New Zealand-born filmmaker and creative director Alex Curson is emerging as a global voice in the next frontier of cinema, one powered by artificial intelligence. His short film trailer The Perfect World has won top honours at the AI Film Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, marking a milestone in AI-assisted storytelling.
Described as a “prophecy” by its creator, The Perfect World imagines a future where humanity is saved by interdimensional beings. The cinematic trailer was produced almost entirely using generative AI tools including Midjourney, Luma, and ChatGPT, and is being hailed as a breakthrough in what’s possible with AI-led creativity.
“We believe The Perfect World is more than a story. It’s a prophecy,” said Curson.
“Eventually, AI will be so good it’ll be indistinguishable from reality, or at least very difficult for us to tell the difference.”
Far from seeing AI as a threat, Curson views it as a creative collaborator, a tool that opens doors to ambitious storytelling at a fraction of traditional production costs.
His involvement in The Perfect World began when a producer approached him about creating a $500,000 pilot to pitch a $300 million sci-fi film.
“I said, why spend half a million on a pilot when you could create the whole thing with AI for a fraction of the cost?” he said.
“I got the job because I knew how to use the tools.”
Now based internationally, Curson is taking his AI expertise on the road, currently developing a world-touring 360-degree dome show slated to appear at major events like Formula One races and Las Vegas’ iconic MSG Sphere.
He’s also in pre-production on a three-part feature-length version of The Perfect World, which he says will aim for an Avatar-level cinematic standard.
Curson’s journey started humbly in Wellington, making gaming videos at the age of 10, before YouTube even existed. His creative path has since spanned nightlife photography, celebrity videography, and immersive live performances under his stage name SPAZZ, where he shared stages with global music icons like Avicii, Skrillex, and Calvin Harris.
Despite his international success, Curson remains connected to his Kiwi roots and advocates for artists to embrace emerging technology rather than fear it.
“There’s always going to be a need for human connection and human creativity,” he said.
“My suggestion is to at least learn the tools — so when the time comes, you know how to use them to enhance your vision.”
His foray into AI filmmaking began just two years ago, entirely self-taught. One of his first AI-generated images, an alien riding a unicorn sparked a fascination that soon evolved into motion and animation.
“Just the plane taking off from the aircraft carrier in The Perfect World took me 45 attempts and about five hours to get right,” he recalled.
“But that’s part of the fun — experimenting and discovering what these tools can really do.”
With his Cannes win and a wave of projects on the horizon, Curson is helping shape not just where filmmaking is heading, but what it could become.
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Good on him. This is awesome.
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