICY Across the board, it seems most festivals are prioritising transparency, relying on filmmakers to respond honestly when asked about AI. “We do request that filmmakers disclose the use of AI in their films when submitting,” shares a spokesperson from Leeds International Film Festival; Banff, Cambridge and Sundance all say the same. More specifically, many fests are asking filmmakers to break down this use, declaring whether it’s in the pre- production and/or post-production pipeline. “If you are using generative AI as part of your artistic approach, how do you plan to disclose it to your audience?” asks Sundance’s submission form for non-fiction films. “If you don’t plan to disclose the use of AI, please explain why,” the form continues. Cambridge Film Festival has acknowledged that self-reporting is
Animators, voice actors and documentary filmmakers are especially concerned about AI’s impact on their respective crafts. Workers’ unions all around the world – such as ABRACA in Belgium, AWI in Ireland and the Animation Guild in the US – have declared a state of emergency over AI and called for action from lawmakers. Joanna Croston, director of the Mountain Culture category at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, expresses her worry over AI’s usage in the documentary space. “AI use in the outdoor and adventure sports realm is concerning, particularly in climbing or adventure ‘firsts’, where AI could be used to generate false evidence of these accomplishments.” With AI becoming increasingly more difficult to detect, film programmers now face a growing problem – the risk of misinformation spreading unchecked.
often a flawed system, but it’s currently the best one out there. That said, CFF won’t hesitate to disqualify films that are found to have breached copyright laws or failed to secure artists’ consent. “We are particularly concerned by the ethical implications of large-scale AI models being trained on artistic works without the consent or compensation of their creators,” writes the festival. “While this may not always breach legal boundaries, it raises serious questions about fairness, artistic ownership and the respect for creative labour.” Broadly, film festivals appear open to judgement-free discussions about AI, as well as continuing to follow how the technology – and the industry’s response – evolves. “We are talking to colleagues at other festivals about their policies in the hope of moving towards an industry standard,” affirms Leeds. “We appreciate AI is complex and ever-changing.”
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