The Philippines has emerged as a global contender in the inaugural AI Film Award after the AI-generated short film Portrait No. 72 was named among the competition’s five finalists in Dubai, organizers announced on 23 January.

Created by Filipino filmmakers Rodson Verr Suarez and Darryll Rapacon, Portrait No. 72 stood out from more than 3,500 entries worldwide, marking a milestone for Filipino creativity in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence–assisted filmmaking.

The 10-minute short film explores the role of generative AI in modern storytelling. While the competition required the use of artificial intelligence throughout the production process, the creators emphasized that AI functioned as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human direction and creative judgment.

“When we were writing the film, we had a question we wanted to answer: can an AI film make you feel emotions? With Portrait No. 72, we were successful in proving that it can, as people felt feelings — it’s not like a lot of the AI content you see on social media, as it has a story and emotions,” Rapacon said.

He added that the project was created during a period of personal grief for both filmmakers. “And as we were writing, we were also grieving at the time: Rodson lost his grandmother, and I lost my mother.”

Suarez underscored the importance of maintaining creative agency in AI-assisted projects. “Our mindset while making Portrait No. 72 was this isn’t an AI film — this is a film made with AI. That distinction is important especially to us creatives, as we are still the ones directing the story. To us, AI is just a new tool of storytelling; just be open to it,” he said.

The film was created using Google AI tools, including Veo for video generation, Flow for scene control, and Gemini for conceptual development and storyboarding. According to the creators, these tools helped reduce production barriers and allowed them to focus on storytelling, conceptualization, and artistic direction.

Google Philippines welcomed the achievement, citing its significance for local creators. “Congratulations to Rodson and Darryll for creating such a compelling short film in collaboration with Google AI. Their win not only shows the world-class talent of Pinoys but the tremendous potential when you place powerful tools in the hands of innovative storytellers,” said Mervin Wenke, head of communications for Google Philippines.

Wenke added that the combination of creativity and technology continues to elevate Filipino content on the global stage, noting the country’s growing influence in digital and AI-driven storytelling.