Opening Signal
A live welcome from the city, the edition manifesto and a first look at the films defining its creative signal.
1ST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CIRCUIT 52 / 52 · WLD · 2026
CIRCUIT 52 / 52 · WLD · 2026
● 1ST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP · DECEMBER 31, 2026
BEST OF THE WORLD
AI CINEMA
FESTIVAL
The Champions’ Screen. One global screen for cinema with authorship, craft and emotional force.
01 / THE CITY SIGNAL
A CREATIVE TERRITORY, NOT A TOURIST POSTCARD
THE CHAMPIONS’ SCREEN
THE WORLD STAGE
The 51 city winners meet on one final global screen. On New Year’s Eve, the strongest films of the circuit compete for the World Champion titles.
- Format
- One day, online worldwide
- Edition
- 1ST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
- Date
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026
- Qualifier deadline
- Thursday, Dec 17, 2026
- Time zone
- UTC
- Creative signal
- The Champions’ Screen
WLD / 2026.12.31ONE DAY / ONE CITY SIGNAL / ONE GLOBAL SCREEN
THE
PROGRAMME
+
Competition Screens
Curated online programmes across narrative, animation, documentary, experimental work and future formats.
The Directors’ Room
Selected filmmakers discuss authorship, process, rights, responsible practice and the new language of cinema.
World Championship Gala
The global audience reconnects for jury awards, the audience prize and the World Championship qualifier.
02 / CITY DESK
LOCAL EDITION / GLOBAL ONLINE DELIVERY
LOCAL
PRESENCE.
GLOBAL REACH.
WLD
Hollywood: Global Broadcast Desk
The city desk coordinates filmmaker access, programme communications, live-gala production and local partnerships. Audience screenings and the Award Gala are delivered online worldwide; registered guests receive access instructions directly.
Contact the Best of the World desk ↗03 / THE AWARDS
CINEMA, JUDGED AS CINEMA
THE WORLD
AWARDS
More ways to recognise the whole film: story, direction, performance, image, sound, innovation and transparent human authorship.
01World Championship Titles
World Champion AI FilmWorld Champion DirectorWorld Champion Visual UniverseWorld Champion StoryGlobal Audience Champion
02Grand Prizes
City Grand PrixBest AI FilmJury PrizeAudience AwardGlobal Championship Qualifier
03Formats
Narrative FeatureNarrative ShortAnimationDocumentaryExperimental FilmMusic VideoFashion FilmCommercial StorytellingSeries PilotMicro ShortVertical CinemaImmersive / XRInteractive FilmStudent FilmYouth Film
04Cinematic Craft
DirectionScreenplayCinematographyEditingProduction DesignVisual EffectsCharacter DesignAnimation CraftPerformanceVoice PerformanceSound DesignOriginal ScoreOriginal SongColourTitle SequenceWorld-BuildingCreature DesignAction Choreography
05Genre, Impact + Innovation
Science FictionFantasyHorrorComedyClimate StorytellingSocial ImpactHuman–AI CollaborationResponsible AI PracticeTechnical InnovationBreakthrough Filmmaker
BEST OF THE WORLD / THURSDAY
DEC 31, 2026 / ONLINE WORLDWIDE
QUALIFIER MATERIALS CLOSE DEC 17, 2026
NO VIDEO UPLOAD · YOUTUBE OR GOOGLE DRIVE LINK