16 Oct 2026
Students from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University's Academy of Film and Creative Technology (AFCT) have won nine awards at the 2026 Busan International Art Festival (BIAF), including two gold, three silver and three bronze awards, as well as an Excellence Award.
The winning entries span generative artificial intelligence (AI) research, AI-assisted filmmaking and animation, and digital media design, reflecting the Academy's work at the intersection of art and technology.
This marks AFCT's second consecutive year participating in the international festival. In 2025, the Academy secured two gold, three silver and three bronze awards, alongside the National Assembly Member's Grand Prize and the Best Organisational Contribution Award. This year's results build on that success, demonstrating the continued achievements of AFCT students and staff on an international stage.
Supported by the Busan Metropolitan Government and organised by the Korea-China Cultural and Arts Exchange Research Institute, BIAF brings together artists, designers, academics and students from around the world. The festival covers disciplines including art and design, digital art, and digital media, providing opportunities for international exchange through competitions, exhibitions and academic activities. In 2025, the festival attracted 12,990 submissions from 85 countries.
This year, AFCT received awards across three categories: the International Conference of Academic Forum (ICAF), International (AI) Video Art and Animation Creation (IVAC), and International Fusion Creative Design (IFCD).
In the academic research category, Yanru Lai received a gold award for the paper Evaluating the Cultural Representation Capacity of Generative AI: A Comparative Study of Dongba Cultural Image Generation by GPT and Dreamina.
Another gold award went to Sorry, I lost, an entry in the International (AI) Video Art and Animation Creation category, created by Wanyi Zhou, Yingchu Ma, Wenyuan Cui and Ningyu Pei.
AFCT students also received silver, bronze and Excellence Awards for their work in animation, digital video and digital media design.
AFCT Award Winners at the 2026 BIAF
The Academy's achievements over two consecutive years highlight its students' and staff's continued exploration of emerging technologies and creative approaches, from generative AI research to animation, digital filmmaking and media design.
AFCT focuses on digital audiovisual content creation and production, bringing together art, technology and industry practice. Through interdisciplinary courses, project-based learning and hands-on creative work, the Academy encourages students to explore how emerging technologies can shape artistic expression and digital content production, preparing them for a wide range of careers in the creative industries.
By Wenzhen Li
16 Oct 2026