George Miller has been announced as a headline judge for the October 2025 edition of the OMNI AI Film Festival, adding star power and industry weight to Australia’s first dedicated showcase of AI-generated cinema.
Miller, best known for Mad Max & Happy Feet, brings decades of storytelling innovation to the OMNI jury, in what organisers describe as a “defining moment” for AI in film.
“Storytelling has always evolved with technology—from cave paintings to the camera to all sorts of digital technologies. And now we have AI,” Miller said. “The OMNI Festival is part of that evolution.”
Co-founded by cultural technologists Aryeh Sternberg and Travis Rice, OMNI debuted with a preview event in April 2025 that attracted entries from more than 70 countries. The full-scale festival is set to launch in October, positioning itself as a global platform for AI-native visual storytelling.
Supporting the curatorial direction are MADE THIS producers Marie-Celine Merret and Vinne Schifferstein, who also lead the AI Artist Collective. Their backing helped propel April winner Phil Langer into the international spotlight and continues to shape the artistic and cultural dialogue ahead of the festival’s first full program.
“George Miller’s involvement is a signal to the creative community that AI filmmaking is not just an experiment—it’s an art form worthy of serious attention,” Schifferstein said. “This is a moment of cultural legitimacy.”
Submissions for OMNI 1.0 opened on 22 June 2025. Eligible works include narrative features and experimental shorts, either fully or partially generated using AI tools.
“Travis and Aryeh are building a space where legends like Miller can meet the next generation of creators—people reimagining the cinematic form in real time,” added Merret. “The October edition will be a landmark not just for the artists, but for how audiences experience AI cinema.”
Festival updates and submission details are available at omnifilmfestival.com.