Dubai: The 1 Billion Followers Summit, organized by the UAE Government Media Office, has announced an extension for submissions to the world's largest AI-Generated Film Award, now open until December 5, 2025. This global summit, recognized as the largest gathering dedicated to the content creation economy, partners with Google Gemini to offer a $1 million prize, attracting unprecedented global interest from content creators.
According to Emirates News Agency, the decision to extend the deadline was made in response to record-breaking engagement and a surge in submissions from around the globe. The award, celebrated for being the largest of its kind, has already received over 16,380 entries from 73 countries. These include 5,952 entries from the Middle East, 3,777 from Asia, 3,455 from North Africa, 1,386 from Europe, 1,024 from the US, and 790 entries from other regions. The announcement of the award has engaged more than 17.8 million people globally.
The initiative aims to foster the production of purpose-driven films through AI tools powered by Google Gemini, emphasizing humanitarian messages while enhancing the creative and artistic capabilities of content creators worldwide. Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for Google in the Middle East and North Africa, expressed satisfaction with the number of entries and looked forward to more creative submissions with the extended deadline.
Alia AlHammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Director of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, highlighted that the extended period aligns with their vision to empower creative content creators. She emphasized the UAE's role in attracting creators to share impactful content that inspires positive societal change.
Films submitted for the award must be predominantly generated using AI tools like Google's Veo, Imagen, and Flow, among others, with at least 70 percent of the content created through these technologies. The films, required to be 7 to 10 minutes long, must adhere to one of two themes: "Rewriting the Future" or "The Secret Life of Everything." Submissions are made through the Summit's website, under a single individual's name.
The judging phase will identify the top 10 finalists between December 6 and 15, followed by public voting from December 18 to 25 to select the top five films. These finalists will be announced on January 8, 2026, with their films showcased at the Summit on January 10. The grand prize winner will be revealed on January 11, 2026.
The fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit will be held in Dubai from January 9 to 11, 2026, featuring over 400 speakers and attracting more than 30,000 attendees, including 15,000 content creators from over 140 countries, under the theme 'Content for Good.'