Manchester Animation Festival bans generative AI films as it names 2026 winners
Films made with generative AI will not be accepted for MAF 2027, the festival director said, as In Waves took the feature film award.
Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) will no longer accept films made using generative AI, its organisers have announced, in a new policy covering future editions.
Festival director Steve Henderson said the decision reflected the festival’s commitment to celebrating human creativity and protecting the artistic skills at the core of animation.
“As we open our call for entries for MAF 2027 we wanted to stand by the creatives that make animation the incredible, human artform that it is,” he said.
“Our new Gen AI policy puts artists first and continues our mission to showcase the very best animation has to offer making it clear for audiences and artists where MAF stands on Gen AI.”
MAF is the UK’s only animation festival that qualifies films for both the Oscars and the BAFTAs. Its awards ceremony took place last night, hosted by writer, comedian and actor Molly McGuinness.
Prizes were given across British Film, Feature Film, Short Film, Student Film, Commissioned Film, Immersive Work, Children’s Shorts and the Audience Award.
The winners were:
• Feature Film Award: In Waves (Belgium, France, US), directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, with a Special Mention for We Are Aliens (Japan, France), directed by Kōhei Kadowaki
• Short Film Award: When the Sea Was Calm (Georgia), directed by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili
• Best British Short Award: A Little Death (UK, US), directed by Leto Meade and Jonathan Rockefeller
• Student Film Award: To Kill a Velofahrer (Switzerland), directed by Helmi Korhonen, Ines Nungässer, Livio Frauendorf and Marvin Büeler
• Immersive Film Award: Mirage (Bangladesh, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia), directed by Naima Karim
• Commissioned Film Award: Kikkoman: Unleash Legendary (US), directed by Mariano Fernández Russo of Clubcamping
• Children’s Award: Singularity (Netherlands), directed by Andy Goralczyk
• Audience Award: Into the Forest
The five-day festival drew its biggest audience so far, with almost 12,000 admissions.
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