Five themes. Ten films. Two perspectives on each — one on the risks, one on the opportunities. The winning films will be archived in Svalbard, Norway for 1,000 years.
Winners
10 films
2 perspectives per theme
Length
2–15 min
Entry
Free
Always
AI Tools
Welcome
Not required
Your IP
Stays yours
Archived
Svalbard
1,000 years
Themes
For every theme, we seek two films: one examining the risks, one the opportunities. Briefs are co-created with leading thinkers in each field.
01
Surveillance, data, the right to be forgotten
Apr – May 202602
Connection, companionship, the boundaries of the self
Jun – Jul 202603
Autonomy, agency, the freedom to choose
Aug – Sep 202604
Truth, perception, the nature of what is real
Oct – Nov 202605
Resources, ecology, the cost of progress
Dec 2026 – Jan 2027How It Works
1
A theme opens
A new theme launches every two months. Submissions for all themes remain open until February 2027 for the final selection.
2
You make a film
Create a short film (2–15 min) exploring the risks or opportunities of an emerging technology through that theme.
3
Experts judge
After all five themes close, a panel of thought leaders and film critics review the full body of submissions.
4
The record is sealed
Ten films are curated into The Human Record — screened publicly and deposited in the Arctic World Archive in Svalbard, Norway. Preserved for one thousand years.
Submission Details
Length
2 – 15 minutes
Films exceeding 15 minutes will not be considered
Format
Digital upload
Any production method
AI Tools
Welcome, not required
List tools used in your statement
Language
Any
English subtitles required
Rights
You keep your IP
Non-exclusive licence for screening & archival
Entry Fee
Free
Always
What We Look For
Prizes
Grand Final · March 2027
Ten winning films are selected from all submissions and archived in Svalbard for 1,000 years.
Spotlight · Every 2 Months
Submit during a theme's featured window to also be eligible for bimonthly spotlight prizes.
Timeline
Public launch
The Human Record announced. First theme brief published.
Theme 01: Privacy
Submissions open.
Theme 02: Intimacy
Submissions open. Privacy spotlight films announced.
Theme 03: Liberty
Submissions open. Intimacy spotlight films announced.
Theme 04: Reality
Submissions open. Liberty spotlight films announced.
Theme 05: Sustainability
Final submissions open. Reality spotlight films announced.
Final selection
Grand jury convenes. Ten films chosen for The Human Record.
The Record is sealed
Grand screening. Arctic World Archive deposit. The collection enters the permanent record.
Why This Matters
We are the last generation to remember a world before artificial intelligence reshaped how we think, work, love, and govern. That perspective is not just valuable — it is perishable.
The ten selected films will be encoded onto piqlFilm and deposited in the Arctic World Archive — a vault 300 metres inside a mountain in Svalbard, Norway. Alongside deposits from GitHub, the Vatican Library, and UNICEF. Designed to last over 1,000 years. No electricity. No servers. Just human stories, sealed in the permafrost.
78°13'N 15°39'E · Svalbard, NorwayTheme 01: Privacy opens April 2026. Join the community to receive the brief the moment it launches.
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