Mission and vision of the AiC Initiative

“Childhood wonder in cinema ignited a spark that now, with AI, becomes a wildfire of global storytelling. This isn’t a simple shift in cinematic technique—it’s a revolution in narrative diversity. We’re not just altering the landscape of film; we’re leveling the playing field, giving every voice a chance to echo across the world.

As we approach the inaugural Summit at the Athens Conservatory in October, our mission is clear: to educate, innovate, and inspire through presentations, demonstrations, workshops, networking and mentorship. We’re on the verge of more than a minor shift; AI gives us the power to ignite a renaissance of human connection through stories, ensuring everyone has a chance to be heard.

This is the dawn of a new storytelling epoch, where art and technology, powered by human ingenuity, collide and coalesce. Join us together in the birthplace of civilization, monumental mythology and ancient theater to focus on modern film making using AI – an audacious journey that will unleash a new era of cinematic narrative.

Let’s not just imagine the future; let’s design it together.”

Dimitris Komninos | Paul Wood | Thomas Hartocollis

The Team

Dimitris Komninos

Dimitris Komninos, born in New York City in 1963, is a distinguished stage director, acting coach, and acting teacher based in Athens, Greece. He has worked extensively in theater, translating and directing plays by notable playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Tom Stoppard and Marsha Norman. His career highlights include his leadership role as Artistic Director at THEATROVICTORIA from 2006 to 2015, his tenure as an acting instructor at the Athens Drama School from 2014 to 2023 and the establishment of Theater Platform 90^ο C in 2004. Komninos holds esteemed memberships in the Greek Director’s Guild, the Greek Playwright’s Guild, and the Greek Desk of the International Theatre Institute (UNESCO).

Paul Wood

Paul M. Wood is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, creative director/synthesist, published author, podcaster, and experiential storyteller. Born into a family of artists and musicians, Wood has finely honed his expertise to express unique and distinctive stories across genres and through multiple mediums utilizing video, text, music, performance, and technology. He has created hundreds of cinematic videos for Apple, Cisco, Salesforce, Uber, Visa, Sutter Health, Adobe, and Autodesk. He is co-founder of Avalon Creative Group, a prime content and digital production company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that resources creative talent using AI filmmaking tools to transform storytelling into elevated mediums, platforms, modes, and experiences that provoke emotion, challenge perspectives, and nurture the spirit.

Thomas Hartocollis

Tom is co-founder of Roasting Plant Coffee, a high-tech startup with a mission to become the world’s first choice in Just-Roasted coffee. His background in sales and marketing leadership at IBM and Microsoft are perfectly suited to building a world-class brand at Roasting Plant. The company’s Javabot Coffee System delivers an artisan-quality experience to coffee lovers that’s highly personalized and fast, while delivering exceptional store economics. Tom’s passion for technology and focus on applying it to transform the coffee industry reflect the positive perspective AI in Cinema brings to the effective application of AI in story-telling and society at large.

Yannis Ioannidis

Yannis Ioannidis holds a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley, an MSc in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, and a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. Currently, he is the President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and a Professor in the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is also associated with the “Athena” Research and Innovation Center as an Associated Faculty and has served as its President and General Director for 10 years. Ioannidis’s research spans Database and Information Systems, Data Science, Analytics, Data Infrastructures, Recommender Systems, Personalization, and Human-Computer Interaction, with over 170 publications and four patents. He has been the Greek delegate to the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) for over a decade and co-chairs the UN SDSN’s Global Climate Hub.

AI IN CINEMA SUMMIT: ATHENS, 2024

Athens, October 24 – 26 @ the Athens Conservatory

Organised by

Powered by

Under the auspices of

Fueled by

Welcome to “AI in Cinema:
A New Era in Visual Storytelling.”

This groundbreaking October 2024 summit in Athens will redefine the boundaries of filmmaking. Join visionaries in film and technology as they explore the limitless possibilities born from the intersection of AI and cinema. Discover how AI can generate new narratives, transform visual storytelling, and revolutionize the filmmaking process. Whether you’re a filmmaker, AI developer, or passionate cinephile, this summit is your portal to the future. Engage with industry leaders, participate in hands-on workshops, and experience the power of AI firsthand as we collaborate to create a short film. Elevate your vision and shape the next generation of cinema with us!