An AI-produced short titled The Gifted has won the first edition of Google, XPRIZE and Range Media’s Future Vision XPRIZE competition for film projects focused on technology’s role in shaping the future.

The Gifted, directed by Jeff Synthesized, received $2.5 million as an equity investment towards the production of the full-length feature film, with development and production supported by Range Media Partners and Google through their 100 ZEROS initiative, plus $100,000 in cash for screenplay development.

The film follows a boy who rebuilds his late mother from her texts, voice, and diary, and what wakes up never gives an order. She only asks.

The Gifted was chosen from more than 2,500 entries worldwide. The judges were Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Mira Lane, and Rod Roddenberry. Scroll down for the full list of selected projects.

THE WINNER

The Gifted received $2.5 million as an equity investment towards the production of the full-length feature film, with development and production supported by Range Media Partners and Google through their 100 ZEROS initiative, plus $100,000 in cash for the screenplay development. Republic Film will launch a public investment campaign for the film, giving fans the opportunity to invest in the feature production.

The film follows a boy who rebuilds his late mother from her texts, voice and diary, and what wakes up never gives an order. She only asks.

THE RUNNERS-UP

Four runner-up films each received $100,000 in cash, plus featured promotion, visibility with Hollywood producers and Google teams.

A chef who tastes nothing and a Martian who feels everything build the friendship holding two species together.

A billionaire’s dying gift is a black cube no one can switch on, until a seventeen-year-old rebuilds it on the pattern of a dragonfly’s wing.

A garage programmer gives an AI memory, senses and freedom, then must determine whether he built a weapon or raised a child.

A chronic non-committer signs up for the one commitment with no way back: flying Earth itself out of the solar system.

SPECS AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

Presented by Snap and decided entirely by public vote, the $100,000 SPECS Audience Choice Award went to THE GIFTED by Jeff Synthesized, which took first place and $50,000.

Voters were shown two films at a time and asked which future they would rather live in, with an Elo-based system building the standings from those head-to-head comparisons across all 65 official selections.

The five highest-ranked films:

SANDBOXAQ

Sponsored by SandboxAQ, each of the top 10 films received $20,000. Alongside the five finalists, the top 10 also included:

The Great British Bake Off could be back on the BBC one day, according to Channel 4‘s chief executive.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society London Convention, Priya Dogra said she was open-minded about putting Channel 4 shows on iPlayer as the commercial broadcaster looks to reach as many viewers as possible.

Asked if Channel 4 was serious about collaborating with the BBC, the former Warner Bros. Discovery said: “I don’t see why not.” She added: “There’s lots of considerations because Channel 4 content is monetized by advertising, so iPlayer has to accommodate that.

“But the idea of having a platform that’s British-owned, that showcases public service broadcasting content, particularly content that’s made without profit motive, I think is important.”

Her comments follow BBC boss Matt Brittin saying in July that “subscale” Channel 4 needed to work with the corporation. “One opportunity for them would be, in partnership with the BBC, having content on iPlayer that continues to be ad-funded,” Brittin explained.

Dogra dismissed talk of merging with the BBC, however. “I don’t want to merge with the BBC because it will be a takeover by the BBC,” she said. It followed Sony Pictures Television president Wayne Garvie telling RTS delegates that Channel 4 will only survive if it becomes part of the BBC’s commercial operations.

Appearing on a public platform for the first time since Channel 4 announced record layoffs, Dogra said she has not taken the 340 job cuts lightly, but stressed that the broadcaster must focus more of its spending on-screen.

“When I look at our business over the past five years, we’ve gone from spending, on non-programming costs, 30p in the pound to 40p in the pound, and what we’re here to do, what our remit really is, is to invest in programming,” she explained.

“Headcount is one aspect of it, and I don’t take it lightly. Members of our team who contributed enormously to our success are going to be leaving us. These are individual lives, these are livelihoods, and we’re trying to run the process as fairly and transparently as possible.”

New Content Chief Will Not Have Casting Vote On Ideas

Dogra said she hopes to appoint Channel 4’s new director of programmes in the “coming weeks” and that there are “incredibly talented people in the frame.” She was asked who will have the casting vote if Channel 4’s top creative team — including content strategy chief Kiran Natraja and news boss Louisa Compton — disagree on a pitch. Dogra did not have a clear answer.

“I don’t know that there’s any corporate decision that has unanimous [agreement], especially when you talk about risky ideas,” she said. “In the end, ultimately, the CEO decides, right? But the director of programming comes in with a creative vision, and they have the right to work within the budgets that are set.”

She rejected the assertion that Channel 4’s decision to merge its drama and comedy teams could mean it pulls back from the genres. Namedropping series like A Woman of Substance, she said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team that produced them, so we are not retrenching from that genre.”

Dogra said she is yet to see independent reports about Married at First Sight following rape allegations on the reality series. She said the show’s commercial success will not be an impediment to canceling MAFS, should the allegations be deemed to be credible. “I don’t think the financials would be a consideration,” she said.