Premiere of AI-Generated Film "Whispering Hill" Held at CIU
Cyprus International University (CIU) hosted the premiere of Whispering Hill, the first feature-length horror film generated entirely by artificial intelligence. The event featured opening speeches by Dr. Çağın Zort, Chief of Staff to the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC); Şirin Zaferyıldızı Zaimağaoğlu, Director of the TRNC Department of Culture; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilan Çiftçi, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Communication, CIU; author Şafak Yolcu, and Director of the film Dr. Müge Günay. It was emphasized that the film is a global first in its category.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Çağın Zort described Whispering Hill as a significant cultural and artistic milestone, saying, “Today, we are witnessing a beautiful day for culture, the arts, and literature.” Zort thanked the author of the film, noting, “To bring this film to life, there had to be a work first. I congratulate Şafak Yolcu for creating that work.” Highlighting the importance of preserving cultural heritage for societal progress, Zort also stated, “Nations acquire their identity by embracing their cultural heritage.”
Director of the TRNC Department of Culture, Şirin Zaferyıldızı Zaimağaoğlu, shared that significant cinema projects will be launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. She emphasized that the department will continue to support TRNC filmmakers in gaining international recognition.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilan Çiftçi noted that Whispering Hill was selected for the Jeju Global AI Film Festival in South Korea. She explained that the film was created entirely using AI technologies and congratulated director Dr. Müge Günay for her brave and innovative work. Çiftçi expressed CIU’s pride in hosting such a pioneering project and thanked the creative team for their efforts.
Director Dr. Müge Günay highlighted the global significance of the film, saying, “This is a first not only for us but also for the world. We are incredibly excited and grateful to share this moment with you.” She explained that the film is based on a true story, with only the final fifteen minutes being fictionalized. Günay stated that Gen-2 and Gen-3 technologies were utilized in the project, with the script written using ChatGPT and then transformed into a video through visualized prompts. “Currently, AI technology is typically used for about 15 minutes of content in films. This 63-minute film took us seven months to complete,” she said. Günay also shared that the film was regenerated from scratch three times and all elements—from characters and settings to sound, effects, poster, and music—were entirely AI-generated.
Author Şafak Yolcu mentioned that the film is adapted from her book The Guardians of the Hill, which was inspired by a true-life story. She said she never imagined such a project when writing the book, stating, “It’s a great honor and joy for me to have inspired a global first.” Yolcu added, “When a person leaves something behind, they become immortal. I hope we have managed to leave something meaningful.”