The Format What You Get Team FAQ Partners Press Apply
A FILMAKERS.AI LAB × BABELSBERG
Babelsberg Film Studios  //  The first AI Film Hackathon in Berlin

AI Filmhack

48 hours. A room full of filmmakers. Real finished films.

100 years of film tradition meet cutting-edge technology. Up to 100 creators, 20+ teams. You can come with skills or learn a real AI filmmaking pipeline on Friday, make an actual short film with your crew across the weekend, and premiere it on the big screen Sunday night. No AI experience needed. Bring your laptop, we bring the rest.

00:00:00:00
Countdown to 17:00 · Fri 2 Oct 2026
Free entry · no ticket
01
01The Format

Watching is easy.
Making is better.

Tradition meets state of the art.

AI is changing how films get made. Most people are still watching from the sidelines. This weekend, you'll take action. It's a 48-hour, in-person filmmaking hackathon: you learn the pipeline Friday, start building the moment the clock starts, and premiere it on Sunday. Idea to screen in one weekend.

No magic promises. AI is not the perfect solution for everything. You'll leave knowing exactly where AI helps your film, and where it doesn't make sense for you to use it.

The 48-hour cut TRT 48:00:00
IN 00:00OUT 16:00
Fri · Learn

The Workshops

Hands-on sessions across the full pipeline, plus a Warm Up Session before the 48-hour clock starts at 17:00. Teams form, and building starts the moment the clock hits zero.

IN 16:00OUT 40:00
Sat · Build

The Build

Keep building. Directors and AI specialists unblock you all weekend.

IN 40:00OUT 48:00
Sun · Premiere

The Big Screen

Your film premieres at a real cinema screening with awards, then we help submit it to festivals afterward.

Awards night
02
02What You Walk Away With

You leave with a film,
and a workflow.

01

A finished short film

Premiered in a cinema, in front of a full house, not a rough cut on a hard drive.

02

A working AI production pipeline

A real concept-to-edit workflow you can run again on Monday morning.

03

Festival submissions, handled

We help submit your film to festivals after the weekend.

04

Mentors in your corner

Working directors and AI specialists all weekend, including a Netflix Top-10 director.

05

A real crew

A weekend with people who make things, not just talk about making them.

The future is hybrid
You've watched
enough.
Babelsberg · 48-hour AI film hackathon
03
03Who It's For

Beginners
welcome.

Films need every role. Come solo or with friends. Teams form at the event. The one thing we ask for is commitment, not a portfolio.

The one rule

You're there for the full weekend, Friday morning to Sunday night. Teams depend on each other; a half-committed teammate breaks a film.

  • Filmmakers who want practical AI skills, no prior AI experience needed
  • AI creators who want a real challenge and a real screen
  • Writers, editors, designers, sound people, producers, and every craft in between
  • Committed beginners. Friday's workshops exist so you can keep up.
Apply to join
04
04The Team

Who's behind it.

Organised by Filmmakers & Movie Nerds e.V., a nonprofit creator community. Zero gatekeeping, community first.

Founder
Moritz Erdt
Filmmakers & Movie Nerds
Director
Adolf El Assal
Netflix Top-10 director
Gen AI Lead
Tilmann Bartels
AI filmmaking pipeline
Community
Bela Wiertz
Big Berlin Hack
Production
Hai Bui
yume
05
05FAQ

Good questions.

Nothing. The event is free. We're a nonprofit community. You bring your laptop and 48 hours of your weekend.

No AI experience needed. Friday's hands-on workshops teach you the full pipeline before the hack begins. Committed beginners are exactly who this is built for.

Yes, optional: on Saturday, 26 September 2026, we run a full filmmaking and AI workshop to get you ready. On Friday itself, there's also a Warm Up Session before the 48-hour clock starts at 17:00.

At Babelsberg, where 100 years of film history meets AI. Exact venue details go out to accepted participants.

No. Come solo or with friends. Teams form at the event. Tell us in your application what roles you can play and we'll help you find your crew.

Your laptop, a charger, and your full attention for the whole weekend. We handle the pipeline, the mentors, the screen and the snacks.

Fill in the 5-minute application. We review on a rolling basis and email acceptances. Earlier applications have the best shot, since spots are capped at 100.

The future is hybrid
This weekend,
you'll learn by doing.
Build Friday · Screen Sunday
06
06 / 07Partners · Sponsors · Press

Get involved.

Partners & Sponsors

Fuel the
breakthrough.

We run lean and nonprofit. We're not after a headline cheque. We're after what makes the weekend real: tool credits, prizes, and catering. In return, your brand sits at the meeting point of 100 years of Babelsberg film history and cutting-edge AI, in front of 100+ filmmakers actually using your product, plus everything they make and share.

  • Tool & compute credits for participants
  • Prizes for the winning teams
  • Food & drinks across the 48 hours
  • Workshops, mentors, or a jury seat
Partner with us
Press & Media

Cover history
in the making.

100 years of Babelsberg film history meets cutting-edge AI, in one weekend. 100 creators, 20+ teams, 48 hours, one cinema premiere: a real story about the future of filmmaking being made, live, on legendary ground. We can arrange interviews, on-site access across the weekend, and coverage of the closing screening.

  • Press kit & boilerplate on request
  • Founder & mentor interviews
  • On-site access & accreditation
  • Closing-night screening coverage
Press enquiries
Spots limited to 100

Now go
make it.

Stop waiting. Start creating.
Apply to the AI Filmhack