AI Film Festivals and the Transformation of Cinema Culture: New Research Methods in the Age of Generative Cinema

Abstract

This article examines how generative artificial intelligence is transforming contemporary cinema and film festival culture. The emergence of AI film festivals represents not merely a technological shift but a broader institutional and cultural transformation in how cinematic works are produced, curated, and evaluated. Drawing on festival studies and digital media theory, the article argues that film festivals function as key cultural intermediaries and gatekeepers, shaping the visibility, legitimacy, and circulation of films. In the context of generative cinema, this role is being reconfigured as festivals engage with new forms of human–machine collaboration, algorithmic aesthetics, and computational creativity. The study further proposes that existing methodological frameworks in festival studies are insufficient to address these transformations. It introduces new research approaches, including digital ethnography, platform analysis, algorithmic aesthetics, and production workflow analysis, to better understand AI-driven media production. The article also considers the emerging AI cinema ecosystem in Turkey, highlighting how regional media cultures engage with global technological shifts. Ultimately, it argues that AI film festivals should be understood as institutional laboratories where the future of cinema is actively negotiated.

Keywords

• artificial intelligence
• film festivals
• generative cinema
• algorithmic aesthetics
• digital culture

Yapay Zekâ Film Festivalleri ve Sinema Kültürünün Dönüşümü: Generatif Sinema Çağında Yeni Araştırma Yöntemleri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, generatif yapay zekâ teknolojilerinin sinema üretimi ve festival kültürü üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektedir. Son yıllarda ortaya çıkan yapay zekâ film festivalleri, yalnızca teknolojik yeniliklerin sergilendiği platformlar değil, aynı zamanda sinemanın estetik, kurumsal ve yaratıcı sınırlarının yeniden tanımlandığı deneysel alanlar olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Makale, film festivallerinin tarihsel olarak kültürel aracı ve küratöryel otoriteler olarak işlev gördüğünü ortaya koyarak, bu rolün yapay zekâ destekli üretim bağlamında nasıl dönüştüğünü tartışmaktadır. Generatif sinema, insan-yapay zekâ işbirliğine dayalı üretim süreçleri aracılığıyla yazarlık, özgünlük ve estetik kavramlarını yeniden düşünmeyi gerektirmektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma, festival araştırmaları alanında yeni metodolojik yaklaşımların gerekliliğini vurgular. Dijital etnografi, platform analizi, algoritmik estetik incelemesi ve üretim süreçlerinin analizi gibi yöntemlerin, yapay zekâ temelli sinemanın anlaşılmasında önemli katkılar sunduğu ileri sürülmektedir. Ayrıca Türkiye bağlamında ortaya çıkan erken dönem yapay zekâ sinema ekosistemi incelenerek, bölgesel medya kültürlerinin bu dönüşüme nasıl dahil olduğu değerlendirilmektedir. Çalışma, yapay zekâ film festivallerinin sinemanın geleceğini şekillendiren önemli kurumsal alanlar olduğunu savunmaktadır.

Keywords

• yapay zekâ
• film festivalleri
• generatif sinema
• algoritmik estetik
• dijital kültür

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