The second Runway AIFF kept the format from 2023 but expanded the prize pool. 10 finalists selected, $60,000+ in cash plus 3+ million Runway credits distributed across the award tiers: Grand Prix ($15,000 + 1M credits), Gold ($10,000 + 500k credits), Silver ($5,000 + 500k credits), 2x Honoree ($1,000 + 100k each), and 5x Merit ($500 + 100k each).
The 2024 finalist roster signalled a maturing field. Daniel Antebi's bilingual "Get Me Out / 囚われて" (6:34), Samuel Schrag's "Pounamu" (4:48), Junie Lau's "e^(i*π) + 1 = 0" (5:07), Léo Cannone's "Where Do Grandmas Go When They Get Lost?" (2:27), Carlo De Togni & Elena Sparacino's "L'éveil à la création / The dawn of creation" (7:32), Emeric Leprince's "Animitas" (4:00), John and Dara Semerad's "A Tree Once Grew Here" (7:00), Johans Saldana Guadalupe & Katie Luo's "Dear Mom" (3:04), YZA Voku's "LAPSE" (1:47), and Rufus Dye-Montefiore, Luke Dye-Montefiore & Alice Boyd's "Separation" (4:52) made up the screening lineup.
What changed between 2023 and 2024 was ambition. Runtimes pushed past five minutes (3 of the 10 finalists are over six minutes), bilingual storytelling appeared, and the work shifted from technical demos to genuine narrative filmmaking. The festival itself shifted its second city from San Francisco to Los Angeles, signalling closer ties to the entertainment industry rather than the tech crowd.