THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the young crop of directors have backed the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the making of movies, not all are on board with this shift. Twenty-year-old Cyril Abraham Dennis, whose feature debut Watusi Zombie! is scheduled for three screenings at IFFK, voiced his concern over the pace at which AI is taking over human creativity.
The heated debate over the disruptive technologies took centre stage during the Day 3 ‘Meet the Director’ session, on Sunday.
Cyril was joined by directors Satish and Santosh Babusenan (Mukhakannadi), Vipin Radhakrishnan (Angammal), Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust), Abhijit Mazumdar (Body), Amala Popuri, producer of Body and Omara Shetty, actor in The Shameless. Mira Sahib moderated the session, which was held at Tagore Theatre in front of a packed audience.
The Babusenan brothers opined that the definition of creativity itself would be changed in the future.
“Now, if you make a film using AI, you’ll have to hide it. But tomorrow, if you are not using AI in your creativity, then you’re very old-fashioned’, they said.
Vipin Radhakrishnan added that the capability of AI in the technical aspects of movie-making was commendable.
Beginning with a quick introduction to each of their films, the discussion soon shifted to the alternative ways of funding and production possibilities of new-age filmmaking. Ishan Shukla said the concept of Film Markets, though complicated in the process, was helpful in finding international collaborators.
Omara Shetty shared her experience of facing heavy financial crunches and the help extended by four countries. Amala Popuri suggested her successful model of crowdfunding as another alternative that could be emulated.
Conclusion of meet
The discussion ended on a hopeful note with many agreeing that AI, if used thoughtfully and positively, could open up new markets for films. Director Balu Kiriyath concluded the session, thanking the audience for their encouraging participation