IMAX is stepping into the artificial intelligence space, teaming up with Runway AI for a special showcase of AI-generated films.

From August 17 to August 20, IMAX will screen a collection of shorts from Runway’s 2025 AI Film Festival at 10 theaters across the U.S. The locations include Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, Denver, and Washington, D.C. The lineup will feature all ten films from this year’s festival, including ‘More Tears than Harm’—a visually rich exploration of a difficult childhood in Madagascar—and ‘Jailbird,’ which tells the story of a chicken rescued from a factory farm to become a companion for an inmate as part of a real-life British rehabilitation initiative.

The partnership highlights how AI’s arrival in Hollywood could chart a different course than the streaming boom, which often created tension between traditional theaters and new digital platforms. Rather than undermining theaters, AI filmmaking could help generate fresh content to draw audiences back to the big screen—though the highly personalized nature of AI may still appeal to at-home viewers.

IMAX chief content officer Jonathan Fischer said in a statement; “The IMAX Experience has typically been reserved for the world’s most accomplished and visionary filmmakers and we’re excited to open our aperture and use our platform to experiment with a new kind of creator, as storytelling and technology converge in an entirely new way.”

Runway, a New York-based company specializing in AI filmmaking tools, hosts annual film festivals in both New York and Los Angeles. The 2025 edition, held last month at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and the Broad Stage theater, drew an impressive 6,000 submissions and packed crowds.

While many studios and distributors—such as Netflix—quietly use AI technology, Runway has been actively forging industry relationships, including formal partnerships with AMC Networks and Lionsgate.

AI’s role in filmmaking remains divisive. Some in the industry fear it could replace human creativity, while others see its potential to usher in a new era of cinema.

TRENDING NEWS