Expressnews
Goa, India – Indywood’s AI-generated film “Being” has won the prestigious Best AI Visualized Film Award at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) – CinemaAI Hackathon 2025 out of 500+ entries received for the competition globally. This honour marks a major milestone in Indywood’s creative evolution and its formal entry into AI-driven cinematic innovation.
Curated by IFFI in association with NFDC and LTIMindtree, the CinemaAI Hackathon served as India’s first major platform demonstrating the creative potential of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. The Cinema AI Hackathon saw participation of 500+ creators from 18 countries across the globe. The hackathon featured a 48-hour competition where the top 10 teams created a 2-minute film on a mystery theme revealed at the event. Bring India’s first-ever AI Film Festival, it was a major highlight of IFFI 2025 showcasing the pioneering intersection of artificial intelligence and cinematic creativity.
Set in the mist-laden groves of North Kerala, ‘Being’ traces the echo of a childhood moment that forever reshaped a life. As a boy, he feared the Oracle—a shadow stitched together from grandma’s warnings, village fables, and the tremble of temple drums. In his dreams, the Oracle wore red like fire and moved like a whisper through banyan roots. Tge Key emotional references that inspired the film included early childhood fear of Kummatti figures, later understood with newfound clarity. In Being, these memories converge into a symbolic sequence where the boy imagines being saved by the very figure he once feared—reflecting the transformation of fear into protection, and vulnerability into strength.
Being was screened on 25th November at Waves, Film Bazaar, where it received appreciation for its unique visual expression and creative interpretation of memory.
Producer Sohan Roy, also the Founder Director of Indywood, stated that “Winning this award is an important milestone for Indywood. ‘Being’ shows how technology and emotion can coexist beautifully, and this recognition strengthens our resolve to explore the future of storytelling through AI-driven creativity.”
The film was conceptualized by storyteller Mr.Sumeshlal and visually crafted by Mr.Alby Nataraj, with creative support by Mr. Bichu Venu under Wonderwall Media Network.
Over the years, Indywood has been involved in a wide range of creative and industry-shaping initiatives, including large-scale film productions, international co-production opportunities, film industry expos, talent development programs, and technology-driven cinema solutions. The company has also been a major force in promoting high-quality independent content and showcasing emerging creative talent through its global network.
At the CinemaAI Hackathon, other winners included The Red Crayon by Kalpanik for Best AI Film, Remory by Atomeist for Most Innovative AI Film, Lost and Found by Samresh Shrivastava for Best Storytelling, and Final Monsoon Echo by Rajesh Bhosle for Best Sound Design Sujay Sen, executive VP and global head of Interactive services at LTIMindtree, joined chief growth officer Krishnan Iyer and IFFI festival director Shekhar Kapur to present the awards.
