Lights, camera … artificial intelligence?
Dreams of Violets, a feature-length movie inspired by the protest violence and massacres that unfolded in Iran in early 2026, is coming to the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10. The movie was directed and produced by brothers Ash and Pooya Koosha under their AI-focused production company, Fountain 0, and every visual featured in the 75-minute docudrama was generated by AI.
The inclusion of Dreams of Violets at Tribeca comes amid the US-Israel war on Iran and ongoing tensions in the Middle East. At a time when relatively few filmmakers from the region can tell stories like this on a global stage, the subject matter feels especially timely and likely to spark debate.
The questions surrounding films like this shaped nearly every panel and discussion at an AI filmmaking conference I attended this week in Culver City, California, called AI on the Lot. Throughout the event, speakers expressed sustained optimism that AI video tools will expand access to filmmaking for underrepresented creators who have historically faced financial barriers to bringing their projects to life.
I saw multiple examples of how AI can enable artists to create visually stunning work at a fraction of the usual cost. Case in point: Dreams of Violets was made in two months for $2,000.
At the same time, the film raises concerns about using AI to depict deeply human experiences without the lived perspective or emotional authenticity needed to fully ground the story. The project’s inclusion at Tribeca has already sparked heated debate online.
Discussion of the film has spread across Reddit, with reactions sharply divided. Some users criticized Tribeca for programming the project, while others praised the Koosha brothers for bypassing traditional studio gatekeepers and the financial barriers that often limit independent productions.
Several commenters pointed to the work of Oscar-nominated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose 2025 Palme d’Or-winning film It Was Just an Accident also explored political activism and repression in Iran. For many critics, Panahi’s film offered a more grounded, human depiction of the events because he made the film without AI-generated performances or imagery.
Panahi is currently facing legal proceedings in Iran on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”
A representative for Fountain 0 Studios didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before making movies, Ash and Pooya Koosha used AI to make music. Ash put out an album in 2018 called Return O. The album featured performances by Yona, an AI pop star Pooya created at Auxuman, a company that developed music, games and virtual worlds all created using AI.
