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LOOP 2126 Collaborative Project

AIFJ 2026

The 2nd Annual AI Film Festival Japan - Film Music Category

Pioneering the future of cinematic and auditory expression through Human-AI Co-Creation. Introducing the dedicated Film Music (Scoring) Category, exploring the emotional foundation of cinema.

Event Overview

Organizer: AI Film Festival Japan Executive Committee (Lead: AI FILM JAPAN Inc.)
Date: November 3, 2026
Festival Venue: Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB) *To be Confirmed
SusHi Tech Square, 3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005

Important Dates

  • July 1, 2026: Opening Date
  • July 31, 2026: Earlybird Deadline
  • August 31, 2026: Regular Deadline
  • September 20, 2026: Late Deadline
  • October 10, 2026: Notification Date
  • November 3, 2026: Event Date

Categories & Fees

  • - AI Movie
  • - AI Animation
  • - AI Creative (Experimental)
  • - AI Film Music / Score (Instrumental)
  • - AI Vocal Track

Guidelines: New "Film Music Category"

Introducing the new "AI Film Music Score Category". This special competition requires creators to use AI to compose and apply the optimal soundtrack (pure audio data without video) to a "3-minute official video asset (live-action narrative and animation)" provided by the festival.

Against the backdrop of the rapid evolution of music generation AI platforms and voice synthesis AI models, this category challenges how highly AI can construct the synergy between visual and audio. The Film Music Category is an attempt to redefine the boundary between filmmakers and music creators. Music, often evaluated merely as an "accompanying element" in traditional film festivals, takes center stage here, competing in the precision and artistry of "reverse scoring" using AI tools.

1. Instrumental / BGM Division
Theme A: "Laundromat 380 - 780"
Theme A Main
Theme A Thumb 1 Theme A Thumb 2 Theme A Thumb 3 Theme A Thumb 4

A mundane man embarks on an adventure in his dreams (the spiritual realm) at the laundromat to discover the secret of the wavelengths between 380nm and 780nm—the true nature of "light = white." Laundry is the act of "cleaning = returning everything to white," and this place is a microcosm of the universe. If you just mix things together, you won't know what color (black) you'll get, but if you have the goal of making things beautiful, the world will return to white. In the final scene, what hidden in the copper plates are numbers related to this universe, such as sound frequencies, light frequencies, and geometric ratios—"hints of harmony."

Theme B: "UN-SILENT" Animation
Theme B Main
Theme B Thumb 1 Theme B Thumb 2 Theme B Thumb 3 Theme B Thumb 4

Sound does not exist in the galaxy. Sound exists only on planets with life. The protagonist was born on an airless asteroid with no atmosphere, wind, echo, or voice. To him, silence was not emptiness—it was a completely natural state of existence. One day, he discovers a miraculous planet unlike anything he has ever known—a world brimming with mysterious rhythms, gentle vibrations, bubbling echoes, and living music. Captivated by this impossible discovery, he sets out on a journey to collect all the sounds of the planet. Why he collects sounds, and what he will do with them after the journey ends, remains a mystery.

2. Vocal / Song Division

We are globally calling for tracks that color the universe and journey of "SIO". Submit your vocal tracks with complete lyrics. To completely absorb SIO's worldview, please view the integrated concept video below.

Call for Musicians & Creators: High-Dimensional Dream Catcher "SIO" Music Contest

"Who is SIO?" — A Dream Catcher from a Class III civilization. Traveling cross timelines, navigating fragments of dreams, memories, and emotions. She gathers encountered dreams and channels them into music. Appearing as a young woman with long black hair and glowing violet eyes, she possesses a quiet, elegant, magnetic charm. Fascinated by Earth, she enjoys living like the humans on the ground. A maiden standing beneath a neon moon. A voice echoing just before you awake. Someone who remembers your dreams better than you do...

Theme Submissions (Dream Files)

Select one of the two official Dream Files below and create a custom track interpreting the core narrative, atmosphere, and imagery.

Dream File 001: The Sun Beyond the Stone Door

Inspired by Amaterasu: Light vanished from the world. The Sun Goddess hides deep within the stone cave; morning refuses to break, and even shadows freeze. Yet outside the door, the gods begin to dance, laugh, and sing. A strange festival born in the deep darkness. The festive clamor slowly reaches the hidden Sun's heart. What kind of sound would a song that brings back the light have?

Dream File 002: The Maiden Returning to the Moon

Inspired by Kaguya-hime: A girl from the Moon learns about love on Earth. Flowers, letters, silk robes, summer nights, human promises—the more beautiful things are, the shorter they stay. On the night the Moon calls her back, all the memories spent on the ground become a single song to leave behind. What would you sing before returning to the vacuum of space?

SIO Official Concept Video

Submission Rules

  • Target Length: Aim for under 3 minutes.
  • Key Constraint: Structure the track so the world-view is clearly conveyed within the first 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Submission Cap: Maximum of 2 entries per individual creator or team.
  • Portal: All submissions must go through FilmFreeway.

Concept Note Required

Include a concept text (100–300 words) detailing your creative interpretation and intent via the FilmFreeway project section.

Formats & Specs

  • Video Container: MP4 or MOV format, 1080p resolution or higher (Still/static imagery is allowed; content video quality will not be judged).
  • Vocal Required: Must utilize AI vocals/singing synthesis (Purely instrumental tracks are strictly ineligible).
  • Lyric Video Format: Hardcoded or burnt-in text lyrics must be clearly displayed within the video timeline.
  • Language: Any language allowed. Non-English/Non-Japanese lyrics require precise English translations.
  • Tech Disclosure: Meticulously list the specific AI tools, platforms, and models utilized.

Originality & Rights

Submissions must be unpublished, original works. All samples, assets, audio, and visuals must be legally usable (non-infringing). Copyright of the submitted work remains with the creator.

Awards & Prizes

Grand Prize (Best AI Vocal Performance): The highest-scoring AI vocal track will be officially crowned as an official SIO song, debuted at the upcoming "LOOP Fest" in Tokyo, and the creator will be integrated into the SIO Universe official production crew.

Outstanding Award (Runner-up): Officially screened during AIFJ 2026 live events (Nov 3rd, 2026), featured/credited on SIO's official distribution pipelines, and prioritized for future paid production collaborations.

Judging Architecture

Final Score Formula = 50% Public Voting + 50% SIO Selection Committee

  • STEP 01: General vetting by SIO engineering staff regarding asset clearance and regulatory terms.
  • STEP 02: Global open public voting session opens (constituting 50% of the core score matrix).
  • STEP 03: The official SIO artist jury group strictly executes evaluation for the remaining 50%.