AI IN FILM: A NEW CREATIVE DIALOGUE 2025
Can AI help us make films?
OPEN CALL: UK Scriptwriters, Editors and Composers.
AI In Film: A New Creative Dialogue is a project created by Fondation Liban Cinema in collaboration with Film London, with the support of the British Council International Collaboration Grant.
The project will fund and oversee the co-production of two live-action short films (under 15 minutes each), through which filmmakers from the UK and Lebanon will experiment with AI technology at each stage of the production process.
Our intention is to explore the use of AI tools in filmmaking from the filmmakers perspective, practically investigating the role of AI in the creative process, and the opportunities and efficiencies AI tools offer, particularly in relation to Intercultural collaboration. We will also invite interrogation of the limits, risks, and complexities of AI, both in creative and practical terms, as well as the legal and ethical implications of working with AI tools.
The project will begin with an online workshop in June, introducing the selected Lebanese and UK filmmakers to the creative potential of AI and its possible uses to support human-led storytelling and creative innovation. The workshop will include seminars, discussion panels, and case studies from filmmakers who have worked with AI, exploring how AI can enhance the filmmaking process from concept to completion alongside the ethical considerations around deploying the technology responsibly.
Through these workshops and mentorship, the teams will experiment with integrating AI into every step of their respective processes, from script development to editing and music composition.
Two teams, two short films
The scheme will fund two short films, pairing directors and producers from Lebanon with British writers, editors and composers. UK talent must be alumni of a Film London scheme in order to be eligible.
Each UK writer will collaborate with the Lebanese director, combining their creative visions and storytelling skills with the support of a script editor. The Lebanese producers will oversee the production of one film each, managing all logistical aspects and the creative aspects, in collaboration with the UK writer and Lebanese writer/director. Both films will share the same UK-based editor and composer.
At the end of the programme, Fondation Liban Cinema and Film London will produce a report, sharing the learnings from the programme. The report will offer practical insight from the filmmakers’ perspective into the opportunities, considerations, and limitations of working with AI in intercultural contexts, and at each stage of film production.
Ethics in AI
While we are excited to explore the possibilities AI offers creatives, we are aware that for many people the very idea of AI is problematic or worrying. Our intention is to use this programme to discover and report on how AI can support filmmakers rather than replace them, and to do so fairly and responsibly.
We will work within UNESCO’s Recommendations on the Ethics of AI, with a particular focus on harnessing AI trained with fairness and nondiscrimination in mind.
The Brief:
The teams will pick one of three themes around which to write their film. The three themes are:
- AI and identity
- AI and the environment
- AI and future work
Timeline:
- February 26: Call Opens
- March 31: Deadline
- May 10: Team Selection
- Early June: Online Workshop
- June-July: Writing
- August: Pre-Production/Shoot
- September: Edit/Post-Production
- October: Delivery
*Please note, dates may be subject to change
This is a paid opportunity, with a flat fee for each creative taking part.
Once complete, the films will be distributed by Fondation Liban Cinema and Film London.
How to Apply
Scriptwriters (UK)
Eligibility:
- Past alumni of Film London (includes BFI NETWORK Film Hub London, Production Finance Market New Talent strand or main market, Microwave, Upstream, FLAMIN)
- Have writing credit for at least two short films or one feature film
- Available to collaborate on a short film script online during the months of June and July 2025
- Available to attend online workshop during early June, precise timing to be confirmed
You will be expected to:
- Attend online workshop during early June, precise timing to be confirmed
- Collaborate online with a Lebanese director to co-write the film during the script-writing phase (June to July 2025)
- Take part in online script consulting sessions with a script doctor
- Share your experience and insight in the project’s end report
Requirements:
- An intention letter that explains why you are applying to this project, and how you intend to use AI to support your work (2 pages)
OR
A 2-minute video where you explain your intention in applying and how AI could be used to support your work - Biography (400 words)
- Link to an IMDB page
- Link to previous work
- Photo of a UK or Irish passport
UK Writers Apply Here By March 31 2025.
Composer (UK only)
Eligibility:
- Past alumni of Film London (includes working on project supported by BFI NETWORK Film Hub London, Production Finance Market New Talent strand or main market, Upstream, FLAMIN, Equal Access Network) or other prior experience of working with Film London
- Composer credit for at least 2 short films
- Available to collaborate online during the months of June through September.
You will be expected to:
- Attend online workshop during early June, precise timing to be confirmed
- Collaborate online with both Lebanese directors to score both films.
- Each director will be encouraged to start collaborating with you from the script-writing phase, all the way to the post-production phase (June-September).
- Share your experience and insight in the project’s end report
Requirements:
- An intention letter that explains why you are applying to this project, and how you intend to use AI to support your work (2 pages)
OR
A 2-minute video where you explain your intention in applying and how AI could be used to support your work - Biography (400 words)
- Link to previous work
- Photo of a UK passport
UK Composers Apply Here By March 31 2025.
Editor (UK only)
Eligibility:
- Past alumni of Film London (includes working on project supported by BFI NETWORK Film Hub London, Production Finance Market New Talent strand or main market, Upstream, Microwave, FLAMIN, Equal Access Network) or other prior experience of working with Film London
- Editor credit for at least 2 short films
- Available to travel to Lebanon to work full time on two short films through the entire month of August.
You will be expected to:
- Attend online workshop during early June, precise timing to be confirmed
- Travel to Lebanon for 3 weeks of work in August (if UK government Foreign Office allows, otherwise the edit will take place remotely). Plane tickets and accommodation will be offered for the duration of the editing phase.
- Coordinate with assistant editor prior to your arrival to complete the assembly editing process at your convenience.
- Collaborate with both Lebanese directors to edit both films. You will have one week to edit each film, with one extra third week, in case there are any last-minute changes.
- Each director will be encouraged to start collaborating with you from the script-writing phase, all the way to the post-production phase (June-September).
- Share your experience and insight in the project’s end report
Requirements:
- An intention letter that explains why you are applying to this project, and how you intend to use AI to support your work (2 pages)
OR
A 2-minute video where you explain your intention in applying and how AI could be used to support your work - Biography (400 words)
- Link to IMDB page
- Link to previous work
- Photo of a UK or Irish passport