Selected AIGC films (partial list) 

The 5th Pingtan IM Film Festival wrapped up in early September 2025 in Pingtan—a coastal county in Fujian Province, China, known as a key hub for cultural and economic exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. This year's festival drew widespread attention for its first-ever "Future is Here · AIGC Unit," a collaborative initiative between the festival and Jimeng AI, an artificial intelligence creation platform under ByteDance.

Audience members collect commemorative postcards for AIGC films

Over 3,400 submissions poured into the AIGC unit, with 30 outstanding works ultimately selected for screenings at Pingtan Xihang Cinema. These selected pieces stood out for their extensive use of AI tools: most integrated at least three types of AIGC technologies, covering the entire creative process from text generation and concept art design (via tools like Midjourney) to text-to-video production (using platforms such as Jimeng AI) and audio scoring.

Young creators share their creative journeys.

Young directors highlighted how AIGC has transformed their workflow by boosting efficiency. Lu Shang, a post-1995 director whose work Island People explored the relationship between humans, digital media, and society, noted that traditional visual development used to take months or even a year. "With AIGC, we finished the initial concept in just one week," he said, adding that the technology allowed creators to focus more on ideas rather than technical or budget constraints. Zhang Bohan, director of Red Planet, shared a similar experience: his team generated approximately 1,500 video clips using AI, with nearly half of them being usable footage, significantly cutting down on trial-and-error time.

Screenshots from Matchstick Man's Sky

Zhang Enbo, director of Matchstick Man's Sky and a self-described "introverted creator," emphasized AIGC's role in democratizing filmmaking. "It broke down barriers related to social interaction and technical skills," he explained. "Now, anyone with a story in their heart has the chance to be a director."

Industry judges, however, stressed the importance of balancing technology with human creativity. Cui Yi, a former CCTV documentary director and AIGC short film creator, outlined three criteria for excellent AI-generated works: "A compelling concept – whether in visuals or setup – a well-told story with logical consistency, genuine emotion, and good pacing, and the creator's unique touch, like distinctive cinematography, narrative structure, or aesthetic style."

Chen Zhuo, an associate professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and a film director, echoed this focus on human input. "The most important things are still the mind that gives instructions to the AI and the desire to tell a story," he said.

Yang Shu, a video artist and director, acknowledged the rapid evolution of AI technology but emphasized its limits. "Technology will keep advancing, but the thinking behind the camera remains key," he noted. He also pointed out a current gap in AI capabilities: "AI voice's ability to convey emotion is far behind AI image generation. High-quality human voice acting and music composition are still crucial for improving a film's quality."

Wang Anyi, a producer at Shanghai Animation Film Studio, identified specific challenges in current AIGC creations. "There are issues with consistency between characters and scenes, and the authenticity of AI-generated voices," she said. "Problems like stiff character expressions, unnatural movements, or inconsistent backgrounds often pull viewers out of the story."

Lu Fanxi, former vice president of Bilibili and a senior producer, offered a warning to young creators: "When technology is no longer a barrier, the depth of thought and life experience become the only measuring standards. Don't get trapped in a cage of imagination created by data."

Recommended shortlisted works by the creative team of E-Spark 

Audience reactions to the screenings were mixed. Some praised the visual impact of works like E-Spark, a sci-fi romance experimental short that explores robot love and the philosophy of life. A local audience member named Lin Qing said, "I never would have guessed those scenes were AI-generated." Others, however, sought more emotional resonance. Sun Qianhui commented, "The technology is impressive, but I didn't understand some of the content. A good film should evoke memories, touch people's hearts, and leave them thinking."