Venice

New York – October 16, 2026 -- The inaugural Lumara Film Festival, presented by MoonPay and Venice, has named six finalists for a Grand Prize worth $32,000 and 3.2 million Venice AI credits, after receiving more than 700 submissions from filmmakers worldwide.

The Jury Selection award carries $20,000 and 2 million Venice AI credits. Winners will be announced live on October 26 at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in New York City. The festival has also named 16 nominees across five category awards.

Submissions drew 700+ films in a seven-week free-entry window

Submissions ran from July 24 to September 15. Entry was free and open worldwide, and filmmakers could use any AI filmmaking platform. Judging criteria were the strength of the idea, the quality of the storytelling and how well the filmmaker used AI.