Bring your own vision of history to life with AI. The Uzumasa JidAI Short Film Competition 2026 is accepting entries until Sunday, November 15, 2026.
The competition welcomes short films approximately 15–180 seconds long that explore history using generative AI. Creators are free to choose their AI tools, and films with watermarks are eligible. Winning entries are scheduled to be screened on Sunday, December 6, the final day of the Uzumasa Joraku Festival, with commentary from the judges.
Competition sponsor GMI Cloud is offering $30 in production credits to each of the first 30 eligible applicants creating a film for the competition. Read on for the credit application process, entry instructions, this year’s judges and four award-winning films from 2025 to inspire your next project.
At a glance
- Submission deadline: November 15 at 11:59 p.m. Films should be approximately 15–180 seconds long.
- Creative tools: Use any AI tools you like. Watermarked films are accepted.
- GMI Cloud support: $30 in credits each for the first 30 eligible applicants. Activate by November 15; use by November 30.
- Credit applications: Post on X with the required hashtags, then submit your post URL and other details through the Google Form.
- How to enter your film: Follow the Uzumasa Joraku Festival’s official X account and quote-post its call for entries with your film.
Applying for production credits and submitting a film are separate processes. Credits must be activated by November 15 and used by November 30. Film submissions close on November 15 at 11:59 p.m.
Table of Contents
History meets generative AI: share your vision in Uzumasa
The Uzumasa JidAI Short Film Competition brings together historical storytelling and generative AI. How do you see the past—and what kind of story or visual world would you build around it? The competition invites creators to explore history and period drama through their own creative perspectives.
Previous winners range from black-and-white period pieces and dreamlike action sequences to nostalgic portraits of Kyoto and playful takes on history. Your starting point could be the visual style, music or storytelling approach you already love working with.
Competition overview and key dates
| Competition | Uzumasa JidAI Short Film Competition 2026 |
|---|---|
| Theme | History-themed short films created using generative AI |
| Length | Approximately 15–180 seconds |
| Tools | Any AI tools; watermarked films accepted |
| Submission period | October 7–November 15, 2026, closing at 11:59 p.m. |
| Judging period | November 16–28, 2026 |
| Winners announced | December 6, 2026. Screenings and judges’ commentary are planned for the final day of the Uzumasa Joraku Festival. |
| Awards | One Grand Prize and two Outstanding Awards, according to the official call for entries on X |
| Judges | Sissy, Holly, Genki Takigawa and Norihiro Yamaguchi |
| Sponsors | GMI Cloud and CapCut |
| Official website | Uzumasa JidAI Short Film Competition |
Sources: Official entry guidelines / Competition announcement / Official call for entries on X
GMI Cloud offers $30 in production credits to the first 30 eligible applicants
As a competition sponsor, GMI Cloud is supporting creators working with generative AI. The first 30 eligible applicants creating a film for this competition can receive $30 in GMI Cloud credits each.
Use the credits to develop your entry, from experimenting with historical settings to bringing characters and scenes to life. Credits must be activated by November 15, 2026, and used by November 30, 2026.
Apply for production credits through the Google Form
The application process has been updated. Post on X using the required hashtags, then enter your post URL and other details in the Google Form. After your application is reviewed, you will receive your credit activation code by email.
This replaces the previously announced process using direct messages on X. Posting on X alone does not complete your application: you must also submit the Google Form.
| Support | $30 in GMI Cloud credits per creator |
|---|---|
| Eligibility and availability | The first 30 eligible applicants creating a film for this competition |
| Activation deadline | November 15, 2026 |
| Use-by date | November 30, 2026 |
| How to apply | Post on X with the required hashtags, then submit your post URL and other details through the Google Form |
| How credits are delivered | An activation code is sent by email after your application is reviewed |
How to apply for production credits
- Post your credit request on X using the required hashtags.
Include all three hashtags: #太秦歴史AIショート #UzumasaJidAIshort #GMICloud. Copy the URL of your post so you can enter it in the form. - Complete and submit the Google Form.
Open the credit application form and enter your family name, given name, email address, X profile URL, the URL of your credit request post and the AI models you currently use. Answer every question and review the notices in the form before submitting. - Follow the email instructions to activate your credits.
After your application is reviewed, you will receive a credit activation code by email. Follow the instructions and activate your credits by November 15. If you do not yet have a GMI Cloud account, you can create one here. - Create your film and enter the competition.
Use your credits to make your film, then submit it following the instructions from the Uzumasa Joraku Festival’s official X account. Applying for credits and entering your film are separate processes.
For updates, follow both official GMI Cloud accounts on X: the global account (@gmi_cloud) and the Japan account (@gmicloudJapan).
Applications with missing or incomplete answers are not eligible. Credits will also be withheld if GMI Cloud determines that they would be used for purposes other than creating a competition entry. Check the official announcement and application form for current availability and the latest conditions.
Sources: GMI Cloud credit application form / Official application announcement on X
Enter the competition on X in two steps
Submit your film through the Uzumasa Joraku Festival’s official X account (@Joraku_1059). Even if you have applied for GMI Cloud credits, you must still enter your film separately.
1. Follow the Uzumasa Joraku Festival on X
Follow @Joraku_1059. The official guidelines require this so the organizers can contact award winners.
2. Quote-post the call for entries with your film or a viewing link
Quote-post the official call for entries and include your film. If you cannot attach the video directly on X, you can submit a link to a film hosted on YouTube or another platform.
- Use a link that allows people to watch without logging in.
- Keep your film available to view until the winners are announced.
- Include the hashtags specified on the official X account: #太秦歴史AIショート and #UzumasaJidAIshort.
Meet the four judges: perspectives from AI filmmaking and period cinema
The 2026 panel brings together AI filmmakers and specialists in film and Japanese period drama. Sissy and Holly, both Outstanding Award winners in 2025, return this year as judges.
Sissy | AI filmmaker
Sissy creates imaginative, story-driven films exploring fantasy, mythology and renewal. Their film Genmu Uzumasa received an Outstanding Award in the 2025 competition. Sissy is also listed on AI Creators, where you can explore their work and portfolio under the profile name Shisi.
Holly | Film director and AI creator
Holly studied film criticism at Kyoto University and now works in AI-assisted filmmaking. Their projects include the fully AI-generated animated feature Shichigatsu no Android. In 2025, An Untold Tale of Sawako Tange: The Million-Ryō Pot received an Outstanding Award in this competition.
Genki Takigawa | Director, screenwriter and producer
A graduate of Ritsumeikan University’s College of Image Arts and Sciences, Takigawa works across film development, producing, screenwriting and directing. His credits include Oni Girl!! and the Battle King!! series.
Norihiro Yamaguchi | Period-film scholar and former president of Toei Kyoto Studio Park
Yamaguchi spent many years working in character-based entertainment at Toei’s events division. His research focuses on Japanese period cinema, including preserving and passing on studio techniques and film materials. The competition’s official X account identifies him as chair of the judging panel.
Sources: Official judge profiles / Judging-panel chair announcement on X
Watch the 2025 award winners
There is no single way to tell a story about history with AI. These four award-winning films, featured on the competition’s official website, offer very different approaches. Watch their visual choices, pacing and structure—and consider where your own ideas could take you.
The descriptions below are adapted from the judges’ comments on the 2025 entries. They do not represent the judging criteria for 2026. If an embedded video does not play, use the YouTube link beneath it.
Genmu Uzumasa | Sissy — Outstanding Award
Oiran courtesans, samurai and ninja appear in a dreamlike world built from period-film imagery. The official comments praise the distinctive creative vision that unifies its varied scenes, as well as its visual rhythm and polish.
An Untold Tale of Sawako Tange: The Million-Ryō Pot | Holly — Outstanding Award
Black-and-white imagery evokes the atmosphere of classic Japanese period cinema. The judges’ comments highlight the characters’ presence and sword-fighting sequences, along with the humor woven into its otherwise serious tone.
Echoes of Uzumasa | Konoha — Outstanding Award
Music and evocative landscapes recall Kyoto and the film studios of Uzumasa. The official comments praise the film’s sense of nostalgia and its portrayal of an elegance passed down through the ages.
We Make History | Eiji Ise — Special Award
This playful film pairs history with an unexpected dose of cuteness. The judges’ comments praise its cheerful entertainment value and its idea of showing characters crawling like babies, regardless of their era or social standing.
Films and judges’ comments: Official 2025 winners archive
Before you submit: originality, music and usage rights
Read the official entry guidelines and rules in full before submitting. Key requirements include:
- Entries must be entirely original. Films that infringe another person’s rights are not eligible.
- Production methods that imitate a particular well-known artist’s style are prohibited. The official rules give the example of using an artist’s name in a prompt.
- Use music and audio you created yourself, or obtain permission covering both public screenings and publication on social media.
- Entries must not violate public order or accepted standards of decency.
- Under the rules, entrants retain copyright in their films. The organizers may, however, use and edit submitted films without payment for event-related purposes, including screenings, social media and publicity.
- Entrants are responsible for resolving any disputes arising from their films’ content.
Before publishing or submitting your film, also check the terms of the generative AI services and audio assets you use.
Read the official entry guidelines and rules
Related events and production support for students
October 19: award winners share their process at the Samurai AI Filmmaking Symposium
The Samurai AI Filmmaking Symposium takes place on Monday, October 19, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Hirai Kaichiro Memorial Library at Ritsumeikan University’s Kinugasa Campus. Holly and Sissy are scheduled to discuss their creative processes and techniques, with examples from their work.
Admission is free, with advance registration required and capacity limited to 50 attendees. According to the official X announcement, judging-panel chair Norihiro Yamaguchi will also give a roughly 15-minute overview of the competition and its key points, starting at 5:45 p.m.
View symposium details and register
Sources: KYOTO CMEX event listing / Additional details on the official X account
CapCut production support for students
CapCut is also offering production support for students who wish to enter the competition: seven days of CapCut Pro access and 5,000 AI credits. Check the official announcement for eligibility and application requirements. Applying for this support and entering the competition are separate processes.
Explore CapCut’s student production support
Submit by November 15—and bring your own vision of history to the screen
A dreamlike period drama, a story with a sense of humor, or a historical landscape shaped by music: past winners show just how much room there is for different approaches. Start with what you do best, and build it into a film of approximately 15–180 seconds.
Entries close on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to apply for GMI Cloud production credits, check availability and the application conditions early enough to leave time for your film.
Related reading: how GMI Cloud supports AI creators
GMI Cloud also hosts events where creators can showcase AI-generated work and connect with one another. Our earlier article introduces the event held at Shibuya Hikarie on October 8.
GMI & MiniMax AI Art Gallery: event overview and call for submissions
This article was prepared by AI Creators using the competition’s official website and X account, materials supplied by GMI Cloud and other cited sources. Information is current as of October 13, 2026. Competition details and the availability of production support may change. Check the official announcements for the latest information.
