Tunisian Short Film “Lily” Wins AI Film Award At Dubai-based 1 Billion Followers Summit

Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi has been awarded the one-million-dollar AI Film Award at the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates following a thorough process in which his short film Lily stood out. The prize, organized by the summit in partnership with Google Gemini, was presented by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid AI Maktoum.

Lily, a 9-minute short film, explores guilt, spirituality and redemption, through the perspective of a troubled archivist who seeks to make amends following a hit-and-run accident he caused. The accident leaves the survivor’s doll, an object of spiritual connection, stuck on his car bumper, which compels him to report to the police and get the doll back to the hospitalised child.

The 1 Billion Followers Summit is an international gathering geared towards advancing the content creation economy. Themed “Content for Good”, the fourth edition of the summit was held from January 9th – 11th, 2026 at the Emirates Towers, Museum of the Future and Dubai International Financial Centre, attracting over 15,000 content creators, influencers, experts and stakeholders in the industry. Among the speakers at the occasion were award-winning Harvard-educated scientist and speaker on AI for Good at UN, Vivian Puppa Kocsis; content creator David Dobrick; founder and CEO of Oysterly Media, Issac Laurie; creative artists agency, Brent Weinstein; content creator & co-founder SincerelyYours, Jordan Matter; YouTuber Arab; founder of Helpbnk, Simon Squibb; among others.

Over 3,500 film submissions were received for the recently concluded AI Film Award, with more than 30,000 participants from 116 countries indicating interest, underscoring the global impact of the programme. The award is meant to support the growth of progressive filmmaking that leverages AI resources, including Google Gemini, to elevate creativity while maintaining cultural authenticity and humanitarian values.

The summit involved a 40-man jury that followed a rigorous screening process, evaluating about 400 hours of film content in line with the award’s criteria. 100 films made the initial shortlist.

Shortlisted films passed through technical assessment with Google Gemini confirming content quality and technical standards. Each film passed the minimum 70% generative Google AI mark, confirmed using AI-based assessment procedures. The winning film, Lily, scaled through the jury system and public voting, emerging from a final list of 5 short films.

While presenting the award to Jlassi, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reiterated the UAE’s commitment to spotlighting creatives, promoting innovation in the content creation ecosystem and grooming talent for the future of cultural and creative narratives.

“Purposeful content plays a vital role in promoting positive values, strengthening community awareness and inspiring creative thinking,” Shaikha Latifa said. “We take pride in supporting initiatives that empower content creators to express their perspectives and translate ideas into meaningful impact, advancing knowledge, serving society and contributing to a higher quality of life for communities.”

In her congratulatory message, Shaikha Latifa also praised Jlassi’s vision and skillful manipulation of technology, describing the efforts as a reflection of the unique spirit of the new generation that is tirelessly committed to influencing the future trajectory of the content creation economy.

As AI continues to interfere with human interaction and almost every facet of the digital economy, creatives must equally adapt to the evolving reality. This does not, however, erase ethical and authenticity concerns over creatives’ use of AI. What is permissible or not for filmmakers and other creatives with AI may not be generally agreed upon, but global platforms like 1 Billion Followers Summit can be trusted to set standards.

Jlassi’s victory at the summit is inevitably a win for African cinema, a reflection of the bold discourses and giant strides that African filmmakers and creatives are capable of championing and pushing to the global stage when equipped with the right mindset, infrastructure and resources. More African filmmakers will be encouraged to walk this path, leveraging the initiative to attract international investors and partners and centralize African narratives and ideologies among global concerns.