Bridging continents and disciplines
October 24–25, 2025, 4pm
Future of Cinema: From Locarno to LA is a two-day conference and screening program presented by the Locarno Film Festival, Università della Svizzera italiana, Swissnex in San Francisco, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, and UCLA Film & Television Archive. Bringing together experts from academia, the film industry, technology, and curatorship, the program opens a forum for urgent debate on cinema’s digital transformation.
As artificial intelligence reshapes the creative landscape, fundamental questions emerge about the stories we tell, the images we capture, and the futures we dare to imagine. How will this technological revolution transform not just filmmaking, but the very essence of creative production?
From script generation to visual effects, from questions of authenticity to new labor models, Future of Cinema invites participants to imagine how technology will redefine storytelling, creativity, and cultural life in the years ahead.
The sessions unfold as conversations across three interrelated themes: authorship and creativity, technology and labor, and cinema’s cultural futures. They examine our relationship with technology past and present and its implications for political, ethical, and creative life. A curated screening program presents archival and contemporary short films and video essays that probe the intersection of technology, AI, and film history. These works question how technological legacies continue to shape the political, ethical, and stylistic fabric of our time.
Hosted on the UCLA campus and at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum, this collaboration links Locarno’s rich European cinematic heritage and innovative vision with UCLA’s experimentation and archival depth, bridging continents and disciplines.
Events
Visions of AI Film Culture: October 24, 4–5:30pm
Darren Star Theater, UCLA
Visions of the Future: Then and Now: October 24, 7:30–9:30pm
Billy Wilder Theater, Hammer Museum
AI’s Impact on Film Culture: October 25, 2–3:30pm
Darren Star Theater, UCLA
Strategies for a Sustainable AI Future: October 25, 4–5:30pm
Darren Star Theater, UCLA
REAL by Adele Tulli: October 25, 7:30–9:30pm
Billy Wilder Theater, Hammer Museum
