'Dreams of Violets', a feature-length narrative film entirely produced by artificial intelligence, is set to premiere at the Tribeca Festival on 10 June. The film, directed and produced by first-time filmmakers and tech entrepreneurs Ash and Pooya Koosha, is a fictional dramatisation of the massacre of Iranian civilians during protests in January, which international organisations say left more than 7,000 dead amid a communications blackout. Every image and character in the film was generated using AI video tools, based on journalistic reports, photographs and eyewitness accounts.
The project is the first from Fountain O, a new AI-driven production company launched by the Koosha brothers. Former top NBC executive Tom Rogers serves as executive chairman of the startup and executive producer on the film. Ash Koosha, who also composed the score, said the story was deeply personal: 'We wanted our first Fountain O film to be dedicated to something that we felt the world needed to know more about and understand the human toll of far better.'
Announcement of the premiere comes as negotiations to end the US-Iran conflict continue and amid ongoing repression by Iran’s hardline government. Iranian director Jafar Panahi, winner of the 2025 Palme d’Or, was recently summoned to a court hearing for 'propaganda activity against the regime' after condemning the killing of student protesters. 'Dreams of Violets' is one of the first full-length, live-action films completely generated by AI to screen at a major festival, following the deepfake biographical drama 'Putin', which premiered at Cannes in 2024.
Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal noted: 'At this time in history when both artificial intelligence and Iran are central to global conversation, this film offers audiences a rare and intimate perspective into a conflict many have not been able to fully see or understand.' Ash Koosha acknowledged that a fully AI film may be unsettling to the entertainment industry, but stressed the advantages for independent filmmakers who lack access to funding. The film was produced in about two months for just $2,000. Fountain O, which has two more films in development, plans to seek top writing and directing talent.
