AI Short Film Competition “AIsolation” 2025
From innovation to urgent ethical questions, artificial intelligence is transforming how we create, connect, and communicate. The AI Short Film Competition AIsolation, part of the project Solitude: Loneliness & Freedom, invites filmmakers and artists to explore this shifting reality.
At the Berlinale 2025, a 72-minute animated film – created by a single individual in just seven days using AI – captivated audiences and demonstrated the empowering potential of AI tools for independent creators. Yet, the darker side of AI is equally visible: in February 2024, a tragic incident in Orlando saw a 14-year-old take his own life after interacting with an AI-powered virtual companion. This heartbreaking case underscores the urgent need for regulation and ethical discourse around AI technologies.
Can AI help reduce social isolation, or might it deepen it? As historian Melvin Kranzberg famously stated in 1985, “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral.” Without thoughtful design and ethical oversight, AI risks reinforcing inequality, amplifying bias, and threatening fundamental freedoms.
In digital communication, algorithm-driven “filter bubbles” are fragmenting public discourse. Generative AI models, often trained on biased datasets, can perpetuate and even intensify harmful stereotypes. Dominated by a handful of countries and corporations, these systems frequently overlook the diversity of global cultures, languages, and marginalized perspectives.
In response to these pressing issues, branches of the Goethe-Institut in East and Central Asia, the Department of Culture and Education of the German Consulate General in Shanghai, together with HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), its digital stage HAU4, FIRST Fantastic Film Festival, SIMA (School of Intermedia Art, China Academy of Art), AMNUA (Art Museum of the Nanjing University of Arts), and the media platform Meta Eye, proudly present the AI Short Film Competition AIsolation 2025.
Filmmakers, artists, and creatives were invited to submit short films (up to 5 minutes) that explore the theme of “AIsolation”– reflecting on the intersection of artificial intelligence and human experience. Submissions creatively engage with AI tools or human-AI collaboration, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling and critical reflection.
The competition will culminate in a public event on September 14, 2025, featuring film screenings, award presentations, and panel discussions. A digital showcase will also be launched on the platforms of the Goethe-Institut, HAU4 (www.hau4.de), and Berlin Art Week.