The highly anticipated Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival concluded dramatically on Saturday, May 17, 2025, announcing this year’s award winners during the Human vs. AI Award Gala at Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley. The festival showcased 14 finalist short films — half created by traditional filmmakers, half generated by AI —all judged blindly by a prestigious international jury with no knowledge of the creators’ identities. The result sparked the question: Can AI tell stories that feel more human than those made by humans?

“When machines mimic emotion, humans must define what it truly means to feel,” said Chanel Chan, CEO of Sparknify and lead organizer of the festival. “The Sparknify Humanity Award honors the spirit of protecting what is uniquely human in storytelling. It urges traditional filmmakers to tell the stories only humans can—and simultaneously celebrates the bold innovation of AI artists striving to explore human truths. This award invites all creators, human or machine, to deepen our collective understanding of what humanity truly means in the age of AI.”

Sparknify Humanity Award

At the heart of the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival lies its most prestigious honor—the Sparknify Humanity Award. More than a prize, the award is a provocation: What does it mean to be human in an age where machines are learning to mimic our voices, our faces, even our creativity? As artificial intelligence increasingly permeates creative fields once thought to be uniquely human, this award invites audiences and filmmakers to reflect on the nature of storytelling, empathy, and consciousness itself.

The Sparknify Humanity Award is granted to the film that most powerfully expresses the essence of humanity —whether the film is made by a person or by AI. To ensure fairness and spark genuine insight, all submitted films are evaluated blindly: judges are not told which entries are human-made and which are AI-generated. This anonymized process forces viewers and evaluators alike to focus solely on the work’s emotional and philosophical impact, rather than its origin. Submissions are judged on criteria including narrative depth, emotional resonance, artistic expression, ethical nuance, and thematic relevance to the evolving human condition.

This year’s winner of the Sparknify Humanity Award, which includes a $3,000 USD cash prize, was “L’Acquario (The Aquarium)” by Gianluca Zonta of Italy. The film presents a moving narrative in which Vincenzo, a young man navigating a first date, turns to an AI-powered app for guidance. As the story unfolds, it delicately explores the subtle tension between agency and automation, authenticity and performance—ultimately posing critical questions about how technology shapes the way we love, communicate, and understand one another. The award was accepted on behalf of the director by Elena Settimini, Vice Director of the Italian Cultural Institute San Francisco.

The award was presented by Bill Nichols, Professor Emeritus of Cinema at San Francisco State University and one of the most influential figures in the study of documentary film. Often referred to as the founder of contemporary documentary film theory, Nichols has dedicated his career to exploring how film shapes our understanding of truth, memory, identity, and ethics. His seminal works—including Representing Reality and Introduction to Documentary—have become foundational texts in film studies around the world.

Nichols’ involvement brought profound gravitas to the ceremony. As a scholar known for probing the boundaries between fact and fiction, representation and reality, he embodies the very questions at the core of the Humanity Award. His research has consistently emphasized the power of film not only to depict reality but also to shape it—an idea that becomes even more complex and urgent when the filmmaker might not be human at all. With a career that spans over a hundred scholarly publications, international lectures, and film jury service across continents, Nichols was ideally positioned to help usher in a new era of cinematic inquiry—one where the lines between creator and creation are increasingly blurred. In an age of accelerating innovation, the Humanity Award stands as a reminder: Technology may evolve, but the search for meaning, connection, and truth remains timeless.

Two of the festival’s most discerning judges—Jan Krawitz and Larissa Schwartz—offered perspectives that underscore the profound mission of the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival: to illuminate the evolving contours of the human experience in an increasingly machine-mediated world. Jan Krawitz, Professor Emerita of Documentary Film at Stanford University, praised a work for its “spare yet incisive” script that depicted “authentic social relationships unfettered by technology.” Her observation cuts to the core of what the festival aims to preserve and question: the raw, unscripted texture of human connection that often slips through the cracks in a tech-saturated age.

In contrast, Larissa Schwartz, a leading voice in generative AI research at the University of Colorado Boulder, offered a chilling yet deeply empathetic insight: “The emotion of feeling trapped, knowing we might be next in a cage with AI as the observer, profoundly captures the human condition.” Her reflection reveals a growing anxiety in the AI era—that our roles as creators, agents, and subjects of emotion may soon be co-opted by the very systems we build. Together, Krawitz and Schwartz represent a vital duality: the filmmaker’s reverence for human intimacy and the technologist’s caution about the psychological toll of AI. Their combined voices help ground the festival’s inquiry not just in artistic merit or technological prowess, but in an urgent and ongoing conversation about what it means to remain human.

Awarding a human-made film the Sparknify Humanity Award this year underscores a powerful and timely message: despite the rapid progress of generative AI, human creativity continues to hold a unique and irreplaceable power when it comes to conveying vulnerability, complexity, and emotional truth. While AI may increasingly excel at mimicking form and structure, it still struggles to genuinely grasp the lived experience—the subtle gestures, contradictions, and moral ambiguities that define what it means to be human. This recognition affirms that storytelling is not merely about producing coherent narratives, but about infusing them with intention, empathy, and soul. In a time when the boundaries between machine-generated and human-made content are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish, the award serves as a poignant reminder that authenticity matters. It affirms that human expression, rooted in memory, emotion, and lived experience, continues to resonate more deeply with audiences. As we stand on the threshold of a new era in media and art, the win is not just a victory for one filmmaker—it’s a collective reaffirmation that our shared humanity still carries a storytelling power that no algorithm can fully replicate.

Best AI-Generated Film Award

The Best AI-Generated Film Award was presented to “The Monkey With Its Tongue Out” by Sebastian Arriagada of Chile, a bold and thought-provoking experimental essay film that blends real footage with AI-generated imagery to examine themes of power, surveillance, and identity. Told through the interwoven perspectives of a filmmaker and a spider monkey, the film pushes the boundaries of cinematic language and challenges audiences to consider the shifting relationship between creator, subject, and machine. The award was presented by Sparknify Executive Director John Huang, who commended the film’s artistic innovation and its provocative use of technology to reflect on systems of control and perception. Huang emphasized that the future of filmmaking lies not in resisting AI, but in harnessing its potential for the benefit of humanity, encouraging creators to use these tools to deepen insight and expand the emotional and intellectual scope of cinema.

Two of this year’s judges, Professor Rosa Park of San Francisco State University and Professor Anton Kaes of UC Berkeley, brought deeply reflective insights that speak directly to the evolving role of AI in storytelling—a core theme of the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival. Professor Park’s observation that “the monkey, poet, and camera all reflect our desire to define, control, and remember” underscores the idea that storytelling—whether through language, performance, or image—is fundamentally an extension of human self-reflection and memory-making. In the context of AI-generated cinema, her insight points to how algorithms are increasingly becoming tools through which we attempt to simulate, and perhaps preserve, aspects of ourselves.

Meanwhile, Professor Kaes emphasized that “this film explores humanity’s disconnect from nature and politics, and our longing to be seen,” a remark that resonates powerfully with the themes present in this year’s Best AI-Generated Film award winner. His comment highlights how even films made by machines are beginning to engage with core human anxieties—alienation, visibility, ecological detachment—and doing so with a sensitivity that can elicit deep audience identification. Together, their perspectives elevate the conversation about AI-generated art beyond novelty or technical achievement. They urge us to consider how such works might echo—or distort—our cultural memory, political imagination, and emotional truth, making their voices especially significant in evaluating the artistic and philosophical merit of machine-made cinema.

Best Picture Award

The Best Picture Award at the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival was awarded to “Movimentos Migratórios (Migratory Movements)” by Rogério Cathalá of Brazil. This poignant, traditionally made realist film tells the story of Pedro, an immigrant fighting to survive on the margins of Brazilian society, whose quiet compassion emerges through his efforts to rescue an injured migratory bird. Deeply human in its framing and emotionally grounded in themes of displacement, empathy, and resilience, the film resonated powerfully with judges and audiences alike. The award was presented by Sparknify CEO Chanel Chan, a filmmaker herself, who emphasized the importance of preserving emotional depth, cultural nuance, and ethical storytelling in the age of artificial intelligence. “In an era where machines can mimic form, it is human filmmakers who must protect the soul of cinema,” Chan remarked, underscoring Sparknify’s commitment to elevating films that reflect and safeguard the human experience.

The Best Picture award at the Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival was especially resonant this year, given the perspectives of two distinguished judges whose work lies at the intersection of art, culture, and ethics. Cheng Xu, Assistant Curator at the Asian Art Museum, highlighted the film’s symbolic power, noting, “This story of diaspora, mirrored by a migrant bird, carries a powerful global message of resilience and hope.” Xu’s curatorial lens, shaped by deep engagements with cross-cultural narratives and identity, brought a profound appreciation for the film’s poetic rendering of displacement and survival—core human experiences that transcend borders and technologies.

Complementing this perspective, Luke Shen, a Producer, Director, and Columnist at CinemaAnyways, praised the film’s ethical grounding: “It stood out through its genuine concern for labor, developing countries, and animal rights.” Shen’s work, which often probes the political and economic structures underlying cinema, reflects a commitment to storytelling that elevates underrepresented voices and social justice. Together, their recognition of this traditionally made film underscores the continuing importance of human-centered storytelling in a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the creative landscape. The Best Picture winner’s success is a testament to the enduring relevance of film as a vessel for empathy, advocacy, and truth—qualities that remain uniquely human, for now.

The Award Gala capped a full day of screenings where festival attendees watched and voted on each nominated film, guessing if each was human- or AI-made. The festival’s innovative format challenged audiences, sparking critical reflection on storytelling’s future amidst AI advancements.

This year’s outcomes affirm the lasting value of human creativity and emotional truth while recognizing the impressive innovations and potential of generative AI. The Sparknify Humanity Award thus stands not just as recognition of excellence but as a cultural compass guiding our evolving relationship with technology.

The 2025 Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival has proven to be a profound milestone, sparking conversations about the future of humanity and its interface with emerging AI technology. By blending creativity with critical inquiry, this unique event offered an opportunity for reflection, debate, and imagination about the role of storytelling in an increasingly automated world.

Looking ahead, submissions for the 2026 Human vs. AI Film Festival will officially open on August 1, 2025. We encourage traditional filmmakers to craft narratives that deeply reflect the essence of humanity — to ensure that humans continue to earn the Sparknify Humanity Award. Understanding and expressing what makes us human will be more important than ever. At the same time, we anticipate even greater breakthroughs in generative filmmaking, with AI creators pushing the boundaries of storytelling in their quest to emulate — and perhaps one day surpass — the emotional complexity of human expression.

The Full Lineup of Nominated Films

1. “L’Acquario (The Aquarium)” — Italy / Human-made — Poignant reflection on AI and dating, winner of the Humanity Award.

2. “The Monkey With Its Tongue Out” — Chile / AI-generated — Experimental hybrid exploring power, data, and perception. Best AI-Generated Film.

3. “Movimentos Migratórios (Migratory Movements)” — Brazil / Human-made — Emotionally rich story about migration and healing. Best Picture winner.

4. “Dark, Light, Yellow” — Spain / AI-generated — A kaleidoscopic poetic reflection on identity and color symbolism in dreams.

5. “THE LIVING ROOM” — Morocco / AI-generated — Family photos from a Moroccan saloun are reanimated with AI. Memory, loss, and home.

6. “Silentium” — France / Human-made — In a post-contaminated world, two strangers form a wordless bond amid ruins and relics, finding connection through silence, gesture, and the haunting beauty of what remains.

7. “Partner” — Taiwan / AI-generated — A lonely boy found solace in a wolfdog brought home by mistake — and even after its death, its spirit returned in his darkest hour, giving him the strength to begin again.

8. “#Beachfile” — Spain / Human-made —A separated father tries to win his daughters' affection by letting them bury him in the sand at the beach. Due to social media, his situation will take an unexpected turn.

9. “Heal” — Peru / Human-made — A grandson and grandfather navigate loss and memory through fantasy.

10. “AI Love You, AI Don’t Love You” — Japan / AI-generated — A time when war was just around the corner. A love story between a man and a woman who frequently communicate with their lovers.

11. “Endling” — Hungary / AI-generated — Every day, Petter Endling, the world's only 4-Michelin-star chef, prepares the last of an endangered species in his Icelandic restaurant. And that's just the appetizer...

12. “Meet Me in Chinatown” — USA / Human-made — A vibrant dance documentary about Chinatown cabaret culture and aging performers.

13. “Pi in the Sky” — UK / AI-generated — During a rehearsal at the Origami Theater, a group of paper-folded robots prepares to perform a light-hearted play. But when one robot begins reciting the digits of pi… he can’t stop. What starts as a staged farewell turns into a glitch circuitr everyone involve.

14. “The Writer’s Horror” — Ukraine/Thailand / Human-made — A struggling screenwriter finds his story hijacked by the AI program meant to assist him.

It is important to recognize the thoughtful curation behind these 14 nominated films. Selected from a wide range of global submissions, each film was carefully reviewed by the Sparknify Film Committee based on criteria such as originality, thematic depth, emotional resonance, technical execution, and relevance to the evolving dialogue between humanity and artificial intelligence. The final selections strike a deliberate balance between human-made and AI generated works, offering a nuanced and provocative showcase of storytelling in the age of emerging technology.

The films were evaluated by a distinguished panel of 20 judges, drawn from academia, the film industry, and the technology sector. This international jury included renowned filmmakers, professors, producers, and creative technologists, all of whom judged blindly without knowledge of each film’s origin—human or AI. The 2025 Sparknify Film Festival jury included: Aaron Lo (Technical Director, Pixar), Anton Kaes (Professor, UC Berkeley), Bill Nichols (Professor Emeritus, San Francisco State University), Brian Yang (Film and TV Producer, 408 Films), Cheng Xu (Assistant Curator, Asian Art Museum), Dan Chi Huang (Director, Producer, and Writer, Plus One Studio), Dariush Derakhshani (VFX & Animation Supervisor & Producer), Gautam Chopra (Faculty in Art, Art History, and Film, Boston College), Jan Krawitz (Professor Emerita, Stanford University), Joseph Erb (Associate Professor of Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz), Kenji Lui (Chief Editor, Cinespot), Lana Shapoval (Ukranian Filmmaker), Larissa Schwartz (Professor of Generative AI, University of Colorado Boulder), Lingo Hsieh (Director and Screenwriter, the VOICE Creative), Luke Shen (Producer/Columnist, CinemaAnyways), Lynn Peng (Screen writer & Independant producer, MFSA Studio), Rachel Silveria (Professor in the Film & Television, De Anza College), Rosa Park (Associate Professor, San Francisco State University), Vanessa Born (Actress, Producer, and Writer), Yaloo Lim (Faculty in Experimental Animation, California Institute of the Arts).