hen an AI-generated film was accepted as a legitimate entry at the Tribeca Festival last week, it marked a significant moment. What was once dismissed by those who valued human creativity in its traditional sense is now steadily finding institutional acceptance, suggesting that the path is being cleared for a new kind of filmmaking.

The most striking aspect of the production, titled The Dream of Violets, was its cost. The entire film was made for less than $2,000. Compared with the budget of an average film production, that amounts to a tiny fraction of the cost.

The film centres on the violent protests that have taken place in Iran in recent years. Its acceptance may well have been influenced by its subject matter and the demonisation of the regime. But without delving into the politics of the decision, the possibilities opened up by the production appear promising, while at the same time sounding an alarm for those invested in conventional filmmaking.

Making a film has always been an expensive proposition. It requires people, locations, technical equipment and specialised expertise. The business aspect, therefore, has never been easy to ignore. Unlike a poet, who needs little more than pen and paper, filmmaking has always depended on finance. With finance comes the financier, often more attuned to commercial prospects than artistic ambition. The history of cinema has been shaped by a constant tension between these two poles. No matter how accomplished a film may be, its ultimate measure of success has often been its box-office performance. Many great films have faded into history because they failed commercially, their reputations surviving more as posthumous apologies than as recognition of greatness in their own time.

This is only the beginning of the journey. As the technology develops, it is likely to advance in quantum leaps. The definitions of creativity, authorship and human effort will also change, adapting to emerging systems and frameworks.

When news of AI first began to circulate a few years ago, some of the earliest and loudest objections came from Hollywood. Professionals across all sectors of filmmaking recognised the threat it posed to established practices and to the roles they would be forced to adapt to. It was feared that the entire process of filmmaking would be transformed and that much of what was once considered essential would become obsolete.

Filmmaking, as it has traditionally been practiced and understood, is now under pressure. Music has changed dramatically over the decades because the processes of making it have changed. With those changes came new ways of listening, appreciating and evaluating. The same is true of all fields, whether artistic or otherwise. Definitions are revised, old certainties displaced and new standards established. What emerges may not appeal to everyone, but it is likely to define the creative landscape for generations to come.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore.