Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi has won the inaugural $1 million Google AI Film Award at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.

The dazzling prize, celebrating AI-driven filmmaking, was presented on the summit’s second day, January 10, with the winner officially announced and the award handed over on January 11. Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, personally presented the award to Jlassi for his film Lily. The award is organized by the 1 Billion Followers Summit in collaboration with Google Gemini.

Organizers revealed the competition drew 3,500 film submissions, while more than 30,000 participants from 116 countries expressed interest, demonstrating strong global engagement. A specialized jury of 40 experts reviewed over 400 hours of film content to ensure entries met the award’s creative and technical standards. From this process, 100 films were shortlisted for further assessment.

Shortlisted entries then underwent technical verification using Google Gemini, confirming that each film was produced with at least 70% generative AI tools. Lily emerged among 12 films selected for public voting and later advanced to the final five nominees.

Who Is Zoubeir Jlassi?

Zoubeir Jlassi is a Tunisian graphic designer and filmmaker. He has directed several television programs and fiction series in Tunisia, including the drama El Azeb, praised for its visual depth and emotional storytelling. As an active member of the Tunis Amateur Filmmakers Club, he explores personal artistic paths where cinema, design, and artificial intelligence converge. His debut short film, A Breath Apart (Entre deux souffles), is a poetic and introspective journey that merges human fragility with dreamlike imagination.

What Is the Award-Winning Film Lily About?

Set in a gloomy, rain-soaked city, Lily follows a lonely archivist whose life is upended by a doll trapped on his car bumper during a hit-and-run accident he commits. Haunted by the object, which becomes a spiritual link to the survivor, he confronts his guilt and chooses redemption by confessing to the police and reuniting the doll with the child in the hospital. The film illustrates how objects silently witness our actions, carrying the weight of truth and demanding moral accountability. Lily was published on January 6, 2026.

Event Info

The fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest gathering dedicated to the content creator economy, opened on January 9 under the theme Content for Good. It was organized by the UAE Government Media Office and held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.