Tribeca Festival 2024 Sora Shorts Showcase: The Threat
Five filmmakers chosen to test Sora, from left to right: Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Nikyatu Jusu, Bonnie Discepolo, Reza Sixo Safai, and Ellie Foumbi.
At Tribeca Festival 2024, one programming “first” drew unprecedented attention: the “Sora Shorts” showcase, featuring five original short films all produced using OpenAI’s text-to-video AI model, aka Sora.
Why does this matter?
Storytelling as we know it may never be the same.
According to OpenAI, Sora is a creative tool with a deep understanding of language, able to interpret text prompts and generate onscreen narratives—all with compelling characters who express vibrant emotions in consistent visual styles. Yes, AI-generated films have already been screened at other major festivals, but this is new territory: Sora has yet to be released to the general public ... and the few who have tried it see unprecedented potential.
Like so many things tech, this is what the media calls a ‘developing’ news feed.
Thus far, only “red-teamers” have been granted access: a select group of tech troubleshooters, misinformation experts and creative professionals. Filmmakers are among those who got the nod—allowed to play with AI as long as they kept to post-strike guidelines
Their initial achievements were stunning. When the first previews of Sora’s capabilities were released this past February, all in hi-def—including an SUV driving down a mountain road, an animation of a "short fluffy monster" next to a candle, two people walking through Tokyo in the snow, fake historical footage of the California gold rush—the media hit red alert. One headline asked if Sora is “the filmmaking apocalypse.”
Credit: OpenAI
Then came Tribeca’s announcement: in partnership with OpenAI, TF24 would commission five short films made by “red team” directors in collaboration with Sora. The filmmakers would create the text prompts; Sora would create the footage; the finished films would be a few minutes max. The entire process could take no more than three weeks.
In the eyes of the festival, the Sora Shorts project would be quintessential Tribeca: in lockstep with their mission of advancing the art form.
“Tribeca is rooted in the foundational belief that storytelling inspires change,” stated Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises. “Humans need stories to thrive. And we want to widen the aperture around what’s possible.”
Groundbreaking? Absolutely. Inflammatory? Even more so.
For many creatives, this embrace of ‘assisted storytelling’ felt like a betrayal. Film festivals are historically known for empowering artists and yet here was Tribeca, in bed with the enemy. Not only does Generative AI produce content based on datasets compiled from millions of artists’ unlicensed work—an act some see as plagiarism—but it also threatens their future employment. Why hire artists when AI can do it? Despite the careful wording of recent guild agreements, the risk is real. Especially now, when film industry execs are desperate to recoup losses caused by two years of COVID and the past year of guild strikes.
Even Sora’s name has earned snarky comments: by choosing the Japanese word for sky, its creators hoped to signify "limitless creative potential”—but its detractors have been quick to point out less heavenly attributes.
The debate is intense. Does the Sora Shorts program sanitize Big Tech at the expense of artists ... or does it help filmmakers advance the art form? Is this OpenAI’s attempt to normalize a potential threat ... or does it help raise awareness?
Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI, sees their partnership with Tribeca as a win-win for all concerned. “Frankly, we’re excited. We’re at the bleeding edge. To be able to explore how these tools can bring benefit to creators and to fans is really surreal for us.”
Rosenthal agrees. “We’re all concerned about the risks,” she admits. “But we need to find an ethical way that our industry feels comfortable with the technology. It’s about asking questions, that’s what we hope to explore further in our partnership with OpenAI. I’m one who looks at the more utopian sides rather than at dystopian futures.” She pauses, then laughs—ruefully. “Although the political landscape, well, never mind.”
As for the Sora Short Five, the list is impressive. All Tribeca alums, the filmmakers chosen for this unexpected experiment are Bonnie Discepolo (Fire Country), Ellie Foumbi (Our Father the Devil), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny), Reza Sixo Safai (writer, Prisoners of a Ghostland; director, Sabotage), and Michaela Ternasky-Holland (Peabody nominee and Emmy Winner in the XR and metaverse space).
In their eyes, the chance to explore Sora’s potential was both an honor ... and an opportunity too good to pass up.
They didn’t anticipate the firestorm that came with the privilege.
Stay Tuned for Part II: The Opportunity.