Awards & Recognition
Seven categories open for submission, plus the OPUS People’s Choice Award and the Grand Prix.
Best AI Short Film
1 to 7 minutes
A complete short film of 1 to 7 minutes created using AI tools. Open to all genres and styles. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
Best AI Feature Film
1 to 100 minutes
A complete AI-generated or AI-assisted film with a runtime of between 1 and 100 minutes. All genres welcome. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
Best AI Animation
1 to 7 minutes
An animated film created using AI tools. Open to all animation styles and techniques. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
Best AI Music Video
1 to 7 minutes
A music video where AI has been used in the visual production. The music itself may or may not be AI-generated. All genres of music welcome. Filmmakers must state the genre of music featured and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
Best AI Commercial
0 sec to 2 minutes
A brand or product advertisement of 0 seconds to 2 minutes created using AI tools. This category welcomes both commissioned commercial work and creative concept pieces. The product or brand being advertised may be real or fictional. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
Best AI Movie Trailer
1 to 7 minutes
A cinematic trailer or teaser created using AI tools. The film must be an original work and not a trailer for an existing production. Open to all genres and styles. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
The Luminary Award
1 to 7 minutes
This award celebrates the woman whose AI filmmaking shines brightest. Open to women filmmakers across all genres and formats. The Luminary Award recognises not just the quality of the work but the courage, vision and inspiration behind it. This is for the woman who is not just creating extraordinary AI films but lighting the way for other women in AI cinema. Filmmakers must state the exact runtime of their film and declare all AI tools used in production. Submissions must have been completed after January 2026.
OPUS People's Choice Award
Closed to further submissions. The shortlisted finalists are fixed, and the winner is decided by online public vote on this website. Voting closes before the ceremony, and the winner is announced at the ceremony on 14 November 2026. No new entries are accepted.
Grand Prix
The evening's highest honour. The winner is chosen by the jury from the shortlisted films across all categories and announced at the ceremony on 14 November 2026.
How films are judged
Every entry is considered against four criteria. Films are first shortlisted by the OPUS team, then reviewed and scored by our independent jury panel.
Creativity & Originality
How inventive and fresh the concept and execution are.
Technical Craft
Quality of AI tool use, visual execution, sound, and overall production value.
Storytelling & Impact
How effectively the film communicates its idea or emotion within its runtime.
Category Fit
How well the entry meets its category's specific requirements and spirit.
The jury's scores decide the shortlisted and winning films for each category. The Grand Prix is then chosen from across all shortlisted films and announced at the ceremony on 14 November 2026.
Download judging criteria (PDF)