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The Royal Opera House witnessed a cinematic revolution this past weekend as the Mumbai AI Filmmaking Festival (MAFF) brought together the worlds of artificial intelligence, filmmaking and storytelling like never before. Hosted by LocalHost in collaboration with Invideo, the three-day festival (October 31 – November 2) marked India’s first large-scale celebration of AI in cinema, drawing over 1,200 applicants with 15 selected teams creating AI-powered short films that premiered on the red carpet before a distinguished jury and audience.
What made the evening unforgettable was not just the technology. It was the convergence of visionaries, artists and innovators who believe that AI is not replacing creativity, but reimagining it. Filmmakers from across the globe, from Dubai, San Francisco and Singapore to 20 Indian states flew in, with 37 creators hosted by the festival on an all-expense-paid journey to Mumbai.
The festival culminated in the premiere of 15 groundbreaking AI short films, judged by industry stalwarts Mukul Deora, Kunal Kapoor, Ram Madhvani and Shakun Batra. The red carpet saw the presence of Tanmay Bhat, Riteish Deshmukh, Karan Anshuman, Kunal Kapoor and Shakun Batra, among others, alongside professionals from Netflix India, JioHotstar and Google, all eager to witness what many described as “the future of storytelling, screened live.”
In a rare blend of technology and glamour, Big Boy Toyz (BBT)’s iconic Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 became a centerpiece of the event’s visual spectacle. Positioned at the festival’s red carpet entrance, the car symbolized both legacy and luxury juxtaposed perfectly with the cutting-edge AI films being celebrated inside. “For us at Big Boy Toyz, supporting an event that champions technological and artistic innovation felt natural,” said a BBT spokesperson. “The Rolls-Royce at the venue wasn’t just about aesthetics, it represented timeless craftsmanship meeting the future of creative expression.”
The festival’s success wasn’t just measured in glitz. With AI-generated films addressing everything from identity and consciousness to climate change and emotion, MAFF demonstrated that technology can amplify human imagination rather than diminish it. Director Shakun Batra remarked, “This festival feels like the first spark for India’s AI filmmaking movement. It’s giving new voices a chance to play, to imagine and to be heard without waiting for permission.”
Actor and entrepreneur Kunal Kapoor, who served as one of the judges, added, “Watching all the incredible content on display felt like witnessing the future unfold in real time. The Royal Opera House buzzed with a creative energy you can’t fake. The future isn’t coming it’s already screening.”
Beyond the screenings, the event’s atmosphere captured attention online and off. AI-powered humanoid robots greeted celebrities, robotic dogs interacted with guests and the festival even trended at #3 on X (Twitter) with over 300 tweets in 48 hours, accumulating 10 million+ views across social platforms. A highlight clip of Riteish Deshmukh’s red carpet moment, featuring the humanoid robot and BBT’s Rolls Royce, crossed 3.3 million views, adding to the festival’s viral momentum.
The event’s youthful organizing team led by Hardeep Gambhir and Chandan Perla of LocalHost executed the entire festival in just 25 days, proving that India’s next generation of innovators are ready to bridge art and artificial intelligence at scale.
As India continues to explore the crossroads of AI and creativity, the Mumbai AI Filmmaking Festival stands as a landmark moment, one where the timeless glamour of cinema met the limitless potential of machine intelligence.
