‘2025 KT AI P.A.N(Playground, AI, Now)_Next’ Successfully Concludes

DGK (Korean Film Directors Guild representatives Min Gyu-dong and Yoon Je-kyun) and KT (CEO Kim Young-seob) co-hosted the ‘2025 KT AI P.A.N(Playground, AI, Now)_Next’ film festival, which successfully concluded on the 10th at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel in Seoul. This film festival was organized as a venue for experts and creators to communicate and celebrate AI content, along with the award ceremony for the winners of the AI video contest ‘2025 KT AI P.A.N’ held in August. Notably, this contest saw active participation from DGK directors, with 20 feature film directors serving as preliminary judges, and directors Kim Han-gyeol, Min Gyu-dong, Eom Tae-hwa, and Jang Hoon participating in the final judging. All of them are directors who have built achievements across commercial films, independent films, genre films, and art films, enhancing the professionalism and fairness of the judging by evaluating the potential of AI creations from various creative experiences and techniques. The event began with a keynote lecture by author Song Gil-young, followed by various sessions including ▲ The Future of AI Creation (Google Specialist Lee Deok-soo) ▲ IP Strategies in the AI Era (Park Jae-soo, MCA CEO, Director Jang Hoon, Actor Ko Joon) ▲ The Role of Creators in the AI Video Industry (Director Kang Yoon-sung), with over 300 representatives from Korea's leading AI experts, directors, actors, and creators contributing to a vibrant atmosphere.

As a result of the contest, a total of 52 award-winning works were selected, with the grand prize going to the short film 〈Evil Talisman〉, which tells the story of a boy who seals an evil spirit that entered with the Japanese army using ‘Evil Talisman’, showcasing an experimental achievement that combines AI technology with Korean-style occult fantasy. The Best Short Film Award went to Director Kang Eung-bin’s 〈When It Snows, the Jangseung Speaks〉, the Best Short Form Award went to Irki Studio’s 〈The Other Me in the Pond〉, and the Best Advertisement Award went to Nas’s 〈Play with Nas〉. In the Special IP category, Team ArtTech’s 〈Idol of Joseon〉 won, and in the KT Group Media IP category, Jisan X Jason’s 〈Disaster Girl Music Video〉 was awarded. The Jury Special Award went to CLUB RONAIC’s 〈The Orange〉, which captured an emotional essence reminiscent of a storybook, with actor Jo Woo-jin expressing, “I kept shedding tears while watching the work.”

KT Media Division Head Kim Chae-hee stated, “As this event has shown, the convergence of new technology and creative challenges will allow the Korean film industry to leap forward again,” adding, “KT will fulfill its role in enabling more creators to unfold their own stories through the fusion of AI and cultural arts.” In response, Jury Chair Min Gyu-dong remarked, “Through this process, I glimpsed both possibilities and impossibilities. It seems to be both a crisis and an opportunity for creators. I also reaffirmed that the most important thing, regardless of technical limitations, is the story,” reflecting on the significance of this contest.

The award-winning works proved that the combination of AI and creation can extend beyond mere technical experiments to encompass social messages and global expansion potential. The major award-winning works will be publicly screened through KT IPTV Genie TV VOD and the Genie TV YouTube channel ‘Genius Cut’, and a theatrical release is also under consideration. Meanwhile, at the film festival venue, Director Min Gyu-dong’s AI animation 〈Little Wings〉, which visually embodies the philosophy of ‘creator-centered AI utilization’, was showcased as a special screening, attracting the audience's attention. This work was a compact representation of the direction that DGK aims for, showcasing the harmony of technology and art.