AI-Produced Series Selected for Los Angeles Festival
The 10-episode vertical drama Mountain of Graves marks a push to showcase AI filmmaking in Los Angeles.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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The Neu Wave AI Film Festival has selected the AI-generated series Mountain of Graves as a finalist for its Topwave Vertical Films Competition. The series, commissioned by Buka Africa and produced by DragonStudios.ai, is currently competing in the third annual event.
Why it matters
The project serves as a showcase for integrating AI platforms into professional film production while scaling African narratives to international audiences. This competition highlights the growing utility of generative models in mobile-first content creation.
The production consists of a 10-episode vertical drama series, a format designed specifically for mobile-first consumption. The content was generated entirely through AI filmmaking platforms rather than traditional camera-based capture.
The players
DragonStudios.ai
A production entity that specializes in utilizing AI filmmaking platforms to create episodic digital content.
Buka Africa
A media production group focused on commissioning and promoting African stories for global distribution.
Donovan Marsh
A creative writer who co-authored the 10-episode AI-produced series Mountain of Graves.
Steven Cholerton
A creative writer who contributed to the narrative development of the AI-generated series.
Phuti Lehong Buka
A creative writer involved in the production of the Mountain of Graves vertical series.
The details
The production utilizes vertical video, a format that occupies the full screen on smartphones, to tailor the viewing experience for mobile users. DragonStudios.ai deployed a suite of AI filmmaking platforms to generate the visual and narrative components of the series, bypassing conventional live-action filming. This process aims to demonstrate the practical capability of generative tools in producing cohesive, long-form episodic content.
Timeline
- 2026-09-28
Official announcement regarding festival finalists.
- 2026-10-14
Winners of the competition will be announced in Santa Monica.
The Tech Race
The Topwave Vertical Films Competition functions as a subset of LA Tech Week, emphasizing how regional innovation hubs are increasingly integrating AI into traditional creative sectors. The competition acts as a practical demonstration of AI-driven creative workflows within the broader agenda of LA Tech Week.
Viewers can expect mobile-first, vertical-format storytelling designed specifically to leverage the capabilities of AI-generated content. The production shifts professional workflows toward automated generation, prioritizing rapid scaling of episodic content over traditional production cycles.
The takeaway
This selection underscores the shift toward AI-generated episodic media in professional film circuits. Watch for the official competition results on 14 October to see how judges evaluate AI-produced storytelling compared to human-led submissions.
What happens next
The winners of the Topwave Vertical Films Competition will be announced on 14 October 2026 in Santa Monica.
Further reading
Explore more developments in Artificial Intelligence as machine learning tools continue to reshape professional creative production.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bizcommunity.
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