AI and Film Festival Programming: Policy, Practice, and the Path Forward
- Stanley Park Ballroom (map)
As artificial intelligence reshapes screen storytelling, film festivals are grappling with new questions around eligibility, transparency, authorship, and audience trust. While few festivals have formal AI policies, the need for thoughtful frameworks is growing.
This panel brings together festival leaders, programmers, funders, and industry organizations to explore how they are approaching AI-assisted and AI-generated works. Discussion will cover disclosure, creator attribution, intellectual property, audience expectations, and the role of human creativity in programming decisions.
Rather than offering definitive answers, the session invites an open dialogue on how festivals can balance innovation with artistic integrity, develop responsible policies, and maintain public trust as AI becomes an increasingly important part of the screen industry.
Programming Director, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Christian has been involved with VLAFF since 2006 and has been a jury member at film festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Cartagena, Valladolid, Guadalajara, Biarritz, and Huelva, among others. Christian was also a jury member for the Colombian National Documentary Prize. In addition to participating in panels and workshops, Christian is also the founder and director of the Festival del Nuevo Cine Mexicano de Durango in Mexico. During 2018 and part of 2019, Christian was the Head of the Film Commission of the state of Durango, Mexico. In 2015 he received an official recognition from the Consulate General of Colombia in Vancouver, for his work promoting Colombian cinema. He is the director & co-creator of the 2021 feature Santuario: El viaje perrote de Paty Aguirre. Christian is now finishing his second feature film Historia Miníma de Durango.
VP of the Board & Programming Senior Advisor, Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Clement Lau serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF). Over the past eight years with VAFF, he has also contributed as a Senior Advisor in Programming, shaping festival programs and audience engagement. In addition to his VAFF work, Clement is the founder of CRW Lab Inc., an AI Assisted Animation and AI-Adaptive Learning Studio. By merging animation with adaptive learning technologies, CRW Lab develops edutainment platforms designed for young children, aiming to empower learning through engaging, technology-driven experiences.
Executive Director, MENA Film Festival
Ghinwa Yassine is an anti-disciplinary artist, art educator, and cultural producer based on the land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people, so-called Vancouver. Her work uses various media, including film, installation, performance, text, and drawing. She was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, worked in Dubai and London, studied in the Netherlands, and moved to Vancouver in 2017. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in the Netherlands, Lebanon, UAE, Canada, Iran, and Croatia. Ghinwa has an extensive background in education, brand design and strategy, project management, and event planning and production, and is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of MENA Film Festival.
Operations & Finance Director, Out On Screen
Piper Fawkes (they/them) is the Operations & Finance Director at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and has worked for the organization since 2019. In their career, Piper has specialized in arts administration, operations, finance, and systems management. They are passionate about efficient processes in harmony with empathy and human connection. Most recently, Piper completed the Governance & Financial Resilience intensive at Banff Centre. When they are not working, Piper will always be found with their two Weimaraners: Maven and Keel.
Moderated by:
Director of Global Marketing Communications, Montreal AI Ethics Institute
Kei Baritugo is a narrative and movement builder, and the Director of Global Marketing Communications at the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, a trusted authority on responsible AI and civic competence. In 2024, she co-produced the international launch of the Ethical AI Alliance. She is the founder of BoldLove, a purpose-driven PR agency. With 20 years of experience, she has led global campaigns and events across AI, arts, entertainment, technology, and social impact.
Short Forum Programmer, Vancouver International Film Festival
Bio +
Casey Wei is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice in filmmaking, writing and performance is informed by participatory activities such as editing, publishing and programming. Her video installation The Zhang Clan (2024) won the inaugural Lind Biennial. Her moving image works have screened at The Cinematheque (Vancouver, BC), Images Festival where Wei was the 2019 Canadian Spotlight Artist (Toronto, ON), Or Gallery (Berlin), Clermont-Ferrand (France), and International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands). She is the Short Forum programmer at Vancouver International Film Festival, and a curator of DIM Cinema at The Cinematheque (Vancouver, BC).