Kling AI Launches Filmmaker Initiative at Cannes, Partners on 'Minibots' Animated Feature

Kling AI announced its Filmmaker Initiative and signed as exclusive global technology partner on the animated feature "Minibots" at the Cannes Marché du Film on May 18, 2026. The dual announcement came alongside a panel where three international directors presented verified production data from their own AI assisted films.

The Filmmaker Initiative

The initiative launched during the panel "From Creative Possibility to Production Reality: Kling AI in Cinematic Workflow" at the Palais des Festivals Main Stage. Kling AI, owned by Chinese technology firm Kuaishou, offers qualifying productions cash incentives and compute resources to advance AI use in filmmaking. Head of operations Yushen Zeng confirmed the program at the event.

Kling's 3.0 model was cited as the tool enabling streaming and theatrical release standards, with native 4K output built in. Kling AI's tools, including the 3.0 model, are available in AI FILMS Studio's video workspace.

Minibots: The Consent Model for AI Animation

Kling AI is signed as the exclusive global technology partner on "Minibots", an animated feature produced by Evolutionary Films. Evolutionary Films founders John Adams and Diane Shorthouse, a BAFTA nominee, built a consent framework into the production: all performances are created by humans and owned by actors, regardless of what AI handles in post production. Shorthouse and Adams call this their "performance first AI charter".

"Minibots is not about replacing artists. It's about empowering exciting new creative voices", Adams said. Yushen Zeng added: "Minibots represents exactly the kind of creative collaboration we believe AI should enable". The film follows teenage geniuses whose sentient miniature robots escape a robotics summer camp into human society. Writers include Michael Ferris (Terminator 3), Alistair Audsley, and Scott Christian Sava (Animal Crackers).

Three Directors, Three Sets of Production Numbers

The Cannes panel presented three directors with specific data from active projects.

Jon Erwin, whose Amazon Prime series "House of David" drew over 50 million viewers in its first season, is using Kling AI for "Moses", starring Oscar winner Ben Kingsley. He moved from concept to a broadcast ready first episode in approximately five months. "The normal cycle of time at a streamer is three years", Erwin said on the panel.

Wei Li, associate director on the animated film "Big Fish and Begonia", used AI on "Born of the Tide" and cut both production time and budget by roughly one third compared to his previous features. He drew approximately 80 percent of the storyboards by hand; AI handled the remainder.

South Korean director Eekjun Yang and his team of seven completed "Raphael", a science fiction feature targeting Korean theatrical release, on a budget between $700,000 and $2 million. A conventional production of comparable scope would require 150 to 300 crew members and $150 to $300 million. Yang's team won the Grand Prize at the 2024 Korea International AI Film Festival with "Mateo", which drew more than 2,000 entries.

What These Numbers Tell the Industry

The three directors covered different production types: a streaming prestige series, a literary animated feature, and a low budget theatrical film. Each reported confirmed savings in time, cost, or both. No other tool announcement at Cannes 2026 paired a filmmaker incentive program with this density of verified production data from live projects.

For filmmakers who want to test the same workflows, the Kling 3.0 tutorial on AI FILMS Studio covers the model's core generation capabilities. Jon Erwin's broader AI production approach is detailed in the House of David hybrid workflow breakdown.

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Sources

Variety | Deadline | The Wrap | The Hollywood Reporter