Portrait No. 72, a short film created by Filipino filmmakers has been shortlisted at the world’s biggest AI film festival, held as part of the One Billion Summit in Dubai. The film is the only Filipino entry among the shortlisted works, marking a major milestone for Filipino representation on a global creative stage.
The One Billion Summit is the world’s largest gathering of content creators, bringing together top creators from around the world, including Mr. Beast and prominent creators from the Philippines. As part of the summit, the AI Film Festival showcases films that explore storytelling through emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Portrait No. 72 tells the story of an aging photographer in Varanasi, India, who captures the final portraits of the dead. The film was created by Filipino filmmakers Darryll Rapacon and Rodson Suarez. It is the duo’s first AI film together and began with a simple question: Can an AI film make people cry?
The film is not trying to impress people with AI. It focuses on the story and making people feel something. AI is just the tool to make this happen. The goal was not to create an “AI film,” but to create a beautiful, grounded human story using AI as a tool. While many AI films focus on spectacle and hyper-cinematic visuals, Portrait No. 72 intentionally chose restraint. Every creative decision prioritized feeling, dialogue, and silence. AI served the story, not the other way around.
Public voting will determine the festival’s Top 5 finalists, and voting is now open.
How to Vote
- Visit the official voting link: https://aifilm.1billionsummit.com
- Watch Portrait No. 72
- Submit your vote
Voting is open until December 25, 2025.
As the only Filipino film shortlisted, Portrait No. 72 stands as a reminder that Filipino creativity is global. More than just an AI film, it represents how Filipino storytellers are not only adapting to new technologies like artificial intelligence, but actively shaping how they are used to tell meaningful stories.
