AI artist aratama 璞’s AIVDJ work “UZUME” has been officially selected for GENaiME Anime Fest 2026, an international online film festival presented by Escape AI Media.

Following the screening of “Inner Elevator” in 2025, this marks aratama 璞’s second consecutive official selection for the festival.

The full 4K version of “UZUME,” with a runtime of 4 minutes and 55 seconds, will be screened during the festival on Saturday, August 1, 2026 in Pacific Time, or early Sunday morning, August 2 in Japan.

“UZUME”: Crossing the Boundaries of Anime, Live Action, Music, and Performance

“UZUME” is an audiovisual work that brings animation, live-action imagery, music, virtual expression, and performance design together within a single continuum.

Through “AIVDJ,” a creative format developed by aratama 璞, the work moves beyond video as something to be passively watched. Instead, it constructs an experience in which music, physicality, space, character, and the boundaries between the virtual and physical worlds intersect.

Rather than fitting neatly into established categories such as animation or music video, “UZUME” is an experimental project that crosses the boundaries between anime and live action, as well as between screen-based work and live performance.

The festival team praised the work for its intensity, visual immersion, and highly hybridized approach to combining multiple forms of expression. “UZUME” was selected as a work that reflects GENaiME’s commitment to exploring new creative possibilities emerging from anime and manga.

About GENaiME Anime Fest 2026

GENaiME Anime Fest is an international online film festival presented by Escape AI Media.

The festival showcases original short films by independent creators and filmmakers from around the world whose work is inspired by anime and manga.

Its program extends beyond conventional narrative animation to include anime realism, music-driven films, experimental moving-image works, and projects that combine live action with animation and other visual forms.

The 2026 edition marks the festival’s second year and will feature approximately 90 minutes of work by creators from across the globe.

The event is free to attend online. Participants can enter a browser-based 3D virtual theater using an avatar, watch the selected works, and interact with filmmakers and other audience members through text and voice chat.

A livestream option will also be available for viewers who prefer to watch without entering the 3D virtual environment.

Officially Selected for the Second Consecutive Year

In 2025, aratama 璞’s AI music video “Inner Elevator” was officially selected for genAIme [esc] fest 2025 and screened alongside short films from around the world.

In 2026, “UZUME” expands the scope of this creative practice and brings aratama 璞 back to the GENaiME lineup for a second consecutive year.

Where “Inner Elevator” explored the reconstruction of music, imagery, texture, and the perception of time through AI-generated moving images, “UZUME” extends that exploration into live performance, spatial experience, and hybrid audiovisual expression.

Read more about the 2025 official selection below.

aratama.io/en

[NEWS] aratama 璞 Selected for Global AI Animation Film Festival "genAIm...

🕒️2025-06-11

genAIme fest is a cutting-edge online film festival showcasing animation works created using generative AI (genAI).This innovative festival brings together global AI creators, artists, and audiences in a 3D virtual space for film screenings and networking, establishing itself as a groundbreaking new format for cinematic experiences.The festival, hosted by ESCAPE AI MEDIA on June 14, 2025 (PST), features award-winning filmmakers and avant-garde works from around the world.aratama 璞's su...

Comment from aratama 璞

I am deeply honored to have my work selected for GENaiME for the second consecutive year, following “Inner Elevator” in 2025.

“UZUME” is an experiment in bringing anime, live action, music, virtual expression, and performance together within a single continuum. It explores a transition from moving images as something we watch to an experience that also incorporates the body, physical space, and live presence.

It is particularly meaningful to have the work recognized not simply as an animated piece, but as a hybrid exploration that begins with anime and manga and moves beyond their conventional boundaries.

I hope this screening will lead into the future live-performance development of “UZUME” and the continued evolution of AIVDJ as a distinct form of creative expression.

Event Details

「GENaiME Anime Fest 2026」の上映作品が、『UZUME — SIGNAL — 天宇受売命』に正式決定しました。

『UZUME』は、アニメーション、実写、音楽、バーチャル表現、パフォーマンスデザインを横断し、一つの映像体験へと統合した、4分55秒のオーディオビジュアル作品です。… pic.twitter.com/jcP7jcvJdb

— aratama 璞 (@aratamadao) July 28, 2026

Featured Work

UZUME
Artist / Director: aratama 璞
Runtime: 4:55
Format: 4K
Category: AIVDJ / Audiovisual Performance / Hybrid Anime Expression