LOS ANGELES — The inaugural Innovators Film Festival, a two-day global student short film event, is set for March 27 and 28, 2025, on Loyola Marymount University’s Westchester campus, the LMU School of Film and Television (SFTV) announced. This forward-looking festival will showcase short films from student filmmakers across the globe, incorporating advanced technology into their projects.
The Innovators Film Festival will feature short films showcasing how technology, such as artificial intelligence, visual effects, and virtual reality are driving creative innovation in modern storytelling. Each film must include a technological element in its production, emphasizing the integration of AI, digital effects, or virtual production techniques. In addition to screenings, the festival will host insightful panels with industry professionals, exploring how AI can be effectively utilized in filmmaking, the ways major networks and studios are incorporating AI into content creation, and discussions on AI ethics in the entertainment industry. Attendees will also have the chance to network with representatives from top studios and production companies, creating invaluable opportunities for career advancement and connection.
“We’re excited to launch this festival recognizing LMU’s awareness that AI will have a place in responsible filmmaking,” said LMU SFTV Dean Joanne Moore. “The festival offers an incredible opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience and knowledge that will equip them for success in the rapidly changing landscape of the entertainment industry.”
LMU has consistently been at the forefront of conversations around the impact and development of AI in education, thanks to the university’s Playa Vista campus in the heart of Silicon Beach and partnerships with leading innovative entertainment and tech companies. In March 2024, SFTV co-sponsored the third Innovation Symposium: Disruption and Innovation in Entertainment, attracting more than 200 leading industry and academic experts to discuss how AI and new technology is impacting the entertainment industry.
Further advancing the university’s commitment to incorporating new tech into the classroom, LMU offered a new AI course this fall titled “Producing and Screenwriting with AI,” taught by Justin Trevors Winters, screenwriting professor and Verified Labs CEO. This course focuses on using AI in content creation, from development to distribution. Additionally, LMU SFTV and LMU Loyola Law School will introduce “The Business of Screenwriting – Law and AI” in the spring, exploring the intersection of law, technology, and entertainment, including AI ethics, intellectual property ownership, and innovative distribution methods.
