ENLIGHTENMENT: Cinema and the AI Frontier

A talk with the director who caused controversy by entering an AI-generated movie into Sacramento's local film festival, and what he learned
About this Event

Hi, this is Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT salon host.

Where do we draw the line between a tool that enhances cinema and a program that replaces the filmmaker? What constitutes a " film" when the scenery, actors and human crew are replaced by algorithmic prompts?

Last month, Sacramento’s independent film community found itself in the middle of a national debate over the use of AI in cinema. A submission to Access Sacramento's A Place Called Sacramento film festival sparked widespread controversy, an artist-led petition and intense ethical debates because it was a movie entirely generated using artificial intelligence.

To some, it was a dangerous encroachment on independent artist spaces, outsourcing human creativity to machines. To others, it was the inevitability of a new digital medium that isn’t as easy and effortless to use as you think (AI filmmaking still requires thousands of “takes” and hours of human direction).

In this salon talk, we pull back the curtain on the controversy. Join us for a discussion with , the creator behind the AI film, and Joe Barr, executive director of Access Sacramento. They will talk about their decision to screen the film out-of-competition, the rapidly shifting rules of creative media and what AI means for the future of storytelling and moviemaking.

Bring your own commentary and questions — nothing is too dumb or too small to ask .

Tickets are 10 for general admission; $5 for students. There will be light refreshments, but please feel free to BYO.

***

For more information about ENLIGHTENMENT and about California Groundbreakers, go to californiagroundbreakers.org