Dragon Studios Produces Film Using AI Platforms
The 2026 production Mountain of Graves showcases new AI techniques in South African filmmaking.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Do you believe the use of AI in filmmaking will have a positive impact on jobs?
Dragon Studios in South Africa produced the film Mountain of Graves using advanced artificial intelligence platforms. The project was featured at the 2026 Neu Wave AI Film Festival during LA Tech Week.
Why it matters
The project demonstrates how AI filmmaking platforms are being integrated into professional production workflows to aid in creative development. It highlights a shift toward using technology for scripting, visual design, and lighting.
Creators utilised language models to develop scripts and shot lists, while AI image generators established visual anchors, character designs, and lighting palettes.
The players
Dragon Studios
This is a South African production studio that produced the film Mountain of Graves using AI filmmaking platforms.
Donovan Marsh
He is one of the writers who penned the script for Mountain of Graves.
Steven Cholerton
He is a writer who collaborated on the script for the film Mountain of Graves.
Buka Africa Game Lodge
This organisation commissioned the production of the AI-developed film Mountain of Graves.
The details
Commissioned by Buka Africa Game Lodge, the film tells the story of brothers fighting a mining company to protect ancestral land. The project serves as a practical application of AI tools in narrative storytelling.
Timeline
2026: Mountain of Graves is featured at the Neu Wave AI Film Festival.
The Tech Race
This project fits into a broader shift where generative AI filmmaking platforms are replacing traditional manual pre-production workflows. It marks a move towards technology-driven creative processes in the film industry.
Audiences can expect to see more content created with these tools as studios refine their use of generative software for narrative projects. This shift may influence how scripts and visuals are developed for future streaming and theatrical releases.
The takeaway
AI is projected to be a net job creator in the long run as it enables smaller studios to produce complex narratives. Filmmakers are increasingly relying on these tools to anchor visual aesthetics early in the production cycle.
Further reading
For more on how new technologies are changing local media production, see the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Times LIVE.
Live Poll
Do you believe the use of AI in filmmaking will have a positive impact on jobs?
