What happened
The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival has added a section on artificial intelligence to its international competition regulations for its 49th edition, which runs from 29 January to 6 February 2027. The 2026 regulations had no such section.
Entrants must declare any generative AI in images or sound, and any AI tools used in writing, production or post-production, when they register a film on Shortfilmdepot. Films whose images are entirely generated by AI are limited to one per natural person.
Why it matters
For a short-film maker, disclosure is part of registering the film, not a later step. The festival may ask for more detail on AI use and may cancel registrations that break the rules, without refund where the one-film limit is exceeded.
Works that simulate a real person, living or dead, who can assert their rights are refused unless that person or their representative has given explicit consent. The regulations state that AI use is not in itself a selection criterion, and that films are judged mainly on originality, direction, storytelling, technical mastery and emotional impact.
Still open
The last registration deadline for the 2027 international competition, for films completed in 2026, passed on 24 September 2026. The festival reserves the right to amend its AI policy at any time, so the rules for 2028 may differ.