Feb 20, 2026 17:00:00

The world's largest cinema chain refuses to screen an AI short film

AMC Theatres , one of the world's largest cinema chains, operating 898 cinemas and over 10,000 screens worldwide, has announced that it will cancel screenings of the AI-generated short film ' Thanksgiving Day .'

AMC Theaters Won't Screen AI Short Film 'Thanksgiving Day' After Online Outrage
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/amc-theatres-not-screening-ai-short-film-thanksgiving-day-1236667646/

'Thanksgiving Day,' a short film created using AI, tells the story of a bear and a platypus traveling through the galaxy in a spaceship that resembles a flying trash can. Directed by Igor Alferov from Kazakhstan, the film won the Best Short Film award at the AI animation film festival Frame Forward .

Alferov used Google's Nana Banana Pro to generate the visuals and character designs, Gemini 3.1 to create the motion, and Topaz Video AI for post- processing.

'Thanksgiving Day' can be played by clicking the image below. It is 2 minutes and 20 seconds long.

As part of the award, 'Thanksgiving Day' will be released theatrically across the United States and distributed by

Screenvision Media , a company that provides 20 minutes of pre-movie advertising before the feature film and has screened the ads at several cinema chains, including AMC Theatres.

However, an AMC Theatres spokesperson told Variety, ''Thanksgiving Day' is an initiative by Screenvision Media, which manages pre-show advertising for several US cinema chains. Screenvision Media provides pre-show advertising in less than 30% of AMC Theatres' US theaters. AMC Theatres is not involved in the production or implementation of 'Thanksgiving Day' and has informed Screenvision Media that it will not be participating in AMC Theatres screenings.' This makes it clear that the film will not be showing on Thanksgiving Day.

'There's a natural connection between innovative storytelling, including work using generative AI, and the scale of stories that engage audiences in the real world,' said Sverre Norfried, Senior Vice President of Production and Strategy at Modern Uprising Studio, organizer of Frame Forward. 'As AI enhances production workflows, it also accelerates the development of accompanying experiences, such as immersive cinematography, expanded spatial storytelling, and interactive environments that complement and eventize theatrical releases.' 'Theatrical and immersive content don't exist separately; they work in tandem to deepen audience engagement, enrich cultural impact, and extend the lifespan of stories and franchises. Modern Uprising Studio's immersive content will be a layer that supports the entire creative and commercial lifecycle, empowering storytellers to build richer worlds, supporting theatrical releases with compelling events, and opening up new ways for audiences to participate in storytelling.'