Story perspectives

First AI-Built Family Film “Critterz” Hits Cannes Market

5/5/2026

Summary

Critterz Pitched

The AI-assisted family film “Critterz,” written by screenwriters James Lamont and Jon Foster, will be pitched at the Cannes Film Market as the first mainstream commercial family feature built with artificial intelligence.
Director Nik Kleverov co-produces with OpenAI strategist Chad Nelson and Vertigo Films producers Allan Niblo and James Richardson.
Although the Cannes Film Festival bans AI-authored movies, the Cannes Film Market remains more lenient toward AI experiments.

Summary

DALL-E Animates Film

The 2023 short film used OpenAI’s DALL-E for artwork that animators turned into 3D CG.
AI generated the visual brushstrokes while writers and the director retained full story control.
OpenAI creative strategist Chad Nelson produced the film, linking generative tools with traditional pipelines for DALL-E’s one-year anniversary.
Vertigo’s James Richardson said AI augments artists in a hybrid model with all voice performances recorded by human actors.

History

Historical Context

Pixar’s debut CGI feature Toy Story premiered on November 22 1995, earning about $394 million worldwide and proving computer animation could dominate box offices. Directed by John Lasseter, its success spurred Disney’s partnership with Pixar, accelerated the CGI boom seen in A Bug’s Life (1998) across Hollywood studios and set a commercial precedent that now underpins AI-driven visual-effects pipelines.

1 of 3

Critterz Pitched

The AI-assisted family film “Critterz,” written by screenwriters James Lamont and Jon Foster, will be pitched at the Cannes Film Market as the first mainstream commercial family feature built with artificial intelligence.
Director Nik Kleverov co-produces with OpenAI strategist Chad Nelson and Vertigo Films producers Allan Niblo and James Richardson.
Although the Cannes Film Festival bans AI-authored movies, the Cannes Film Market remains more lenient toward AI experiments.

1 / 3