// International Film & Digital Media Awards
Warsaw Glitch Awards
Warsaw, Poland · August 27–30, 2026
The world's first institutional-level awards for AI-driven cinema, animation, and digital culture. Three competition programmes — Golden Glitch (film & animation), Golden Pixel (digital & creators) — one unforgettable gala night. Like the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes rolled into one, but built for the AI era.
Independent jury. No sponsor influence on results. Transparent criteria. Curatorial standards aligned with Venice, Cannes, and Berlinale. Every award is presented during one unified ceremony — the Warsaw Glitch Awards Grand Gala on Saturday night.
Saturday, August 29 · 19:00–22:30
Grand Gala
The centerpiece of the festival. One unified awards ceremony for all three competition programmes. Golden Glitch for film & animation. Golden Pixel for digital creators. Red carpet arrivals, live performances, international jury, celebrity presenters.
All award categories — from the Golden Glitch Grand Prix to Best TikTok, from Best Animated Film to Best Game Trailer — are presented during this single, unified gala. This is the event that everything else builds toward.
40+
Awards
3
Programmes
1
Gala Night
3.5h
Live Ceremony
Film Competition Director & Programmer
Massimo Benvegnù
The Warsaw Glitch Awards film section is directed and programmed by Massimo Benvegnù — a veteran of international cinema with 35+ years of experience. Former Venice Film Festival press office, Artistic Director of Biografilm Festival (Bologna), and Honorary Member of the Cinémathèque Française.
Under his direction, the Golden Glitch Awards aspire to elevate AI-driven storytelling to the level of real cinema — applying the same curatorial standards, artistic rigor, and institutional integrity that define the world's most respected film competitions. Every film is hand-selected. Every jury member is personally chosen.
Venice Film Festival
Former press office
Biografilm Festival, Bologna
Artistic Director
Cinémathèque Française
Honorary Member
35+ years
in international cinema
// Golden Glitch Awards
Golden Glitch
The film & animation awards. The heart of Warsaw Glitch Awards — recognizing artistic excellence in AI-driven and hybrid cinema. Like the Academy Awards, but built for the creators defining the future of moving image.
Film · Animation · Documentary · Experimental · Hybrid
Grand Prix & Main Awards
Golden Glitch Grand Prix
The festival's highest honour. Awarded to the single best work across all film and animation entries. Selected by the full international jury. The equivalent of the Palme d'Or for AI-era cinema.
Best AI Feature Film
For feature-length films (20+ min) utilizing AI or hybrid production methods. Narrative depth, visual ambition, and creative integration of technology.
Best AI Short Film
For short films (up to 20 min). Precision of vision and economy of storytelling. Every frame counts.
Best AI-Assisted Film
For films where AI played a significant collaborative role — from script to post-production. Judged on how meaningfully AI contributed to the artistic outcome.
Best Documentary
For non-fiction filmmaking utilizing AI or creative technologies. Investigative, observational, or essay-form. Truth-telling in the age of synthetic media.
Best Animated Film
For the best animated work across all Animaticon tracks — Regular, Hybrid, and AI-Assisted. The highest animation honour at Warsaw Glitch.
Best Hybrid Animation
For animation combining traditional techniques with AI-assisted elements. The bridge between handcrafted and machine-augmented animation.
Best AI-Generated Animation
For animation primarily created through generative AI tools. Judged on creative direction, artistic intent, and narrative vision.
Craft & Technical Awards
Best Director
Outstanding directorial vision — unifying performance, visuals, sound, and narrative.
Best Screenplay
Excellence in screenwriting — structure, dialogue, and narrative command.
Best Visuals
Cinematography, visual composition, framing, lighting, and color grading.
Best Visual Effects
CGI, compositing, digital environments, and image processing. Seamless integration.
Best Editing
Rhythm, pacing, and narrative construction. The invisible art.
Best Production Design
Set design, art direction, world-building — physical and virtual.
Best Sound Design
Sound mixing, effects, Foley, and overall audio environment.
Best Original Score
Original music composition — traditional, AI-assisted, or hybrid.
Best Performance
Acting excellence — live-action or voice. Emotional depth and authenticity.
Best Technical Achievement
Breakthroughs in workflow, pipeline, or production technology.
Special & Regional Awards
Best Experimental Film
Pushing boundaries of form, narrative, or visual language.
Best Student Film
Emerging talent. First or second-year filmmakers and animators.
Best Polish AI Film
Best film by a Polish filmmaker or produced in Poland.
Best European AI Film
Best film from a European filmmaker.
Best International AI Film
Best film from outside Europe. Global representation.
Breakthrough Filmmaker Award
Emerging filmmaker showing exceptional potential and distinctive voice.
Jury Special Prize
Discretionary honour for exceptional artistic merit that defies categorization.
Audience Choice — Film
Voted by the festival audience. The people's voice.
Audience Choice — Animation
Voted by the festival audience across all animation tracks.
// Golden Pixel Awards
Golden Pixel
The digital culture awards. Recognizing excellence across the creator economy, branded content, social media, gaming, fashion, and interactive experiences. The Emmys, Golden Globes, and Influencer Awards of the AI era — all on one stage.
Music Video · Commercial · TikTok · Gaming · Fashion · Interactive · Cosplay
Categories available for sponsor naming
Golden Pixel Grand Prix
The highest digital culture award. Best work across all Pixel categories — from TikTok to interactive experiences. The digital equivalent of the Golden Glitch.
Best Music Video
Music videos utilizing creative technologies in visual storytelling. Any genre, any length. Sound meets image.
Best Digital Short
Short-form digital content — narrative, experimental, documentary. Max 10 minutes. Platform-agnostic.
Best Commercial
Branded content and advertising demonstrating creative excellence. Where commerce meets art.
Best Microseries
Episodic content — web series, social media series, narrative episodics. Evaluated on narrative arc.
Best Vertical Format
Vertical video (9:16) — TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Contemporary culture judged as art.
Best Trailer
Film trailers, game trailers, promotional teasers. The art of anticipation.
Best Fashion Film
Fashion films, runway videos, editorial content. Cinema meets couture.
Best Social Media Campaign
Multi-platform campaigns demonstrating creative storytelling and strategic engagement.
Best Influencer Content
Creator-driven content. Authenticity, production quality, and audience connection.
Best Game Trailer
For outstanding game trailers and cinematics. Narrative, visual fidelity, and emotional impact in interactive entertainment marketing.
Best Interactive Experience
Interactive digital experiences, gamified storytelling, AR filters, and participatory content. Audience as co-creator.
Best AI-Generated Commercial
Commercial content primarily created using AI tools. Effectiveness meets creative innovation.
Best Cosplay
Awarded at the Animaticon Cosplay Competition. Craftsmanship, creativity, performance, and stage presence.
Best Cosplay Group
Best group cosplay performance. Coordination, collective craftsmanship, and narrative cohesion.
Audience Choice — Digital
Voted by the festival audience and online community across all Pixel categories.
// Curatorial Standards
How We Select & Evaluate
Multi-Stage Review
All submissions pass through multiple independent evaluation rounds. No single reviewer determines selection.
Independent Jury
Award decisions rest entirely with the international jury. No organizational or sponsor influence on results.
Transparent Criteria
Published evaluation guidelines available to all filmmakers before submission. No hidden metrics.
International Standards
Selection process aligned with Venice, Cannes, and Berlinale competition practices.
Technology as Craft
Creative technology is evaluated as part of artistic execution — never as a separate category or excuse.
One Unified Gala
All Golden Glitch and Golden Pixel awards are presented in a single ceremony — no second-class categories.
“Technology is evaluated as part of artistic execution — not as a category. Films are judged on what they say, not how they were made.”
Submit Your Work
Feature, short, documentary, animation, music video, commercial, TikTok, game trailer — every form of moving image has a home at Warsaw Glitch. Films completed after January 1, 2024.