{FILM_FESTIVAL}

UPSTREAM.FF: 0001

15 аugust 2027

Tallinn, Estonia

support

Ukraine

Concept:

WHERE HUMAN DREAMS MEET

SYNTHETIC REALITY

Upstream Film Festival is an Estonian experimental film festival exploring how artificial intelligence is changing cinema. It is taking place in Tallinn, Estonia, for the first time.

This year is experimental for us, just as AI is for the world today, so for our first year, our mission is simple: to introduce high-quality AI short films of various genres to Estonian audiences.

We live in an era of rapidly changing visual effects, where it is becoming harder to tell what is real and what is generated. However, the human remains the creator, deciding what the films of the future will ultimately look like.

We are open to discussion: is AI just a tool, or can it be a creator too?

Join us to test these new possibilities and bring your wildest dreams to the big screen!

Futuristic female android with glowing face details 1

reguiraments:

We are looking for original short AI films up to 15 minutes long.

Futuristic female android with glowing face details 2

narrative fiction

documentary & mockumentary

animation

Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Comedy, and more. We welcome narrative short films of all genres that have a strong cinematic aesthetic, photorealistic human characters or believable environments, and compelling storytelling based on a well-structured script with clear human creative input.

Documentaries, mockumentaries, and new interpretations of reality created with AI tools. We look for films that use AI-generated visuals to recreate, reinterpret, or question the look and authenticity of traditional documentary filmmaking.

This category is for 2D/3D animation, stop-motion aesthetics, and experimental motion graphics created with AI. We are looking for films that use AI creatively, develop a distinctive visual style, and show a clear artistic vision.

Special Category - Estonian AI Short

This category is for Estonian directors, creators, and AI artists. Films must be directed by Estonian residents or nationals, or tell stories closely connected to Estonia, and must use AI tools as part of the filmmaking process.

Call for Entries

Earlybird deadline

Regular deadline

Late deadline

Selection

Screening

01.09.2026

01.01.2027

01.05.2027

01.07.2027

01.07-15.08.2027

15.08.2027

Partner with us:

Join us as a partner and help us bring new cinema to Tallinn.

Write us: upstream.filmfest@gmail.com