Pune-based Creator Akshay Kakade Wins Global Award for AI-Animated Film Woven
Akshay Kakade, a Pune-based AI artist, has won the Arca Gidan Prize for his 3-minute open-source AI-animated short film Woven, debuting at Hollywood’s Mack Sennett Studios.
Pune | November15 ,2025: Pune-based creative lead and new-media artist Akshay Kakade has achieved international recognition for his groundbreaking AI film Woven, which won the Best Short Film & Award at the Arca Gidan Prize event. The award ceremony took place on November 7 at the historic Mack Sennett Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The Arca Gidan Prize celebrates work produced with open-source AI models, encouraging accessibility and creativity in digital art. Awarding Kakade underscores his pioneering effort to create emotionally resonant cinema using publicly available AI tools.
Woven is a three-minute, sci-fi animation that follows an astronaut who discovers life on another planet. The film draws aesthetic inspiration from 1990s retro-futuristic anime and explores the German idea of Fern — a longing for a place never seen — weaving together themes of connection and sacrifice.
What makes Woven particularly notable is its entire production workflow, which relies exclusively on open-source and generative AI tools. Kakade’s approach demonstrates how advanced animation, once restricted to big studios, is now accessible to solo creators.
Kakade, who founded Bliip, a creative studio in Pune focused on AI, XR and visual storytelling, said the award “is a victory for the entire open-source community.” He believes Woven proves that AI can be “a paintbrush for crafting intimate, soulful narratives.”
Following its award at Hollywood, Woven is set for a European premiere in Paris in spring 2026 — underscoring its growing global impact.
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