A recent trend in independent cinema has seen filmmakers incorporate generative artificial intelligence into their work, a move that has ignited intense debate and, in one instance, provoked a significant audience backlash. Two films from the 2025 fall festival season, Radu Jude's Dracula and Todd Rohal's Fuck My Son!, have become central to this conversation, showcasing AI not as a replacement for human creativity but as a controversial new tool in the filmmaker's kit.
While both directors view the technology as a potential democratizing force for low-budget productions, audiences have responded with everything from intellectual curiosity to outright anger. The polarized reactions highlight a growing cultural tension surrounding AI's role in the arts, pitting the technology's potential against widespread ethical concerns and fears of devaluing human artists.
Key Takeaways
- Two independent films, Dracula and Fuck My Son!, used generative AI in their creative process.
- Todd Rohal's film faced a severe backlash at its premiere, with audiences reacting negatively to the AI-generated sequences.
- Both directors, Radu Jude and Todd Rohal, defend their use of AI as a tool for independent artists, not a threat to creativity.
- Their stance contrasts sharply with mainstream Hollywood, where unions like the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are pushing for strict regulations on AI.
AI Enters the Film Festival Circuit
The 2025 fall film festival season became an unexpected battleground for the role of artificial intelligence in cinema. Two directors, operating far from the Hollywood studio system, presented films that actively integrated AI-generated visuals into their narratives. The results have forced audiences and critics to confront the technology's place in artistic expression.
In his film Dracula, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, Romanian director Radu Jude uses AI as a narrative device. The story features a filmmaker tasked with using fictional AI programs to "enhance" a vampire movie. This results in deliberately bizarre and aesthetically jarring sequences, such as a scene inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula that morphs into melting, pornographic shapes.
Jude's use of AI is framed as a commentary on the degradation of media and reality. However, he insists it is not a critique of the technology itself. "I can see how it can be framed like that, but for me it was no critique," Jude stated. "It was just another tool."
A Tool, Not a Threat
Jude acknowledges the economic and ethical issues surrounding AI, believing it requires regulation. Still, he remains optimistic about its creative potential, suggesting it could push cinema into new territories. His primary concern is how AI challenges the connection between an image and reality, a phenomenon he describes as "scary."
An Audience in Uproar
While Jude's film sparked discussion, Todd Rohal’s Fuck My Son! ignited a firestorm. The exploitation film, based on a story by alt-comics artist Johnny Ryan, was designed to be provocative. Yet, it wasn't the graphic content that alienated the audience at its Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) midnight premiere.
The mood in the famously boisterous screening reportedly shifted dramatically when an AI-generated sequence—a fake ad parodying pre-movie commercials—appeared on screen. The laughter ceased, and a palpable tension filled the room. The negative reaction quickly spilled online, with harsh reviews and calls for the festival programmer to be fired.
"I'm not on the internet much, so I couldn’t comprehend why any thinking person could watch a movie like this and become upset about what they have been upset about," Rohal said, expressing surprise at the specific nature of the backlash.
Rohal’s film also features an AI-assisted cartoon called the "Meatie Mates," a parody of children's shows like Veggie Tales. He estimates that creating these sequences was a hybrid process. "30% [of the Meatie Mates animation] was AI, and then the rest of it was traditional digital compositing with After Effects," he explained, noting he spent months on the work himself.
Hollywood's Hard Line on AI
The independent filmmakers' experimental approach is at odds with the mainstream industry. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) secured contract protections requiring studios to disclose AI use. Similarly, SAG-AFTRA has made protecting actors' likenesses from unauthorized AI replication a central issue in negotiations.
The Indie Filmmaker's Defense
Both Jude and Rohal position themselves as outsiders using available technology to realize their vision, much like their predecessors in low-budget filmmaking. Jude compares his approach to that of legendary producer Roger Corman, who famously used any resource he could find to complete a film. "I’m sure Roger Corman would have used AI with no shame," Jude remarked.
Financial constraints played a direct role in Jude's decision. When a portion of his funding for Dracula fell through, he turned to generative AI to complete the project on schedule, transforming a narrative idea into a practical production method.
Rohal frames his use of AI as a rebellion against the polished, predictable aesthetic of Hollywood. "We’ve had movies that look like shit for the last twentysomething years," he stated. "I’m shocked at people defending Hollywood movies as if we’re in the middle of some renaissance that AI is going to destroy."
A Democratizing Force?
For artists working with minimal budgets, the appeal of AI is its potential to level the playing field. Rohal sees the technology as a tool that can empower creators who lack access to traditional resources.
"It might be unpopular, but I really see it as a tool that can democratize film, truly," Rohal argued. "That scares millionaires, and I love work that scares the shit out of millionaires."
He is already collaborating with filmmaker Damon Packard, who has begun making entire films with AI, on new AI-generated trailers for the roadshow version of his film. Despite his enthusiasm, Rohal emphasizes that technology will not replace human connection in his work. "I will always collaborate with other humans," he affirmed. "Anyone that’s made something knows that your idea is the baseline, and then it just gets better with collaboration."
Context and Controversy
The visceral reaction to Fuck My Son! in particular may stem from the broader cultural conversation around AI. In North America, the technology is often promoted by tech executives who seem to dismiss the value of human artists. This has fostered a deep-seated mistrust and hostility toward generative AI in creative communities.
The debate is often framed around compensation and consent—two issues central to the recent Hollywood strikes. While these low-budget films operate outside that financial system, the underlying principles resonate with audiences who are wary of technology they perceive as exploitative.
The different receptions for Dracula and Fuck My Son! also highlight the importance of presentation. Jude's film contextualizes its AI usage within the narrative, preparing the audience for what they are about to see. Rohal's film, true to its exploitation roots, unleashes its AI sequences without warning, challenging the audience to accept it as part of the joke.
As these films demonstrate, the integration of AI into art is not a simple technological shift. It is a complex cultural event, loaded with anxieties about labor, authenticity, and the future of human creativity itself. For now, independent filmmakers like Jude and Rohal are on the front lines, testing the boundaries and forcing a conversation that the rest of the industry cannot ignore.