A $1 million prize will be given for the best AI-generated film at Dubai's flagship social media summit.
The AI Film Award will be given in partnership with BytePlus, part of TikTok owner ByteDance, during the 1 Billion Followers Summit between January 8 and 10. This year, TikTok is partnering on this to further expand the campaign's reach to audiences around the world.
The summit connects social media influencers, industry leaders, brands and policymakers. Some 400 speakers with a "combined following exceeding 4 billion people" will take part.
The UAE's social media restrictions for children aged 15 and under will be a key topic of debate. The legislation will take effect next year and require schools, parents and the wider society to support the move.
And the increasing commercialisation of content, which is creating incomes and professions for creators and influencers, will be under the spotlight.
The summit aims to cement the UAE as the "centre of content creation", said Saeed Al Eter, chairman of the UAE Government Media Office.
“Content creators possess the power to shape public awareness, set priorities, transform mindsets and influence the behaviour of millions. With such immense power comes immense responsibility that is our duty toward our societies and nations, as well as our responsibility to share genuine knowledge, bring nations together and spread love and humanity," he said.
For the first time, the 1 Billion Followers Summit will feature the Instagram Creators Day, a day-long event curated and led by Instagram that brings together top creators, industry leaders and the Instagram team. The summit also announced the second edition of Creators Market, showcasing 100 creator-led SMEs.
The film award outlined seven themes for eligible film submissions:
● Science & Discovery: Bringing a major scientific breakthrough or discovery to life;
● Civilisations & Empires: Telling a human story from a major civilisation, kingdom, empire or defining era;
● Culture & Traditions: Exploring the story behind a tradition, celebration, food, art form, ritual or cultural practice;
● Inventions & Human Ingenuity: Telling the struggle behind an invention, solution or idea that changed daily life;
● Exploration & Adventure: Recreating a journey, expedition or encounter that changed how people understood the world;
● Turning Points in History: Focusing on one decision, event or moment that changed the course of what followed;
● Lost & Forgotten Stories: Bringing back people, places, achievements or ideas that deserve to be rediscovered.
The fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit will host the #1MillionStories competition in partnership with TikTok, the global discovery platform for videos, live streaming, and more.
This global TikTok competition invites people around the world to share the one piece of content – a film or TV series – that changed their life forever and tell the story of why it mattered through a creative TikTok video.
Participants will share their stories on TikTok, with entries judged based on creativity, impact, storytelling and reach. The winner will receive a cash prize of $100,000 offered by 1 Billion Followers Summit.
