A Filipino-made AI short film has earned global recognition after being shortlisted at the world’s biggest AI Film Festival, held as part of the One Billion Summit in Dubai.
Portrait No. 72, created by Filipino filmmakers Darryll Rapacon and Rodson Suarez, is the only Filipino entry among the shortlisted films, marking a major milestone for Philippine representation on the global creative stage.
The One Billion Summit is the world’s largest gathering of content creators, bringing together top names from around the globe, including Mr. Beast and leading Filipino creators.
One of its highlights is the AI Film Festival, which features films that explore storytelling through emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Portrait No. 72 tells the quiet, deeply human story of an aging photographer in Varanasi, India, who captures the final portraits of the dead. It is Rapacon and Suarez’s first AI film together, sparked by a simple but powerful question: Can an AI-made film make people cry?
Rather than showcasing AI for spectacle, the Filipino creators chose restraint, prioritizing story, emotion, dialogue, and silence. In the film, artificial intelligence serves only as a tool, not the focus, allowing the human story to take center stage.
Public voting will determine the festival’s Top 5 finalists, with voting open until December 25, 2025.
How to Vote
1. Visit the official voting link: https://aifilm.1billionsummit.com
2. Watch Portrait No. 72
3. Submit your vote
