Opportunities / Platform competition
Open for entriesAKOOL AI Film Challenge 2026
Three challenge categories - Coming Never, AI Short Film and Impossible - with mandatory public posting. Some detailed rules still refer specifically to Coming Never rather than all categories.
Deadline20 Dec 2026; closing time and time zone not published
FeeNo purchase necessary to enter. The separate $100 Creator Bonus requires an eligible Premium account and is limited to…
EligibilityA valid AKOOL account and legal eligibility in the entrant's jurisdiction; age 18+ or local age of majority. Employees, contractors, judges and…
Key restrictionPublic posting is required and the link must remain public throughout the challenge. Consider the effect on other festivals' premiere rules.
| Edition | 2026 call; results planned for 2027 |
|---|---|
| Location | Global / online |
| Deadline | 20 Dec 2026; closing time and time zone not published |
| Fee | No purchase necessary to enter. The separate $100 Creator Bonus requires an eligible Premium account and is limited to one bonus per account; free-account submission does not automatically earn $100. |
| Eligibility | A valid AKOOL account and legal eligibility in the entrant's jurisdiction; age 18+ or local age of majority. Employees, contractors, judges and immediate family cannot win. |
| Runtime / category | Coming Never trailers: 30-90 seconds, but a detailed clause says longer than 30 seconds; avoid exactly 30. No verified maximum was found for AI Short Film or Impossible; do not apply the trailer limit to them. |
| AI policy | AKOOL must have a meaningful role in the final work. Other creative tools may also be used. A prominent AKOOL logo is required at the top. |
| Premiere / public release | Public posting is required and the link must remain public throughout the challenge. Consider the effect on other festivals' premiere rules. |
| Disclosure | Explain AKOOL's contribution to the final work. Do not assume that trailer-specific detailed conditions apply to the other two categories. |
| Rights / licence | Creators retain copyright and grant a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to feature, display, reproduce and distribute the work for the challenge AND AKOOL marketing, digital ads, product showcases and case studies. Reasonable formatting edits are allowed; no fixed end date was stated. |
| Verified | 2026-10-24 |
Fee breakdown by category and stage
No purchase necessary. Production costs and optional reward eligibility are separate.
| Eligible entries · 2026 | Free |
|---|
- The $100 Creator Bonus is for eligible Premium accounts, once per account. Paid promoters cannot claim this bonus but may compete for final prizes.
- Additional cost / payment note: Creators bear tool-credit and Premium-plan costs.
Refunds: No purchase is required for entry; the challenge does not promise refunds for tools.
What to prepare
- Submit a complete original film or trailer, according to its category, through the official application.
- Publish on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram with the required tags and @AKOOL.
- Show the required AKOOL branding and explain how AKOOL contributed.
- Being featured in the showcase is not the same as being shortlisted or winning.
- Unresolved in the sources checked: The closing time and time zone are not published.
- Unresolved in the sources checked: Detailed runtime/delivery conditions for AI Short Film and Impossible remain incomplete.
- Unresolved in the sources checked: The 30-90 second summary and longer-than-30-second clause conflict at the lower boundary.
- Unresolved in the sources checked: Award naming/structure differs between the home page and rules.
Official sources
This is an English summary, not the official rules. The organiser’s latest rules and written answers prevail. Inclusion is not an endorsement or a guarantee of selection.