A Filipino-made short film has earned global recognition after becoming a finalist in the world’s first AI Film Awards, held during the One Billion Followers Summit in Dubai—proving that even with artificial intelligence as a tool, storytelling can remain deeply human.
Directed by Filipino filmmakers Darryll Rapacon and Rodson Verr Suarez, ‘Portrait No. 72’ emerged as one of only five finalists from more than 3,500 submissions worldwide. It was also the only Filipino entry to make the final list.
The milestone was earlier highlighted when ‘Portrait No. 72’ was shortlisted, marking a significant moment for Philippine representation on an international creative platform focused on emerging technology.
Despite being produced using artificial intelligence—an explicit requirement of the competition—the film stood out for its emotional depth rather than its technical novelty. Rapacon said the project was driven by a key question during development.
“When we were writing the film, we had a question we wanted to answer: can an AI film make you feel emotions? With Portrait No. 72, we were successful in proving that it can, as people felt feelings — it’s not like a lot of the AI content you see on social media, as it has a story and emotions,” he said.
Rapacon added that the film was created during a period of personal loss for both filmmakers.
“And as we were writing, we were also grieving at the time: Rodson lost his grandmother, and I lost my mother,” he shared.
Suarez, meanwhile, emphasized that artificial intelligence did not replace human creativity in the process.
“Our mindset while making Portrait No. 72 was this isn’t an AI film — this is a film made with AI. That distinction is important especially to us creatives, as we are still the ones directing the story,” he said. “To us, AI is just a new tool of storytelling; just be open to it.”
The film was created using Google AI tools, including Veo for video generation, Flow for scene control, and Gemini for conceptual development and storyboarding. According to the filmmakers, these tools helped streamline production while allowing them to focus on narrative and artistic direction.
On January 23, media representatives were invited by Google Philippines to an intimate screening and discussion at its office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, where Rapacon and Suarez personally shared insights into the making of Portrait No. 72.
Google Philippines welcomed the international recognition, calling it a win for Filipino creativity.
“Congratulations to Rodson and Darryll for creating such a compelling short film in collaboration with Google AI. Their win not only shows the world-class talent of Pinoys but the tremendous potential when you place powerful tools in the hands of innovative storytellers,” said Mervin Wenke, head of communications for Google Philippines.
