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PixVerse Kicks Off PixLight, a Global Competition for AI Filmmakers

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PixVerse Kicks Off PixLight, a Global Competition for AI Filmmakers

Update, Oct 19, 2026: The PixLight submission deadline has been extended to October 31, 2026, 23:59 UTC, and PixVerse has announced the first five jurors. See the official PixLight page for the latest rules.

PixVerse today introduced PixLight, a global competition for filmmakers, screenwriters, and visual storytellers working with AI. Entries are judged based on stories first: a beginning, middle, and end, characters an audience can care about, and a distinct creative voice, rather than clips that show off what a tool can do.

Two Ways to Enter

Creators can take part through one of two tracks, and are welcome to enter either or both:

  • Pilot Track, for creators ready to deliver a finished piece: a three to twenty minute AI film or pilot episode, made with PixVerse Canvas as the primary creative platform. Entries can freely combine AI-generated content with live-action footage, traditional VFX, and other production techniques.
  • Script Track, for writers and storytellers who have a compelling story but not yet a finished film: a complete feature screenplay (45-90 minutes), submitted alongside a short video pitch that presents the story and creative vision.

Three Creative Directions

Both tracks are open across three creative directions:

  • Under the Skin — drama, comedy, coming-of-age, and social realism. Stories rooted in human emotion, relationships, and lived experience.
  • Worlds Beyond — science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, and mythology. Stories that explore imagined worlds and speculative futures.
  • Edge of Seat — horror, thriller, mystery, crime, action, and adventure. High-tension stories driven by danger, suspense, and momentum.

Awards, Recognition, and Ownership

The prize pool totals USD 300,000 across thirty-three awards. As of October 19, 2026, PixVerse lists the prize breakdown as:

  • Grand Prize: one award of USD 100,000.
  • Gold Award: one award of USD 50,000.
  • Silver Award: one award of USD 20,000.
  • Pilot Track Spotlight: 20 awards of USD 5,000 each.
  • Script Track Spotlight: 10 awards of USD 3,000 each.

Beyond the awards, winning and shortlisted creators gain visibility with an international jury, industry recognition, and the possibility of development conversations around future production, adaptation, or IP. Throughout, creators retain full ownership of their stories, characters, worlds, and screenplays.

To help creators get started, PixLight offers Starter Packs of PixVerse credits to eligible registrants, with additional credits available to those who share behind-the-scenes work from their entries.

Meet the PixLight Jury

The panel will judge entries by weighing emotional resonance and a distinctly human perspective as heavily as visual and technical craft.

As of October 19, 2026, PixVerse has named the following five jurors in its official announcements. The track assignments below use Script Track, the label on the competition page, for the track called “Screenplay” in the X posts. Credentials are given in PixVerse’s wording where its announcement includes them:

  • Wesley “Wuz Good” Armstrong — PixVerse describes him as a “DGA director, Sony TV’s Diverse Directors Program alum and Streamy directing nominee” — Pilot Track — announced Oct 13, 2026.
  • Kavan Cardoza, “Kavan the Kid” — named by PixVerse to the Pilot Track and Script Track jury — announced Oct 13, 2026.
  • Christina Lee Storm — “Head of Studio, Narrative at Secret Level,” per PixVerse — Pilot Track — announced Oct 14, 2026.
  • Tan Chui Mui — named by PixVerse to the Pilot Track and Script Track jury — announced Oct 15, 2026.
  • Hal Watmough — “BAFTA-winning filmmaker” with “20+ years shaping stories,” per PixVerse — Pilot Track and Script Track — announced Oct 16, 2026.

More jurors may be announced; check the official page.

Key Dates

As of October 19, 2026, PixVerse’s official timeline gives the following schedule for the competition:

  • Open call: August 7–October 31, 2026.
  • Submission deadline: October 31, 2026, at 23:59 UTC (November 1, 2026, at 07:59 UTC+8).
  • Judging: early November 2026.
  • Winner announcement: late November 2026.

How to Join PixLight

Choose the Pilot Track, the Script Track, or both, depending on whether you are preparing a finished film or a screenplay and pitch. For the Pilot Track, create your three to twenty minute film or pilot with PixVerse Canvas as the primary creative platform; for the Script Track, prepare a complete feature screenplay (45-90 minutes) and a short video pitch presenting the story and creative vision. Submit your entry through the official PixLight competition page before October 31, 2026, at 23:59 UTC, the extended deadline listed by PixVerse as of October 19, 2026. Review the latest rules there before submitting.

About PixVerse

PixVerse is a global AI video generation platform trusted by over 150 million users and enterprises across 177+ countries. With a suite of proprietary models developed entirely in-house, PixVerse empowers anyone to create cinematic-quality video from a prompt, photo, or clip, from individual creators to professional film teams. Its flagship model V6 delivers precision camera control, expressive character performance, and cinematic-quality output across creative and commercial use cases. In January 2026, PixVerse launched R1, the world’s first real-time world model, transforming video into an infinite, continuous, and interactive stream.