News

Three projects produced by the Art & Technology (AT) Lab at the Korea National University of Arts (President Pyoen Jang-wan, hereinafter K-ARTS) Interdisciplinary Arts Center—8 PM and the Cat, Ticket to Neverland, and LAST MANKIND—have been officially invited to the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director Shin Chul, hereinafter BIFAN).

Poster of the 30th Bucheon Internationl Fantastic Film Festival

These invited works are drawing significant attention as they were all created using generative AI technology as their core driving force.

Poster of the LAST MANKIND
 

Directed by Huh Gun (School of Film, TV & Multimedia), LAST MANKIND is a sci-fi feature film set in a post-apocalyptic world where air pollution has wiped out life on Earth. The story follows Dae-seung (played by Cho Seong-ha), a biotechnologist living alone in a fallout shelter with his daughter Shin-ah (played by Seok Hee). It will screen in the Korean feature competition section ("Bucheon Choice: Korean Feature"). Notably, Humanity's End achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for the '2026 Cannes Fantastic 7' by BIFAN, earning it a spot at the Cannes Film Market earlier this year.

Poster of 8pm and the Cat 

Directed by Choi Min-hyuk (M.F.A., Department of Multimedia, School of Film, TV & Multimedia), 8 PM and the Cat is an interactive VR experience that delivers a unique viewing experience using real-time image and monologue generation technologies. The piece deeply immerses audiences into the journey of grief and memory of Haru, a webtoon artist who loses his lover in a sudden accident. Last year, it was invited to the Venice Immersive competition at the Venice International Film Festival as the sole Korean selection, receiving high praise as a "creative and touching piece that utilizes artificial intelligence in a poetic and delicate way to evoke deep emotions."

Poster of Ticket to Neverland 
 

Co-produced by directors Huh Min and Son Min-ho (M.F.A., School of Film, TV & Multimedia) along with director Kim Han-in (Department of Playwriting, School of Drama), Ticket to Neverland is a 100% generative AI-native animation. This black comedy centers on a brutal reality show that awards a ticket to "Neverland"—the ultimate eternal sanctuary—to the single individual with the most tragic story. It features a fascinating premise where fairy-tale characters confess their respective tragedies to gain entry into paradise. This work also proved its solid narrative and exceptional planning by winning the Best AI Script award at the 'WAIFF (World AI Film Festival) Seoul 2026' held last March.

Professor Lee Seung-moo, Director of the K-ARTS AT Lab and professor at the School of Film, TV & Multimedia, highlighted the significance of the invitation:

"These three works utilize AI through completely different approaches: the hybrid AI-transformation of a live-action feature, the integration of AI agents with spatial computing, and 100% generative creation. It is highly encouraging to see that AT Lab's methodology—which has spent years researching the various possibilities of expanding a creator's originality through AI and applying it to education and production—has been recognized.“

The K-ARTS AT Lab, which supported the production of these works, is a production-led research center leading convergence arts creation and research utilizing immersive media and advanced technologies, including virtual production, Virtual Reality (VR), and immersive theater. It has received multiple awards and invitations to major global film festivals—such as Sundance, Cannes, and Tribeca—for works like Scarecrow and Rain Fruits. The lab once again proved its global creative capabilities based on convergence arts education with the invitation of 8 PM and the Cat to the Venice Film Festival in 2025.

Furthermore, the AT Lab is leading R&D and global industrialization in AI storytelling by executing the 'Global Culture Technology (CT) Expert Training Program' supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency.