// Programme 01

GLITCH Awards

Main International Film Competition

The flagship competition of Warsaw Glitch Awards. Craft-first cinema evaluated on vision, authorship, and storytelling — regardless of production method. International competition for films utilizing contemporary production tools, with emphasis on artistic excellence and creative integrity.

The GLITCH Awards carry full cultural prestige. No sponsor naming. No commercial interference. The jury is independent, the criteria are transparent, and the process is aligned with the standards of Venice, Cannes, and Berlinale.

Competition Director & Programmer

Massimo Benvegnù

The GLITCH Awards film competition is directed and programmed by Massimo Benvegnù — a veteran of international cinema with 35+ years of experience. Former Venice Film Festival press office, Artistic Director of Biografilm Festival (Bologna), and Honorary Member of the Cinémathèque Française.

Under his direction, GLITCH AWARDS aspires to elevate AI-driven storytelling to the level of real cinema — applying the same curatorial standards, artistic rigor, and institutional integrity that define the world's most respected film competitions. Every film is hand-selected. Every jury member is personally chosen. The goal is not to celebrate technology, but to celebrate the art that technology makes possible.

The jury and curators are hand-picked by Massimo to ensure the highest level of artistic evaluation — bridging the gap between traditional auteur cinema and the emerging wave of AI-native filmmaking.

Venice Film Festival

Former press office

Biografilm Festival, Bologna

Artistic Director

Cinémathèque Française

Honorary Member

35+ years

in international cinema

// Grand Prix & Main Awards

Golden Glitch Grand Prix

The festival's highest honour. Awarded to the best film regardless of format or length. Selected by the full international jury from all competition entries.

Best AI Feature Film

For feature-length films (20+ minutes) utilizing creative technologies in production or storytelling. Evaluated on narrative depth, visual ambition, and creative integration of AI tools.

Best AI Short Film

For short films (up to 20 minutes) demonstrating artistic excellence and innovative use of creative tools. Precision of vision and economy of storytelling are paramount.

Best AI-Assisted Film

For films where AI played a significant collaborative role in the creative process — from script generation and storyboarding to visual effects and post-production. Judged on how meaningfully AI contributed to the artistic outcome.

// Craft & Technical Awards

Recognizing Craft

Best Director

For outstanding directorial vision and execution. Evaluates the filmmaker's ability to unify performance, visuals, sound, and narrative into a cohesive artistic statement.

Best Screenplay

For excellence in screenwriting — structure, dialogue, and narrative. Whether original or adapted, the screenplay must demonstrate command of story and language.

Best Visuals

For cinematography, visual composition, and image quality. Evaluates framing, lighting, color grading, and the visual language that serves the story.

Best Visual Effects

For outstanding visual effects work — CGI, compositing, digital environments, particle effects, and image processing. Judged on seamless integration with live-action or animated elements and contribution to the film's visual storytelling.

Best Editing

For rhythm, pacing, and narrative construction through editing. The invisible art that shapes how audiences experience time, tension, and emotion.

Best Production Design

For set design, visual environment, art direction, and world-building. Encompasses both physical and virtual production design — from practical sets to AI-generated environments.

Best Sound Design

For sound mixing, sound effects, Foley, and overall audio environment. Evaluates how sound shapes atmosphere, builds tension, and enhances the cinematic experience.

Best Original Score

For original music composition created for the film. Evaluates how the score supports narrative, amplifies emotion, and establishes a unique sonic identity — whether composed traditionally, with AI tools, or through hybrid methods.

Best Performance

For acting — live-action or voice performance. Evaluates emotional depth, authenticity, range, and the actor's contribution to the film's overall impact.

Best Ensemble Cast

For outstanding collective performance by a cast working together. Recognizes chemistry, dynamic interplay, and the way ensemble members elevate one another's work.

Best Technical Performance

For character creation using digital tools — motion capture, AI-generated characters, synthetic actors, and performance-driven animation.

// Special & Regional Awards

Special Recognition

Best Hybrid Film

For films combining multiple production techniques — live-action with AI, traditional with digital. Celebrates the creative tension between methods.

Best Experimental Film

For films pushing the boundaries of form, narrative, or visual language. Work that challenges conventions and expands the definition of cinema.

Best Technical Achievement

For exceptional innovation in the technical process of filmmaking. Recognizes breakthroughs in workflow, pipeline, or production technology.

Best Polish AI Film

For the best film by a Polish filmmaker or produced in Poland. Supports the domestic creative technology ecosystem.

Best European AI Film

For the best film from a European filmmaker. Recognizes the continent's growing creative technology community.

Best International AI Film

For the best film from outside Europe. Ensures global representation and cross-cultural dialogue.

Audience Choice Award

Voted by the festival audience across all competition screenings. The people's voice — determined by public ballot during the festival, giving audiences direct influence over recognition.

Jury Special Prize

Special recognition by the jury for exceptional artistic merit that defies categorization. A discretionary honour for work that demands acknowledgment.

Breakthrough Filmmaker Award

For an emerging filmmaker showing exceptional creative potential. First or second film, demonstrating a distinctive voice and vision.

// Curatorial Standards

Selection & Evaluation

Multi-Stage Review

All submissions pass through multiple independent evaluation rounds. No single reviewer determines selection.

Artistic & Technical Evaluation

Films are assessed on vision, storytelling, and execution — irrespective of production method or budget.

Independent Jury

Award decisions rest entirely with the international jury. No organizational or sponsor influence on results.

Transparent Criteria

Published evaluation guidelines available to all submitting filmmakers before submission.

International Standards

Selection and screening process aligned with Venice, Cannes, and Berlinale competition practices.

Technology as Craft

Creative technology is evaluated as part of artistic execution — never as a separate category or excuse.

“Technology is evaluated as part of artistic execution — not as a category. Films are judged on what they say, not how they were made.”

Submit to Warsaw Glitch Awards

Feature, short, documentary, experimental. Films completed after January 1, 2024. English subtitles required for non-English works.

Submit Film →← All Programmes