Vancouver AI Meetup #22: 1st Annual AI Film Festival + Data Storytelling Hackathon Grand Finale

About this episode

This episode covers the First Annual AI Film Festival and the grand finale of the Data Storytelling Hackathon, featuring insights from industry professionals and discussions on the impact of AI on creative fields.

This historic episode captures Vancouver AI's biggest event yet: the debut of the First Annual AI Film Festival and the grand finale of the eight-month Rival Technologies Data Storytelling Hackathon. Hear from Hollywood VFX legends who created Gollum for Lord of the Rings, professional animators producing studio-quality work in 3 days for $100, and an 18-year-old who placed second in all four hackathon rounds while maintaining valedictorian status. The episode opens with a powerful Squamish Nation blessing from newly elected Counselors Anthony Joseph and Johnny Williams, grounding the community in indigenous protocol before diving into the transformation of creative industries through AI. Warning: This episode contains frank discussions about industry displacement, ethical debates about training data, and strong language about IP rights. ------- Standout Quotes On Ceremony & Time "Time is our greatest asset, and that's the one thing you can't get back no matter where you spend it." — Anthony Joseph, Squamish Nation Counselor "When Anthony and Johnny comes up every month and starts singing, I know everything that happens next is gonna be okay. We're here. We made it, we're in…

People in this episode

Host: Kris Krüg

Topics covered

• AI Film Festival
• Data Storytelling
• Creative Industries
• Indigenous Protocol
• Ethics in AI
• Industry Displacement

Keywords

• AI Film Festival
• Data Storytelling Hackathon
• VFX
• Animation
• Ethics
• Indigenous Protocol
• Industry Displacement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rival Technologies

Books & works: Lord of the Rings

More episodes of Vancouver AI Pods

• Vancouver AI Community Meetup: 01/28 · February 4, 2026 · 2h 25m
• 2026 launch of BC + AI Film Club · February 3, 2026 · 2h 9m
• Vancouver AI Community Meetup & The Squatchie Awards · February 2, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Creative Power vs. Planetary Limits: Vancouver AI Community Meetup November 2025 · February 1, 2026 · 2h 17m
• Surrey AI Community Meetup: September 2025 · October 15, 2025 · 1h 50m
• When Trees Talk Back: Vancouver AI Community Meetup #21 · October 1, 2025 · 1h 37m