March 2026 · HKUST Campus

AIFF HACKATHON

2026

CREATE · COLLABORATE · COMPETE

The 2nd HKUST AI Film Festival Hackathon
36 Hours · AI Filmmaking · Youth Perspective

Countdown to Hackathon

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About The Event

AI Mirroring Hong Kong: Urban Narratives through Youth Perspective

36
Hours of Creation
300+
Expected Participants
3
Professional Workshops
10
Elite Teams

Tell Hong Kong Stories with AI

AIFF Hackathon 2026 is a non-profit educational event designed for K12 students in Hong Kong. As part of the HKUST AI Film Festival (AIFF) series, we are committed to enabling students to experience the entire filmmaking process using generative AI tools, cultivating creativity and collaboration skills.

This year's theme is "AI Mirroring Hong Kong: Urban Narratives through Youth Perspective". We hope participants will use their unique youth perspective and AI technology to tell stories that belong to this city.

Pro Training

3 systematic workshops

Film Festival

Winners screened in May

Expert Mentors

Industry pros guidance

BJIFF Finals

Winners recommended

AI × FILM × HONG KONG

Event Timeline

From workshops to film festival, the complete creative journey

Phase 1

The Bootcamp

Training and team selection through workshop series

Workshop I: AI Technical Basics Mar 1
Workshop II: Advanced Workflow Mar 8
Workshop III: Creative Storytelling & Selection Mar 15
Phase 2

The Hackathon

36-hour intensive creation challenge

March 28-29, 2026 (Sat-Sun)
HKUST Tsang Shiu Tim Art Hall
~10 elite teams competing
Phase 3

The Screening

Winning films officially premiered at AIFF Film Festival

AIFF 2026 Film Festival May 16-17
Award Ceremony · Film Premiere · Audience Q&A
Special

BJIFF Connection

Winning teams will be recommended for Beijing International Film Festival Hackathon Finals

Professional Workshops

Three systematic training sessions, from beginner to AI filmmaker

Workshop I Mar 1

AI Technical Basics

Master the fundamentals of core AI models and generation tools

Introduction to Generative AI Models
Image/Video Generation Tools Practice
Prompt Engineering Fundamentals
Offline / Hybrid Mode
Workshop II Mar 8

Advanced Workflow

Learn AIGC creation processes and film production structure

Building Complete Creative Workflows
AI-Assisted Editing & Post-Production
Sound Effects & Music Generation
Offline / Hybrid Mode
Workshop III Mar 15

Creative Storytelling

Story construction, visual design, and team selection

Story Conception & Narrative Techniques
Visual Style Design
Team Formation & Selection
Offline / Hybrid Mode

Mentor Lineup

Tech Company Executives
Creative Directors
University Professors
AIGC Indie Creators

36-Hour Hackathon

Limited time, themed challenge, unlimited creativity

The Challenge

36 Hours Non-Stop Creation

March 28-29, 2026

HKUST Campus

Tsang Shiu Tim Art Hall (G017)

Elite Team Competition

~10 teams selected from workshops

The Theme

"AI Mirroring Hong Kong"

Urban Narratives through Youth Perspective

Using youth's unique perspective and AI technology to tell stories that belong to Hong Kong. The specific direction will be announced on competition day.

Urban Culture Youth Voice AI Innovation

Film Festival Screening

Winning films will be screened at May's AIFF Film Festival

Award Ceremony

On-site awards and networking with industry experts

BJIFF Finals

Winners recommended for Beijing Film Festival Hackathon Finals

Partners & Sponsors

Thank you for your generous support

Organizers

HKUST Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
AMC Division of Arts and Machine Creativity

Partners & Sponsors

Google
Tapnow
Kling AI
Tencent
Zhejiang TV
BJIFF

Platform Support

Discord Tech Community
WhatsApp Official Updates
FilmFreeway

Register Now

Join us and start your AI filmmaking journey

Eligibility

K12 students enrolled in Hong Kong
Interested in AI and filmmaking
Available for all three workshops
Bring your own laptop to compete

Registration Process

1

Workshop Sign-up

Register for workshops via Luma

2

Complete Training

Attend all three workshop sessions

3

Team Selection

Top participants form teams for main event