The short film “D’ombre et de lumière” was created by Lyon director Fabien Loÿacono with the help of artificial intelligence. The work is set to be exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival.
What if artificial intelligence could move as much as a real actor? That was the challenge taken on by Lyon director Fabien Loÿacono with his short film “D’ombre et de lumière,” an eight-minute psychological thriller entirely constructed with the help of AI.
Completed in February 2026, this film has already made a mark on the international scene with around forty festival selections and four awards to its credit. This success is largely attributed to its realistic and oppressive tone. The film tells the story of an elderly man, attacked in his home, who regains consciousness in an unknown place while the police try to locate him.
The short film is now poised to reach an important milestone with its selection in two major festivals dedicated to these new practices. It will be competing at the World AI Film Festival (WAiFF) in Cannes on April 21 and 22, as well as at the AI International Film Festival in Los Angeles from April 8.
At a time when the integration of artificial intelligence into cinema is generating both admiration and concerns, “D’ombre et de lumière” aims to show that AI can serve storytelling, rather than the other way around. This is the goal of its creator, Fabien Loÿacono.
It remains to be seen whether this type of creation will endure in festivals and especially with the general public, which still remains somewhat skeptical about AI.
