When word started circling that AMC Theaters was screening an AI-generated short film, the internet’s cinephiles took it personally.
On Wednesday, some social media users reported that the short was playing in the pre-show before trailers at select AMC locations. A little digging revealed the source: Earlier this week, the short, titled Thanksgiving Day, was announced as the winner of the inaugural Frame Forward Animated AI Film Festival. The prize package included a nationwide theatrical release, which apparently entailed making its way to AMC’s screens.
Movie lovers across social media were immediately up in arms. Some called for boycotts. Some found it insulting that if pre-show screen time were being given to short films, AMC would feature AI-generated content rather than human-made movies. Almost all seemed to agree that the move was, as one disgruntled user put it, “hot garbage.”
Less than 24 hours later, AMC issued a statement to set things straight. Showing Thanksgiving Day wasn’t AMC’s idea, but an initiative from Screenvision Media, a cinema advertising company that co-organized the Frame Forward festival. According to AMC, Screenvision’s pre-show advertising packages run “in fewer than 30 percent of AMC’s U.S. locations.”
“AMC was not involved in the creation of the content or the initiative and has informed Screenvision that AMC locations will not participate,” the statement, which was given to the Hollywood Reporter, concluded.
Social media users celebrated the news that AMC would no longer screen the short. Yes, it’s a victory in itself for anti-AI advocates. But perhaps more importantly, it suggests that brands take notice when consumers speak out against AI integration.
According to film critic Jacob Harper, claims about AI’s inevitably don’t hold water. “Stand firm against AI in film! Make them listen and they WILL listen! Never underestimate the power of your voice!” Harper wrote in his post on X. “Very proud of AMC for this!”
AMC wasn’t the only theater showing the short, and it’s not the only theater to axe it. Social media users also reported seeing Thanksgiving Day ahead of films at Hollywood’s iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, prompting similar outrage from moviegoers.
But a representative for the theater tells Fast Company that the short has “been removed,” following AMC’s example.
Though Thanksgiving Day may no longer be part of the AMC experience, organizers of the Frame First festival, including AI film company Modern Uprising Studios, aren’t giving up on the short.
In a statement issued by the festival, president and studio head of MUS Joel Roodman said that the theatrical run was only the beginning of plans for the AI-generated film, which include adapting Thanksgiving Day for a new immersive theatrical venue coming to New York City.
“Shared theatrical experiences are an important cultural bond,” Roodman said. “The traditional theatrical chains are vital to our cohesion as a society, and are duly cautious [about AI]. However, the media landscape is changing and evolving rapidly.”
“They may be prudent, but it is important to MUS immersive that new and exciting films, filmmakers, cinematic language, and spaces for these shared experiences continue to develop,” Roodman added. “We will bring new content, and important existing content, to our developing venue network of venues, starting in New York. We will not see the theatrical window wither on our watch.”