(ECNS) -- Chinese AI short film Website won two awards at the 2026 Reply AI Film Festival in Venice: the Reply AI Studios Grand Prix and the Community Award.
Created by Li Jiaze, the film was among 10 finalists selected from more than 3,100 submissions. Four of the finalists were from China, spanning genres including science fiction, documentary and fantasy.
The 11-minute Website, which debuted on Bilibili, a Chinese video platform, in April, has garnered more than 5.61 million views. The science fiction film explores a mysterious platform that can bring events from a parallel world into reality, examining how public attention can shape the real world.
Rather than relying on one-click AI generation, the film combines 3D production and virtual web design with multiple AI models for image, video, audio and text generation.
Li, a creator born in the 1990s who holds a master’s degree from University of the Arts London and works for WPP in London, said AI tools are only part of the creative process, with aesthetics, storytelling and content remaining key to AI filmmaking.
Li is also working on another project that features a more developed fictional world and allows audiences to contribute ideas to the evolving story.
For his independent productions, Li keeps the budget at around 50,000 yuan (about $7,000) per film, far below the cost of conventional virtual production.
The growing presence of Chinese AI films on the international stage reflects a broader shift toward more diverse subjects and forms of storytelling.
(By Helen Mo & intern Liu Shuangjing)
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