Tribeca Studios and OpenAI are teaming up for a new AI-driven short film program at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
The year-long initiative will select two filmmakers to create live-action shorts using OpenAI’s tools. Those shorts will premiere at the 2026 festival alongside a panel discussion about AI in film.
Selected filmmakers get funding, training, mentorship, and full access to OpenAI’s tech. 
Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal said the program positions AI as “another powerful tool in a filmmaker’s toolkit.”
“At Tribeca, storytelling is at the heart of everything we do — and innovation is key to its future. Partnering with OpenAI allows us to be at the forefront of a new creative frontier, where AI is not a replacement, but another powerful tool in a filmmaker’s toolkit,” Jane Rosenthal stated.
“This collaboration reflects Tribeca’s commitment to championing fearless artists who are willing to explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of their craft.”
The effort follows last year’s Sora Shorts, which used OpenAI’s Sora model to create five AI-assisted shorts. That program required compliance with Screen Actors Guild, Writers’ Guild, and Directors’ Guild AI usage rules.
OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said the new program helps filmmakers push storytelling limits using AI tools.
“Filmmakers have always pushed the boundaries of storytelling, and this program is about supporting that spirit with tools to enhance traditional filmmaking pipelines,” Brad Lightcap said.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Tribeca to help bring new ideas to life using OpenAI tools, and I am excited to see how filmmakers embrace the technology to support their creative expression.”
Tribeca has not yet opened submissions for the program.
