PixLight Grand Prize
$100,000
PixLight is PixVerse's annual AI film contest — a greenlight meeting for the AI era.We're searching for directors and stories that deserve to go further.Submit a finished genre pilot through the Pilot Track, or pitch your feature screenplay through the Script Track.Selected entries will be reviewed by an international jury. The best projects get greenlit.
WHAT YOU'LL WIN
$300,000 USD Prize Pool
PixLight Gold Award
$50,000
PixLight Silver Award
$20,000
$5,000
Pilot Track Spotlight Awards
$3,000
Script Track Spotlight Awards
Beyond the Prize A Creator Pathway
PixLight is the entry point into PixVerse's creator ecosystem. Standout participants and winners move forward through a development pathway.
- Creator Lab
PixLab
An invite-only next-stage lab for standout creators, with guidance, production support, and deeper collaboration with PixVerse.
- Official Productions
PixVerse Originals
Selected projects move into official development, production, and global release, with PixVerse backing them from idea to audience.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
Tracks — Two Ways To Enter.
3–20 min genre pilot
Pilot Track
Create a complete AI short or pilot episode. One rule: tell a story that makes people want episode two.
We look for:
A clear world, a memorable lead, cinematic pacing, and a Canvas workflow worth cloning.
45–90 min AI feature screenplay
Script Track
Write the film you want to see made. One rule: make us see the movie before it exists.
We look for:
An original world with real emotional stakes and a story ready to go into production.
BUILD WITH CANVAS
Connect references, prompts, motion, and output in one editable graph. Canvas makes complex AI video production easier to plan, adjust, and rerun.
PixVerse Original
BATU Original Series
See how our in-house creative team completes a narrative production
Workflow
BATU Creative Breakdown
Deconstructing the Canvas workflow from concept to final cut
Eligible Genres
Three Directions, Both Tracks.
Under the Skin
Drama, Comedy, Coming-of-Age, Social RealismThe quietest stories hit the hardest. A first love. A family secret. A summer that changed everything. Start with something real — then let it become something more.
Worlds Beyond
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Supernatural, MythologyA shop that sells memories. A planet where music is illegal. A god who forgot what she created. Start with an impossible idea — then make us believe it.
Edge of Seat
Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Action, Adventure, SurvivalFirst rule: never let them breathe. Survival games, locked rooms, last stands, wrong turns. Pure genre energy — the kind that pins you to the screen.
Timeline
01
Open Call
02
Submission Deadline
03
Judging
04
Winner Announcement
WHO'S JUDGING
An international jury spanning directing, screenwriting, production, visual storytelling, and AI creativity will evaluate entries across both tracks.
Wesley Armstrong
Director, DGA
Wesley Armstrong
Director, DGA
Wesley "Wuz Good" Armstrong is a director and creator and a member of the Directors Guild of America. Born in Japan to a Marine Corps mother, he blends superhero, anime and comedy into a voice entirely his own. A graduate of Sony TV's Diverse Directors Program, he has directed over $4 million in branded entertainment and earned a Streamy nomination for Best Director for Couples Night, a Facebook Watch series he created. His short films have been supported by Warner Bros. and Lakeshore Entertainment. He is directing his first feature, a supernatural comedy produced by Karen Toliver and Tim Story.
Kavan Cardoza
Filmmaker / Co-Founder of Phantom X
Kavan Cardoza
Filmmaker / Co-Founder of Phantom X
Kavan Cardoza, professionally known as Kavan the Kid, is an award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of Phantom X, a Los Angeles based AI production studio at the forefront of next-generation storytelling. Widely recognized for launching successful franchises and original IP in the AI space, Kavan has positioned himself as one of the leading creative voices shaping the future of cinema. Kavan is the creator of the hit fantasy series The Chronicles of Bone (A Magnific Original Series) as well as making history with his film Echo Hunter, the first-ever SAG approved AI film.
Yitian Gao
Curator, FIRST IFF · Producer
Yitian Gao
Curator, FIRST IFF · Producer
Yitian Gao has long been involved in the programming and development of FIRST International Film Festival. Dedicated to discovering and supporting emerging filmmakers, he builds connections between filmmaking, the film industry and public culture, creating opportunities for new cinematic voices. His producing credits include Wrath of Silence, Day Is Done and All Tomorrow's Parties. Day Is Done won the Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival.
Christina Lee Storm
Head of Studio, Narrative, Secret Level
Christina Lee Storm
Head of Studio, Narrative, Secret Level
Christina Lee Storm is Head of Studio, Narrative at Secret Level and Co-Founder of PLAYBOOK PLBK. She is an accomplished executive and award-winning producer known for pioneering storytelling through emerging technologies in film, series, animation, documentaries, XR, and multi-platform storytelling. She has been instrumental in implementing creative and strategic production technologies for franchises, IP, and world-building with studios such as Netflix, Universal, and DreamWorks Animation. Notable titles Christina has been involved with include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Back in Action, Trolls, The Boss Baby, Abominable, Trolls World Tour, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Newborn, and currently producing hybrid horror film Terrarium.
Tan Chui Mui
Filmmaker / Writer / Producer
Tan Chui Mui
Filmmaker / Writer / Producer
Tan Chui Mui is an internationally recognized Malaysian filmmaker, writer and producer, and a key figure in Malaysian independent cinema. Her debut feature Love Conquers All won both the New Currents Award and the FIPRESCI Award at the Busan International Film Festival. She was also the first Malaysian filmmaker invited to the Cannes Cinéfondation Residency and has served as a jury member at international film festivals including Rotterdam. Since 2025, she has expanded her practice into AI filmmaking, leading workshops on AI short film creation and serving on juries for AI-focused film competitions.
Hal Watmough
Filmmaker, Wonder Studios
Hal Watmough
Filmmaker, Wonder Studios
Hal Watmough is a BAFTA-winning filmmaker with over twenty years' experience shaping stories for some of the world's leading producers. His work spans documentary, drama and flagship factual series, earning him a BAFTA in 2023, as well as Rose d'Or, RTS and NTA recognition along the way. In 2025 he won the inaugural Global AI Animation Competition with Curious Refuge, later collaborating with Google on its Flow Sessions. He now works at Wonder Studios, developing original IP alongside some of the world's most renowned filmmakers and pushing the creative boundaries of AI-driven storytelling.
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
PixLight partners with global creator communities, festival networks, academic institutions, and social media platforms.
Listed in no particular order.
