AI Film Festivals and the Transformation of Cinema Culture: New Research Methods in the Age of Generative Cinema

This article examines how generative artificial intelligence is transforming contemporary cinema and film festival culture. The emergence of AI film festivals represents not merely a technological shift but a broader institutional and cultural transformation in how cinematic works are produced, curated, and evaluated. Drawing on festival studies and digital media theory, the article argues that film festivals function as key cultural intermediaries and gatekeepers, shaping the visibility, legitimacy, and circulation of films. In the context of generative cinema, this role is being reconfigured as festivals engage with new forms of human–machine collaboration, algorithmic aesthetics, and computational creativity. The study further proposes that existing methodological frameworks in festival studies are insufficient to address these transformations. It introduces new research approaches, including digital ethnography, platform analysis, algorithmic aesthetics, and production workflow analysis, to better understand AI-driven media production. The article also considers the emerging AI cinema ecosystem in Turkey, highlighting how regional media cultures engage with global technological shifts. Ultimately, it argues that AI film festivals should be understood as institutional laboratories where the future of cinema is actively negotiated.