When will AI movies start showing in theaters nationwide?
It was supposed to be next month.
However, after information leaked online that the winner of the AI short film contest would begin screening before the full-length version at AMC theaters, the theater chain decided not to show the content.
The issue began earlier this week when the first Frame Forward AI Animation Film Festival announced a short film by Igor Alferov. thanksgiving He had won the contest. Prize packages included thanksgiving It will be screened in theaters nationwide for a limited time of two weeks. However, once this information started circulating on social media, some were disappointed at the prospect of exhibitors adopting AI content, and many criticized AMC Theaters by name.
However, the shorts are not actually programmed by the exhibitors, but by Screenvision Media. Screenvision Media is a third-party company that manages the 20-minute ad-driven pre-show before the theater lights go down. Screenvision, which co-organized the festival with Modern Uprising Studios, provides content to multiple theater chains as well as AMC.
rear hollywood reporter When we reached out to AMC about the brewing controversy, the company issued this statement: THR “This content is an initiative by ScreenVision Media, which manages pre-show advertising for multiple U.S. movie theater chains and is implemented in less than 30 percent of AMC’s U.S. locations. AMC is not involved in the creation of the content or initiative, and AMC locations have informed ScreenVision that they will not participate.”
It is not yet clear whether other theater chains will show the short instead. Screenvision Media had no immediate comment, but the Frame Forward AI Animated Film Festival released a statement from co-sponsor Joel Roodman, president and studio head of MUS.
“A national theatrical run, albeit a shortened one, is just the first prize for an award-winning film,” he said. “The film will be adapted for Celeste’s large-scale immersive theaters, the first of which will be built in New York later this year. The shared theatrical experience is an important cultural bond. Traditional theater chains are essential to our cohesion as a society, and we are paying close attention to it.” [about AI]. However, the media landscape is rapidly changing and evolving. Wise as they may be, it is important to MUS Immersive that new and exciting films, filmmakers, film languages, and spaces for these shared experiences continue to develop. We will continue to bring new content and significant existing content to our developing network of venues, starting in New York. We will never see theater windows dry up. ”
This film is not the first time that AI content has been shown in theaters. This is a collection of film festival AI shorts from Runway’s 2025 AI Film Festival, which played in 10 Imax theaters in August. But this is likely the first time a narrative AI film will be released nationally in theaters rather than specialty screenings, potentially marking another step in the breakthrough technology’s foray into traditional Hollywood spaces.
of thanksgiving The film “follows Bear and his platypus assistant as they travel through the galaxy in a trash-can-like spaceship. As the story unfolds, they must deal with corrupt space cops, health officials, and a very unusual type of food delivery service.”
According to deadlineKazakh filmmaker Alferov used AI tools such as Gemini 3.1 and Nano Banana Pro to create his short film. Ludman said:thanksgiving The film is a masterclass in original storytelling, an inventive journey that balances sharp satire with unexpected emotional effects, and proves that bold imagination using AI tools complements the future of animated filmmaking. ”
