The Tribeca Festival’s Hottest New Filmmaker Isn’t A Human At All

We’ve all seen the leaps and bounds by which artificial intelligence has advanced in recent years as creative folks around the world expressing concerns that their artistry will eventually be replaced, at least in part, by technology.

The latest evidence of this trend will be on full display later this week.

Sora at Tribeca

One of the most iconic and influential film festivals in the world is about to launch its 2024 celebration in New York City. While a host of new and established filmmakers will be on hand to premiere their latest work, there’s one entrant in the Tribeca Film Festival that hasn’t had a place in previous years.

The “Sora Shorts” program will commence on Friday with a series of five short films produced entirely through prompts submitted to the text-to-video platform introduced by OpenAI.

While this won’t be the first time an AI-produced film will secure a spot at a major festival, it is a first for Sora. And with plenty of buzz surrounding its capabilities, this weekend’s event is sure to amplify its status on the national and international stage.

Humans still needed

As we saw in the Hollywood strikes last year, individuals in front of the camera and behind the scenes alike are concerned about the potential that AI will start taking their jobs. And it’s natural to see the arrival of “Sora Shorts” as a step in that direction.

It’s worth noting, however, that there are some guardrails in place. Negotiations stemming from those strikes led to the creation of new safeguards and just five directors were given access to Sora for the upcoming premieres.

OpenAI exec Brad Lightcap said the company is “eager to learn how we can make Sora a better tool for all creatives.”

Chris Agee June 3rd, 2024

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