Pathé Films, the revered French film group behind “The Count of Monte Cristo,” has partnered with Genario, the fast-expanding generative AI service aimed at screenwriters, to back the inaugural edition of the World AI Film Festival (WAiFF).
Partners also include Banijay Entertainment which has been working with Genario to advance script development in-house.
Founded by Marco Landi, the former COO of Apple Worldwide, the new festival will spotlight emerging screenwriters who have used AI to enhance their works while respecting copyright laws.
The festival will take place April 11-12 in the French Riviera, in Nice, and will bring together filmmakers such as Claude Lelouch who will chair the inaugural edition, and filmmaker-screenwriter Thomas Bidegain, who notably co-wrote Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” and will preside over the jury. The latter will be completed by Alexia Laroche-Joubert, the boss of Banijay France; filmmaker-producer Julie Gayet; business angel and founder of Allociné Jean-David Blanc; and journalist Éric Libiot.
The WAiFF festival will culminate with a gala ceremony on April 11 where prizes will be handed out, including the Genario x Pathé Films Prize which will award the best written synopsis. Banijay Entertainment and Genario, meanwhile, will present the award for the best series bible.
Ardavan Safaee, Pathé Films chairman, said the company has “always been committed to supporting the emergence of new voices and encouraging innovation in film creation.”
“With the Genario x Pathé Films Prize, we want to offer new talent the chance to be spotted, supported and promoted, while demonstrating that artificial intelligence, when used with respect for the rights of authors and their works, can be a formidable tool,” said Safaee.
David Defendi, Genario CEO, said “artificial intelligence should be an ally to creators, not a threat. At Genario, we take great care to ensure that our tool respects both creative integrity and copyright laws.”
Defendi pointed out Genario had indeed signed an agreement with the French society for authors and composers (SACD) to remunerate right holders who works are being used as training data for the algorithms of Genario’s generative AI system. Defendi noted the deal with SACD is meant to “guarantee that AI serves as a support tool for screenwriters, never replacing their talent.”
He said this award, supported by Pathé Films, “represents a significant step in bringing the next generation of screenwriters to light.” Genario is one of Europe’s most successful AI companies, alongside Mistral AI, and remains of the few that has signed a deal with right-holders.
The festival will also host on April 12 an industry day that will gather industry professionals around panels discussing the impact of AI in cinema, covering creation, financing and changes in film production.
The WAiFF festival is being launched at a crucial time for AI companies who are bracing for regulations stemming from the A.I. Act of the European Union which was voted last May and are being implemented later this year. The landmark AI Act has sparked contentious debates between rightsholders who are demanding more transparency from AI companies and the latter pleading for fewer regulations in order to fast-track innovation in Europe.
