Season 1
rules.

Season 1 at a glance

ON3FILM Season 1 is a global, story-first AI short-film competition hosted and owned by AION3 Technologies and co-organized with DTC Group and Connecting The Dots.

1. Agreement and organiser

These Official Rules govern ON3FILM Season 1 (the Competition). The Competition is hosted and owned by AION3 Technologies, with DTC Group and Connecting The Dots supporting co-organization and ecosystem execution. AION3 Technologies is the Organiser. By submitting, every entrant confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted these Rules and the independent jury's decisions.

2. Eligibility

The Competition is open worldwide to individuals and teams. Each primary entrant must be at least 18 years old at the time of entry. A person under 18 may participate only with verified consent from a parent or legal guardian who accepts these Rules on their behalf, where participation is legally permitted. The Competition is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Employees, contractors, judges, and immediate family members of the Organiser or judging panel may not enter.

No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or win. Unless the Organiser publishes an amendment before launch, each entrant or team should submit one primary film.

3. Film and submission requirements

• Submit one original short film between 90 seconds and 3 minutes.
• Upload the film to YouTube as Public or Unlisted and keep the link accessible through judging and prize verification.
• Submit before 10 October 2026 at 23:59 Bangkok time (ICT / UTC+7).
• Include the title, logline or synopsis, creator/team details, AI tools used, human roles, and an accurate workflow disclosure.
• Films may use any language. English subtitles are strongly recommended for non-English dialogue.

Incomplete, inaccessible, late, corrupted, or non-compliant entries may be rejected.

4. Meaningful AI use and transparency

Generative AI must make a meaningful contribution to the production. It may support visual development, image or video generation, animation, VFX, voice, sound, previsualization, or other production steps. The entrant remains responsible for the concept, direction, edit, rights, and final creative decisions.

Entrants must accurately disclose the tools used and their contribution. Material misrepresentation of the workflow may result in disqualification.

5. Originality, permissions, and safety

You represent that you own or control every right needed to submit the film and grant the permissions in these Rules. This includes music, footage, voice, image, likeness, artwork, trademarks, locations, collaborators, and third-party tools. Entries must not infringe rights, violate platform terms, deceptively impersonate a real person, or contain unlawful, defamatory, hateful, sexually explicit, or unsafe material.

The Organiser may request evidence of permissions and may remove or disqualify an entry that cannot be verified.

6. Creator ownership and promotional licence

You keep ownership of your original film. By entering, you grant the Organiser a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, copy, encode, caption, translate, excerpt, publish, display, screen, distribute, archive, and promote the entry and submitted creator materials for administering, judging, documenting, and publicising ON3FILM.

The Organiser will not sell or license the film as a standalone commercial product without a separate written agreement. Any acceleration, development, brand, distribution, or other commercial opportunity requires a new mutually agreed contract.

7. Judging and independence

Eligible entries are evaluated using the published 100-point rubric:

• 40 points — Story & emotional impact. Clarity, meaning, structure, and what stays with the audience.
• 20 points — Originality & voice. A distinctive point of view rather than a familiar visual exercise.
• 20 points — Execution & craft. Direction, edit, image, sound, performance, and overall finish.
• 15 points — AI integration & transparency. Meaningful use of generative tools with an honest workflow disclosure.
• 05 points — Rights & technical. Eligibility, permissions, delivery requirements, and responsible production.

Audience Choice is separate from the core jury outcome. Judges disclose material conflicts. Sponsors cannot influence the Grand Prize or any core jury award. Jury decisions are final to the fullest extent permitted by law.

8. Awards

• Grand Prize: $1,500. The jury's strongest film across story, direction, and craft.
• Best Story: $750. For the film with the clearest voice and emotional impact.
• Best AI Craft: $500. For purposeful, transparent, and well-directed use of AI.
• Audience Choice: $250. Chosen separately by the public from the Season 1 finalists.

The guaranteed base pool is USD 3,000. Any partner-supported special award will be announced separately. Winners are responsible for taxes, reporting, banking information, and costs not expressly included in the prize.

9. Verification and publicity

Potential winners must respond within the stated verification period and may be required to complete eligibility, rights, liability, tax, and release documents. Failure to respond or verify may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate. Winners agree that the Organiser may announce their name, image, voice, city/country, film, and submitted project materials without additional payment where legally permitted.

10. Conduct, platforms, and voting

Entrants must not interfere with the Competition, manipulate views or votes, use bots, submit false information, harass participants, or compromise judging or platform integrity. The Organiser is not responsible for YouTube, Google Forms, internet, device, or third-party platform failures. Entrants remain responsible for keeping their film accessible.

11. Privacy

Entry data may be used to administer the Competition, verify eligibility, contact entrants and winners, prevent fraud, comply with law, and communicate Competition-related information. Necessary information may be shared with judges, service providers, and prize partners under appropriate safeguards. Marketing messages are sent only where permitted or separately accepted. Privacy requests may be sent to hello@aion3.xyz.

12. Changes, cancellation, and law

The Organiser may amend these Rules, extend deadlines, modify the format, suspend, or cancel the Competition where reasonably necessary for legal, technical, safety, fraud, force-majeure, or operational reasons. Material changes will be versioned and published; they will not be changed silently after launch. Subject to mandatory consumer protections, these Rules are governed by the laws of Thailand and disputes will be submitted to the courts of Bangkok.