Pingyao film festival gears up to showcase AI infinite films

Expectations are rising about cutting-edge technology that is set to feature in the upcoming fifth Pingyao International Film Festival, due to be held in the Ancient City of Pingyao, Jinzhong city, North China's Shanxi province, on Oct 12-19. 

This year's festival aims to gather participants so they can share their thoughts on film, the inspirations gained from experiences encountered in different regions and to stimulate imaginations about film production.

It will also aim to rally the esprit de corps of those operating in the sector, at a time when the global film industry and film creation in general has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The annual film festival is composed of four major sections: film screenings, a focus on the industry, academic events and cinematic education. 

As usual, international film directors, cutting-edge insiders in the industry and representatives of film institutions will be invited to share their insights with audiences and young filmmakers on current hot topics in master classes, dialogues and forums. 

Specifically, this year, leading Chinese filmmaker Hark Tsui, who will participate in the festival for the first time, will share his thoughts on the great director Alfred Hitchcock's influence on him. He will explain the fusion of art and commerce in film with Hitchcock's directing style, to bring new thinking to young filmmakers. 

In addition, the artificial intelligence infinite film (AI-IF) project will be unveiled at the festival for the first time.

It is a joint research project by AI scientists and artists including Xu Bing, Zhang Wenchao, Feng Yan and Sun Shining.

Through the project, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a special film production: after selecting the film type and storyline, the AI film algorithm will act as screenwriter and editor.

The algorithm will then produce films to any length according to the audience's preference for film types and stories. The plots generated by the algorithm will never be repeated, so the audience will always see a unique film. 

The AI-IF project is said to challenge traditional film concepts, production methods and the public's viewing experiences. It is expected to provide a new inspiration and possibilities for the future of film.