Press · Leonberg
Leonberg author and animation artist submit AI film to the World AI Film Festival in Cannes
At the very last second – just like in a film
It was literally a matter of seconds. Shortly before the submission deadline, the Leonberg writer Anna-Mariia Kostiuk and the illustrator and animation artist Vitalii Kostiuk submitted their AI-animated short film to the World AI Film Festival (WAiFF) 2026 in Cannes – the world’s first international film festival for films made with the help of artificial intelligence.
“It was like something out of a thriller,” says Anna-Mariia Kostiuk. “The clock was running down, the internet connection was unstable, and we really did make it in the very last seconds. When the confirmation came through, we could hardly believe it.”
The official confirmation was not long in coming: “We have successfully received your film Sonya and the Moon Fairy. Good luck with the selection process!” – wrote the WAiFF team.
What is WAiFF?
The World AI Film Festival takes place on 21 and 22 April 2026 in the legendary Palais des Festivals in Cannes – the very place where the famous Cannes Film Festival presents its awards. The festival’s second edition is presided over by the Chinese actress and screen legend Gong Li, and its honorary president is the French director Claude Lelouch.
The first edition, held in Nice in 2025, was already a great success: more than 2,000 participants and 1,500 films submitted from 85 countries showed that AI-assisted filmmaking has long ceased to be a niche subject.
From children’s book to AI film
The submitted film is based on the children’s book «Sonja und die Mondfee» by Anna-Mariia Kostiuk. It tells the story of a little girl who finds tiny, transparent wings, turns teeny-tiny and flies all the way to the moon – in search of her vanished Aunt Maja, a magician.
Vitalii Kostiuk, who had already created the illustrations for the book, brought the story to life with AI-assisted animation tools. The film combines the classic art of storytelling with cutting-edge technology.
Support from the House of Hohenzollern
The project received special support, given in friendship, from Josefa von Hohenzollern-Emden, Deputy Mayor of the town of Leonberg. She made the coat of arms of the Hohenzollern dynasty available to the film team for use in the film’s title sequence – a sign of appreciation for the creative work of the Kostiuk family from Leonberg.
Update: confirmation from the WAiFF team
10 March 2026 — The organising team of the World AI Film Festival has confirmed receipt of the submission. In a message to the film team, WAiFF wrote:
“Thank you for submitting your film to WAIFF. We confirm that we have successfully received your project and appreciate your participation.”
For Vitalii Kostiuk, «Sonja und die Mondfee» is in fact his first work as a director. Before that, he had already worked as a professional video producer, editor and VFX artist.
The film was submitted to the World AI Film Festival in Cannes. The festival took place on 21 and 22 April 2026 in the Palais des Festivals.
Anna-Mariia Kostiuk is a writer from Leonberg. Vitalii Kostiuk is an illustrator and animation artist. Together they work on book projects and AI-assisted film adaptations.
Find out more: amkostiuk.com