VIA — Visual Innovation Awards — connects AI filmmaking with public screenings, creative challenges and festival conversations. Its network includes Rome AI Festival, Florence AI Festival, Milan AI Festival and Prompt2Screen. These are different ways into the same community: watching finished work, testing a process with other makers, and bringing a film into a public setting.
Choose your goal before choosing an event
If you want to discover films, start with a screening programme. If you want to practise making one, look for a creative challenge or hackathon. If you have a completed project, read a festival’s competition rules before preparing a submission. Those routes overlap, but they ask for different preparation. A ticket to a screening, a creator place in a hackathon and a competition entry are separate things.
Rome: a festival encounter with AI cinema
The Rome AI Festival brings film, AI and public conversation together. VIA’s 2026 edition page records the 19 September event at Cinema Adriano. That date is now in the past. Use the official festival site for subsequent announcements, rather than treating an old ticket link as a current invitation.
For a screening visit, make a small viewing brief: choose one question about storytelling, one about image-making and one about sound. Write down the moments that changed your attention. That gives you something specific to discuss with other viewers and filmmakers afterwards.
Prompt2Screen: learn by making, then watch the results
Prompt2Screen is the making-focused part of the network. Its Torino edition took place on 10 October 2026 at Blox Space. The official site now presents the resulting films and the next chapter of the project. Watching those films is a useful starting point even if you were not in the room.
Try watching one film twice. On the first pass, follow its story without taking notes. On the second, track shot length, changes of location, sound transitions and character continuity. Choose one decision you could test in your own work. This turns a showcase into a practical learning exercise without assuming that every team used the same tools or process.
Florence: the next date in the programme
Florence AI Festival announces 15 February 2027 at Palazzo San Niccolò, Florence. VIA also retains its Florence AI Cinema Night page as part of the programme. Consult the official festival site for participation links and current information before making plans.
For filmmakers, preparation starts with a concise synopsis and a clear account of your creative role. Keep the finished film, stills and a short process note together. Check the actual requirements before paying a submission fee or producing an additional export; a useful preparation checklist is not a substitute for the festival’s rules.
Milan: cinema, design and visual culture
Milan AI Festival announces its first edition for 15 April 2027 at Cinema Anteo, Milano. The official festival page sets out the competition categories and practical information. Read the current category descriptions and runtime limits to assess where your film belongs.
Choose a category by the completed work, not just by the software used to make it. Consider its central subject, intended audience and form. If you cannot explain the fit in one sentence, revisit the category description or contact the organiser before submitting.
Where do VIA awards fit?
Visual Innovation Awards is the VIA name and the wider organising identity. Specific competitions and awards belong to their announced events and editions. An award mentioned on one festival’s page does not automatically apply to another. Always verify the edition, category, eligibility, deadline and submission destination together.
A practical next step
Choose one action: watch a Prompt2Screen film, explore the Rome archive, check Florence’s participation information, or read Milan’s categories. For cultural partnerships, screenings and collaborations across the network, contact info@viagroup.ai. This guide was checked on 19 October 2026; the official event sites remain the reference for changing details.