# AFRO TV Launches Cue Film Fest, a Seasonal AI Short-Film Festival With National Broadcast

_Event · published 2026-10-05_

AFRO TV has announced Cue Film Fest, a recurring seasonal AI short-film competition, with its inaugural edition — Cue Christmas '26 — opening submissions October 5 through November 20, 2026. Filmmakers are invited to submit one-minute-thirty-second to three-minute AI-generated short films on a Christmas theme. Ten finalists will be announced December 1, with winners decided by viewer votes and a three-member jury across four cash award categories: Best Film, Best Image, Best Sound, and Best Music Video. The live awards ceremony on December 12, 2026 will air nationally on AFRO TV via Comcast Xfinity channel 1623 and stream on NOW TV.

Alongside the competition, the festival includes an "AI Village" on December 12 where generative AI tool vendors can run hands-on workshops and live demos for attending filmmakers. AFRO TV CEO Yves Bollanga framed the festival as a platform for both creators and the companies building the technology behind them. If successful, the seasonal format is slated to continue in 2027 with Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, and Halloween editions.

## Sources
- [blackprwire.com](https://www.blackprwire.com/press-releases/afro-tv-brings-ai-filmmaking-to-national-tv-with-cue-film-fest-submissions-open-for-cue-christmas-26)
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