Film festivals like TIFF set the tone for wider industry norms — here’s what we’re watching around AI

This week, the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) is Celebrating 50 years of Films and Programming.

Through its evolution, tiff has become an industry staple For bot artists and fans, and remains important as a “Major launching pad for hollywoodIt showcases a range of International and Independent Films to Wider Market Success and Connects filmmakers to distributors,

Tiff also plays an important International Role By Programming, Launching and Generating Wider conversations – both at the focal and beyond via fan, industry, media and social media commentary – in Response to Emerging trends and technologies in the film industry.

By brings togeether stakeholders and curved conversations, Film festivals are also powerful cultural hubs that set the tone for the norms and practices of the industryA Major theme at the moment involves questions Around Ai.

Future of Labor in Film

In our work as researchers within the Creative Labor Critical Futures Project at the university of toronto, we are tracing and examining media responses to ai use across the film industry.

We’re also also mapping emerging trends Around Policy, Governance, Worker OrganizingCreativity, discourses Around Venture-Backed Technology Startups And acts of refusal when it comes to generative ai across the creative Industries, in Canada and Beyond.

Film festivals are trying different ways to address ai. One Film Festival founded and directed by American Actor justine Bateman Promieses no ai,

Tiff allows the use of Ai-Generated Material in Submissions but requires filmmakers to disclose how ai was usedThe festival is providing a forum for AI-Related Conversations Through a variety of Panel Discussions And events.

For example, on Sept. 8 at a “visionaries” Industry Conference Event, Andrea Scrosati of FremantleA Major Production and Distribution Company, Spoke About Fremantle’s AI-Focused Imaginae Studios.

He Discussed Unlocking NEW POSIBILITES, Noting That AI “Tools will perform a new generation of talent to emerge, because they,

Yet the role of ai is a hot-button issue that all stakeholders-filmmakers, tech companies, distributors, creatives’ guels and unions, policmakers and Viewers-are Struggling to NEGOGOGGLING to NEGOTITITE

This negotiation involves Narrating and interpreting the meaning of ai in the film industryWhich in turn establish new norms and practices.

The ‘Ethical’ Ai Narravet

A Key Aspect of What’s BEING NEGOTED Across Culture Industries is how the public, fans, media commentators and Creative Professionals Undrstand Responsible Ai Creation And how this interactions with legal issues Around Owneship, Fairness Issues Around Compensation and Philosophical Issues Related to Creativity and Authenticity.

A Notable Participant at a tiff Industry Event was the company MoonvalleyA toronto-based AI Research Firm,

With the company asteria film co., co-founded by American Actor And writer Natasha Lyonne and Entrepreneur Bryn MOOSER, MONVALLEY BUILT A Generative Ai Model Called MareyTrained only, as the company notes, on “licensed, high-resolution footage.”

Asteria film Identifies Itself as “An Artist-LED Generative Ai Film and Animation Studio” which, AlongSide Monvalley, “Has Built the first of its Kind Clean Foundational Ai Model.” Some Media Reporting Amplifies this discourse about it being “Clean” and “Ethical.”

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Yet, there are questions Around Private Companies, Including Moonvalley, and Public Transparency and Accountability in Terms of how ai have been trained. A Vulture Story that covered a visit to asteria’s los angeles studio and interview with mooser reports The company Ultimately declined to provide details about where and how exactly the company paid for and acqured Data for Training, Citing Confidentiality.

Labor Concerns

AMID conversions about the potential of Ai, debates was amplified this year in labore disputes, union striks and changes to Major Award regulations.

In July 20242,500 Voice-Acting Members of the Sag-AbTra Union Began What would become a year-long strike against 10 video game companies, including Electronic Arts and Activation. The strike outlined 25 disputes, but the primary concerts the industry’s use of ai to “replicate” or “replace” human performors.

This debate began along Trained using the voice of james earl jones, With approval from jones written into his estatePlayers Cold Interact with Darth Vader during gameplay.

This integration has become controversial partly because the ai darth vader has been recorded swearing or using Homophobic slurs in conversation with players,

Sag-abftra members reached an agreement on July 9, 2025, noting the addition of “Consent and disclosure requirements for ai digital replica use“In union contracts.

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Following debates about ai use in oscar-nominated films, the academy awards has similar awarded qualification requires to account for ai use and disclosure. The academy announced that “The use of generative ai will neither help, Nor Hinder, A Film’s Chances of Nomination“Thought it has stressed that voting members should consider the role of the heart of the heart of the creative process.

As these controversies show, the role of ai in the film industry is far from decided. Intad, it is taking Continually negotiated by many stakeholders.

Festivals Like Tiff not only provide a window into these debates, but also play an activity role in shaping their direction.