# From a Beverly Hills Red Carpet to a Seoul Moon Jar — LA SVAIFF 2026 Takes Place November 1

- The Los Angeles edition of the SVAIFF global network is held at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills
- SVAIFF KOREA 2026 advisor Dr. Ho-young Lee takes the stage as a speaker
- LA with paid tickets and a VIP package, Seoul where everything is free: one network, different faces

“LA SVAIFF 2026,” the Los Angeles edition of the Silicon Valley AI Film Festival (SVAIFF), takes place on Sunday, November 1 (local time), at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, USA. Dr. Ho-young Lee, an advisor to SVAIFF KOREA 2026 now in preparation in Seoul, takes the stage as a speaker. Festivals in ten cities, linked by the same network, are raising their curtains one after another across the globe.

![LA SVAIFF 2026 poster (Image courtesy of the LA SVAIFF organizers)](images/01_la_poster.jpg)

## An AI Film Festival in a 1930 Movie Palace

The Saban Theatre, home of the LA edition, is an Art Deco theater of about 1,900 seats that opened in 1930 as the Fox Wilshire Theatre. Built as cinema moved from silent films to talkies, it later became a performance venue and is now counted among Beverly Hills’ signature cultural landmarks.

There is something symbolic about an AI film festival, which again opens a new era of cinema, taking place in a theater built just as a new era of film was beginning. Screens change, but the experience of people gathering in one place to watch the same screen carries on.

![Los Angeles in the SVAIFF global network (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/02_city_losangeles.jpg)

## From Red Carpet to Awards Ceremony

The event opens with a red carpet at 3 p.m., followed by screenings of finalist works, an industry panel discussion and the awards ceremony, closing at 7 p.m. Local AI companies and film industry figures join as jurors and speakers.

![LA SVAIFF 2026 jury and speaker lineup (Image courtesy of the LA SVAIFF organizers)](images/03_la_lineup.jpg)

Dr. Ho-young Lee, an advisor to SVAIFF KOREA 2026, speaks at the event. Someone preparing the Korean edition sharing the stage of the U.S. edition shows that the two festivals exchange experience and people within the same network.

## One Network, Different Faces

The LA edition offers free advance registration alongside paid tickets, and separately runs a USD 688 VIP package, combining awards ceremony entry and a VIP dinner, through its partner Luma. The LA edition is one of the festivals that make up the SVAIFF global network and is run by the U.S. organizer, Star Alliance Culture Inc.

Seoul’s SVAIFF KOREA 2026 has taken a different path. Thanks to support from Co-Chair JI LIN, who has also stepped forward as a sponsor of the event, it is held as a public-interest event with no entry fees, no paid seating and no merchandise sales. Both entry and admission are free, and the organizers even pay the U.S. Global Final evaluation fee (USD 99 per work) for the 19 prize-winning works. Even within a network that shares one name, each city runs its festival according to its own circumstances and philosophy. Seoul has chosen a path where creators can take on the challenge without worrying about cost.

## SVAIFF, Linking 10 Cities

![The SVAIFF global network linking 10 cities and regions (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/04_network_map.jpg)

SVAIFF operates as a global network linking 10 cities and regions: Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Boston, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, New York, London, Paris and Shenzhen. The first edition was held in San Jose, USA, in January 2026, and according to the Silicon Valley 2025 organizer, it received more than 2,000 entries.

![Silicon Valley (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/05_city_siliconvalley.jpg)

![Boston (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/06_city_boston.jpg)

![New York (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/07_city_newyork.jpg)

![London (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/08_city_london.jpg)

![Paris (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/09_city_paris.jpg)

![Beijing (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/10_city_beijing.jpg)

![Shanghai (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/11_city_shanghai.jpg)

![Shenzhen (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/12_city_shenzhen.jpg)

Each city’s festival selects works on its own stage, and those works come together at the Global Final in Silicon Valley in January 2027. The 50 winning works from the Korean edition also advance to this final, opening onto the international stage (the final evaluation fee for the 19 prize-winning works is covered by the organizers; the 31 Global Final Encouragement Award works enter at their own expense). The Global Final is run independently by a separate partner organizer, which sets the judging, schedule and conditions of the final.

## And Seoul, December 17

![Seoul — SVAIFF KOREA 2026 (SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee · AI-generated image)](images/13_city_seoul.jpg)

In Seoul, SVAIFF KOREA 2026 and the Global AI IDOL Award 2026 are held together on Thursday, December 17, at Gabin Art Hall in Samseong-dong. The theme is “Two Halves, One Moon.” Like a moon jar whose upper and lower halves are joined by human hands, it expresses the idea of human hands and AI meeting to complete a new story. Icheon Master Potter Rae-heon Park (Wonjeong) and media artist Young-hoon Jeong join as special invited artists.

![Gabin Art Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul, home of SVAIFF KOREA 2026 on December 17 (Gabin Art Hall)](images/14_venue_hall.jpg)

From a Beverly Hills red carpet to a Seoul moon jar. Held in different cities and in different forms, these festivals ask the same question: with AI as a new tool, what stories will people create? Entries are accepted from October 25 to November 25 on the official website (korea.svaiff.com).

## At a Glance

| Item | LA SVAIFF 2026 | SVAIFF KOREA 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Sunday, November 1, 2026 (local time), 15:00–19:00 | Thursday, December 17, 2026, 13:30–19:30 |
| Venue | Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills, USA (about 1,900 seats) | Gabin Art Hall, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul |
| Organizer | Star Alliance Culture Inc. | Hosts: E-Park AI Co., Ltd. and Korea AI Marketing Institute / Co-organizers: SVAIFF Korea Organizing Committee and MBIG Co., Ltd. |
| Admission | Free advance registration + paid tickets; USD 688 VIP package | Free (invited guests seated first, then free advance registration) |
| Korean participation | SVAIFF KOREA 2026 advisor Dr. Ho-young Lee as speaker | — |
| Official website | — | korea.svaiff.com |
| Media contact | — | SVAIFF KOREA 2026 Secretariat · help@svaiffkorea.com |

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