10 May 2026 

An AI animated short film, Sushi Party, directed by Dr Sobel Chan, Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication (SCOM) of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), has garnered a series of international recognitions across art-tech, AI cinema and animation film festivals. The film has been invited to participate in the Miami Art-Tech Summit 2025, AI Film Awards Cannes 2025, AI Short Film Festival Larissa Lumina 2025, and the Brighton International Animation Festival (BIAF) 2026. It has also been shortlisted for the finals of the Neu Wave AI Film Festival 2025, demonstrating strong international recognition from the professional film festival community.

Sushi Party was selected for the “You’ve Got to Laugh” comedy animation programme of BIAF 2026, and was screened at the Brighton Dome Studio Theatre in the UK on 25 April 2026. This selection is particularly meaningful as BIAF is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)-qualifying animation festival, further affirming the film’s international exposure and professional acclaim.

Dr Chan said that Sushi Party incorporates a wide range of AI technologies, with AI tools used throughout the creative process — from content development and visual design to sound production. The short film’s songs, transition effects and some layered visual sequences were also generated with AI assistance, showcasing the vast potential of AI in audiovisual creation. He noted that the project is not only a technical experiment, but also an exploration of storytelling, animation and comedic expression through generative AI. Looking ahead, he plans to adopt an even broader range of AI tools in future short film production, while inspiring students to broaden their creative horizons, experiment boldly with diverse short film formats, and explore more possibilities in the integration of AI and creative media.