Media OutReach
HKUST 2nd AI Film Festival Concludes Successfully Showcasing Global Excellence in AI Creativity
Visionary Dialogues on AI Filmmaking Inspire Next Generation of Creative Talent
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 May 2026 – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has successfully concluded its 2nd AI Film Festival (AIFF), held recently at the Shaw Auditorium. As one of the key events celebrating HKUST’s 35th anniversary, the two-day Festival brought together industry leaders, filmmakers, scholars, students, and members of the public to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining cinematic creativity and production.
This year’s AIFF saw an overwhelming global response, with over 1,300 submissions—almost double that of last year—from nearly 80 countries and regions. Following a rigorous evaluation by an international jury, a number of outstanding works were recognized across key award categories*. The Best Film Award was presented to The Afterlife of Aphrodite by Gabriela Cardona WALTHER, a Mexican filmmaker whose work seamlessly blends personal memory and mythology to explore themes of identity, femininity, and transformation. The Best Debut AI Film Award went to NeoNature by Javier Gracia ALCAINE, a Spanish AI content creator who captures the beauty of natural world through cinematic, ultra-realistic wildlife documentaries with immersive storytelling.
In addition to these remarkable overseas works, local talent also shone at this year’s Festival. Hong Kong-based AI filmmaker KA TAM earned the Best Technical Innovation Award for Project J, a sci-fi action piece that demonstrates the pioneering use of AI in crafting a dystopian narrative set in a technologically controlled future. The Best Human AI Collaboration Award was presented to Ash Boat by OUYANG Mengke, a postgraduate student from HKUST’s Division of Arts and Machine Creativity (AMC). Her evocative short film explores the complexities of human grief, memory, and emotion through the story of a teenage girl assigned an AI guardian in a near-future society.
The Festival was graced by distinguished guests, including Ms. Edith SHIH, Vice Chairperson of the HKUST Council; Mr. Kevin WANG Xikai, Station Chief of the Hong Kong Reporter Station, National Radio and Television Administration; Prof. QU Huamin, Dean of the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) at HKUST; Prof. FU Hongbo, Acting head of AMC at HKUST, as well as other academic and industry representatives. Acclaimed local film director Mr. Stanley TONG also delivered a keynote speech, sharing insights into how AI offers new opportunities for Chinese film development by reducing trial‑and‑error costs and accelerating visual innovation, while underscoring that storytelling, human emotion, and cultural depth remain the irreplaceable core of filmmaking.
Alongside the screenings of shortlisted films, the Festival featured three thematic panels examining key issues in AI filmmaking. The panel titled “Future · AI Film · Production Technology” featuring Prof. RAO Anyi, Assistant Professor of AMC; Mr. Feynman LI, General Manager of the AI Content Creative Department at Tencent Online Video; Ms. Eddy CHEN, Chinese AI artist; as well as other industry representatives, addressed both the opportunities and challenges in areas such as creative control, visual consistency, and production efficiency, while also discussing how AI is accelerating content creation and empowering smaller creative teams.
Building on this discussion, the panel titled “Reshaping Light and Shadow: Film Aesthetics and Authorship in the AI Era,” featuring local film director and HKUST alumnus Mr. KA Sing-Fung; local film producer Ms. TO Chi-Long; Korean film director Prof. Chul HEO; and other academic representatives, explored how AI is reshaping cinematic aesthetics and authorship, highlighting the importance of integrating tools, performance, and storytelling while preserving creative originality. Another panel titled “Cultural Memories and Digital Heritage,” featuring Dr. Vennes CHENG, Lecturer of AMC; Mr. HO Rui-An, Singaporean artist and writer; and other experts, examined how AI can reconstruct and reinterpret historical materials while emphasizing ethical considerations in balancing preservation, interpretation, and authenticity.
Beyond the screenings and discussions, this year’s Festival introduced an exhibition gallery showcasing AI film materials and selected student projects from AMC in an immersive, installation-based format, featuring works such as interactive robotic arms and a facial-capture device. To further enhance real-world impact, AIFF also strengthened its industry engagement through strategic collaborations with leading AI enterprises, including Tencent, Kling, TapNow, and MiniMax, effectively bridging academic innovation with professional AI filmmaking practices.
As part of its commitment to nurturing future talent, HKUST further enriched its educational outreach for this year’s AIFF. A series of workshops and a 36-hour AI film hackathon for secondary school students were introduced in March to deepen their understanding of AI generated content and to empower the next generation of innovators. The winning student work premiered during the Festival’s opening screening, reinforcing the event’s role as a platform where education, industry, and creative practice meaningfully converge.
Prof. Qu Huamin, Dean of AIS at HKUST, said, “The HKUST AIFF is more than a celebration of digital creativity; it also bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world practice, driving the development of art and technology in academia and industry. This flagship initiative demonstrates AIS’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and social impact through interdisciplinary collaboration, while nurturing versatile talent in our rapidly evolving world.”
Prof. Fu Hongbo, Acting Head of AMC at HKUST, expressed his gratitude for the contributions of AMC student teams who were actively involved in planning and organizing the AIFF. “At HKUST, we see AI film as a unique meeting point where creators, researchers, industry partners, and students unite to explore new possibilities in storytelling. This year’s AIFF continues to grow not only in scale but also in ambition. Through these efforts, we hope to foster a sustainable and dynamic ecosystem for AI‑driven creative practice.”
Having established Hong Kong’s first Division of Arts and Machine Creativity in 2024, HKUST continues to demonstrate its dedication to promoting AI integration in the creative industries and advancing art tech education and research through AIFF.
*The full list of awardees, together with their winning works, is available here.
Download photos here: https://hkust.edu.hk/news/hkust-2nd-ai-film-festival-concludes-successfully-showcasing-global-excellence-ai-creativity
Hashtag: #HKUST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
Franklin Templeton and DigiFT Advance Institutional Tokenization Through Strategic BENJI Partnership
The collaboration is grounded in a shared early commitment to institutional tokenization. Franklin Templeton launched the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use a public blockchain to process transactions and record share ownership in 2021. DigiFT has built one of Asia’s most comprehensively regulated platforms for institutional tokenized asset distribution — holding licences in both Singapore and Hong Kong, including Type 1 and Type 4 licences from the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. This partnership brings those two track records together: DigiFT will serve as a key distributor across Asia, with both organisations committed to expanding the scope of their work together over time.
The partnership arrives at a decisive moment. In 2025, tokenized real-world assets distributed on public blockchains grew from approximately USD 5.5 billion to USD 18.6 billion, with tokenized U.S. government securities emerging as the leading institutional category. This growth underscores a structural inefficiency in digital markets, where institutional capital is frequently held in non‑yielding stablecoins or on‑exchange balances, while traditional fund infrastructure remains constrained by defined settlement cycles. The Benji Technology Platform and its related tokenization products are designed to address this gap by supporting the tokenization of U.S. government securities strategies that accrue yield continuously, including intraday accrual, through Franklin Templeton’s patent‑pending Intraday Yield mechanism. It also supports 24/7 transferability between permissioned wallets and near‑instant on‑chain settlement, enabling a range of potential institutional treasury management, payment and settlement use cases, and deployable off‑exchange collateral for institutional market participants.
Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO of DigiFT, said: “DigiFT was built with a specific conviction: that institutional investors deserve access to the world’s best on-chain financial instruments, through a platform that meets the regulatory standard they require. The partnership with Franklin Templeton reflects that conviction and marks the beginning of a long-term strategic collaboration to bring tokenized solutions to market.”
Chetan Karkhanis, SVP, Digital Asset Partnership Development at Franklin Templeton, said: “The partners we choose reflect our long-term commitment, not just our near-term distribution objectives towards bringing the benefits of blockchain and tokenization to the industry. DigiFT’s leadership and innovative edge, together with the institutional infrastructure they have built, provides a strong foundation for this partnership. This marks the beginning of what we expect to be an expanding and enduring collaboration.”
Hashtag: #DigiFT
https://www.digift.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/digifttech/
https://twitter.com/DigiFTTech
https://www.youtube.com/@DigiFTtech
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
In this role, Hirai will lead Aon’s business in Japan, with responsibility for setting and executing the firm’s strategy, driving sustainable growth and ensuring excellence in client service delivery. He will report to Qin Lu, head of North Asia, and will join the North Asia leadership team.
“Max brings deep market insight, strong leadership capability and a clear focus on clients,” said Lu. “His global business experience and collaborative leadership style position him well to build on our strong momentum in Japan and advance our Aon United strategy — helping clients and colleagues navigate an increasingly complex risk environment.”
With more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Hirai brings extensive local and international leadership expertise. He has built his career at Tokio Marine, in Japan before serving in senior leadership roles across South America, North America and Asia. He currently serves as CEO, Asia Region for Tokio Marine, leading the firm’s Life and Non‑Life businesses across Southeast Asia and India.
Hirai is a well‑respected senior leader, with a strong track record of leading large, multi‑market insurance operations through growth and transformation. He is known for building high‑performing, collaborative teams and for his disciplined approach to strategy, execution and financial performance. His deep understanding of the Japan market and client‑focused leadership style will support Aon’s continued growth in Japan.
“I’m honoured to take on this role at an exciting time for the Japan market, where there is significant opportunity ahead,” said Hirai. “I have long respected Aon’s strong position and contributions to clients in Japan and look forward to working closely with colleagues to further strengthen our business in the market.”
Hirai succeeds Tatsuya Yamamoto, who will work closely with him in an advisory capacity to support a smooth leadership transition.
More information about Aon in Japan can be found here.
*Subject to completion of regulatory formalities, where required.
Hashtag: #Aon
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that help protect and grow their businesses.
Follow Aon on newsroom and sign up for news alerts here.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavours to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.
Media OutReach
Trump’s Beijing Welcome Banquet: Hisense Joins Top U.S. Tech Enterprises at Elite Table to Sustain Technological Leadership
The high-end roundtable establishes a premium communication channel bridging Chinese manufacturing and U.S. hard technology. While U.S. representatives cover artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors and new energy vehicles, Hisense represents China’s sophisticated technology manufacturing with a multi-dimensional technological layout. Shattering the long-standing stereotype of a conventional home appliance maker, the company has built inimitable technological barriers in high-end display and smart home sectors, maintaining sustained technological iteration and undisputed global technological advantages in 2026.
Empowered by its end-to-end industrial chain capability, Hisense occupies an apex position in the global display industry. The company’s self-developed RGB-Mini LED technology achieves comprehensive leadership in R&D, mass production and technological iteration. Equipped with the pioneering Linglong 4-Core True Colour Backlight system and independently developed Hi-View AI image processing chip, Hisense’s 2026 latest UX series features 110% BT.2020 ultra-wide colour gamut, 10,000 nits peak brightness and 134-bit high-precision colour control, reproducing over 120 million distinct colours. With these innovations, Hisense now has a one-year technological head start over its competitors, enabling the enterprise to set industrial benchmarks and secure rule-making authority within the global display ecosystem.
Hisense remains an undisputed global pioneer in laser display technology, holding full independent intellectual property rights covering laser light sources, optical modules and terminal devices. Continuous investment in underlying optical research enables superior imaging performance with ultra-high contrast, eye-friendly visual comfort and wide colour gamut. The persistent technological edge reinforces Hisense’s dominant market share in the global laser TV industry, consolidating its status as an indispensable Chinese technological powerhouse in the high-end display landscape.
Beyond display technologies, Hisense expands its technological frontier in premium smart home appliances. The self-developed heat pump washing machine adopts an innovative four-in-one integrated heat pump structure, delivering low-temperature fabric-friendly washing and drying while significantly cutting energy consumption. As an original global energy-saving home appliance solution, it embodies Hisense’s green manufacturing philosophy and diversified R&D strength beyond display technology.
During the banquet, Jia Shaoqian engaged in in-depth dialogues with international tech elites regarding technological innovation, transnational industrial collaboration and eco-friendly intelligent manufacturing. The high-level face-to-face communication enhances mutual trust and cooperation potential between Chinese and U.S. technology enterprises. Adhering to a globalised development strategy, Hisense maintains steady overseas revenue and robust independent brand influence, with its technology-oriented products widely recognised across mainstream international markets.
The prestigious seating arrangement serves as compelling proof of global recognition for China’s high-end manufacturing industry. As a leading Chinese tech enterprise, Hisense has obtained equal diplomatic-level dialogue status within the world’s top technological circle. Moving forward, Hisense will consistently invest in independent R&D, continuously iterate RGB-Mini LED, laser display and heat pump appliance technologies, and actively explore global industrial cooperation. Committed to technological empowerment, Hisense will further strengthen the global influence and industrial voice of Chinese high-end manufacturing.
Visit hisense.sg to learn more about Hisense’s innovative products available now in Singapore.
Disclaimer: This article is an objective industrial observation without exaggerated promotional statements. All technical parameters are sourced from Hisense’s official 2026 product releases.
Hashtag: #Hisense
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Hisense
Founded in 1969, Hisense is a global technology group operating in 160+ countries, with a strong portfolio across TVs, home appliances, air-conditioning and commercial solutions. Recognised as one of the Top 2 TV brands worldwide, Hisense continues to strengthen its global presence through innovation, quality manufacturing and major international partnerships, including its role as an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026™
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn