A competition for AI storytellers

Submit a Body of Work that tells a story from start to finish. Be reviewed by expert judges, and compete for a $1,000 grant and a feature in Prompt Magazine.

Free to enter · Open worldwide · Judged on skill · Entries close 12 July

The Sepia Phantom

The Sepia Phantom is an exploration of anemoia, the profound, often aching nostalgia for a time or place one has never actually known. Through a sequential narrative of eight distinct visual works, this collection interrogates the seductive, absorbing power of the idealized past and the psychological cost of abandoning the present.

The collection follows a singular character, Alex, who serves as a proxy for the modern, hyper-connected individual seeking refuge in the analog. The catalyst for this journey is an artifact: a 1920s Atwater Kent radio. In the first images, I utilize chiaroscuro lighting and realism to help establish and set the tone for the "real world" to which Alex belongs.

As the narrative progresses, the visual language intentionally breaks down to mirror the protagonist’s psychological and physical displacement. The music from the radio acting almost as synesthesia when Alex turns it on, the vivid Art Nouveau capturing the idealised fantasy of the past, the combined almost double-exposure effect of Alex fantasising and almost literally projecting the 1920s against the bedroom wall, the glitch effects as Alex's loses touch with reality, and the sepia toned vintage silver gelatin print in which Alex ultimately gets captured in.

The final work shows the image of Alex being packed in a box with the radio and returned to the attic. The interpretation and conclusion from this final piece is intentionally left with the viewer. Is it Alex packing away their old obsession? Or did life simply move on without them?

Ultimately, this body of work asks the viewer to consider the danger of romanticizing the past. It is a visual essay on the ways in which our longing for a simpler, aestheticized history can entirely consume the vibrant, albeit chaotic, reality of the present.

PRO

Axolotl

@AxolotlCreates

0Creations

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Edition 1 Theme

The Architecture of Feeling

Pick a feeling - (wonder, longing, awe, the quiet kind of joy, it's up to you!) - and build a Body of Work that tells a story about it. Tell one story from start to finish, as a collection of images and/or videos, or as a single edited video. Think short film or mini exhibition, not a single image, clip, or mood board.

We want to feel it, not just see it.

Full competition details

Key Dates

Entries open

Jun 15, 2026

Entries close, judging begins

Jul 12, 2026

Winners announced

Jul 20, 2026

Winners announced in 6d 11h 0m

Awards & Prizes

🏆
Best Overall$1,000 USD grant + 30,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine
📖
Best Storytelling15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
✨
Most Creative15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
❤️
Community Favourite15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
🎖️
Highly Commended (×10)2,400 fast credits each + print copy of Prompt Magazine + Highly Commended badge

Full prize list

Judging Panel

Angus Russell

Founder, NightCafe

Sarah Impey

AI Community Manager, Runware

Marco Pittarello

Founder, Prompt Magazine

Gully Ahmed

NightCafe community member

About the panel · How it's judged

FAQ

Discuss NightCafe Select

PRO

Axolotl

@AxolotlCreates

0Creations

View Profile

Key Dates

Entries open

Jun 15, 2026

Entries close, judging begins

Jul 12, 2026

Winners announced

Jul 20, 2026

Winners announced in 6d 11h 0m

Judging Panel

Angus Russell

Founder, NightCafe

Sarah Impey

AI Community Manager, Runware

Marco Pittarello

Founder, Prompt Magazine

Gully Ahmed

NightCafe community member

About the panel · How it's judged

Discuss NightCafe Select

PRO

Axolotl

@AxolotlCreates

0Creations

View Profile

Edition 1 Theme

The Architecture of Feeling

We want to feel it, not just see it.

Full competition details

Key Dates

Entries open

Jun 15, 2026

Entries close, judging begins

Jul 12, 2026

Winners announced

Jul 20, 2026

Winners announced in 6d 11h 0m

Awards & Prizes

🏆
Best Overall$1,000 USD grant + 30,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine
📖
Best Storytelling15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
✨
Most Creative15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
❤️
Community Favourite15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
🎖️
Highly Commended (×10)2,400 fast credits each + print copy of Prompt Magazine + Highly Commended badge

Full prize list

Judging Panel

Angus Russell

Founder, NightCafe

Sarah Impey

AI Community Manager, Runware

Marco Pittarello

Founder, Prompt Magazine

Gully Ahmed

NightCafe community member

About the panel · How it's judged

FAQ

Discuss NightCafe Select

Edition 1 Theme

The Architecture of Feeling

We want to feel it, not just see it.

Full competition details

Awards & Prizes

🏆
Best Overall$1,000 USD grant + 30,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine
📖
Best Storytelling15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
✨
Most Creative15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
❤️
Community Favourite15,000 fast credits + feature in Prompt Magazine + verified Select portfolio
🎖️
Highly Commended (×10)2,400 fast credits each + print copy of Prompt Magazine + Highly Commended badge

Full prize list