Grand Mirror Studio, a video program created by the Chen Institute and dedicated to using AI generated content to advance science communication through art and technology, has achieved major milestones in 2025, earning international acclaim across film, science, and digital media platforms.
AIGC Art Film – Sebastian im Traum
Grand Mirror’s experimental art film Sebastian im Traum (梦中的塞巴斯蒂安) has been recognized at top film festivals worldwide:
- Winner: “Most Potential AI Short Film” at the 5th IM Cross-Strait Youth Film Festival (The Future is Here category).
- Nominee: 7th FOTOGENIA International Festival of Poetic and Avant-Garde Cinema (Audiovisual Art & Experimental Music).
- Nominee: 2025 FIRST Surprise Film Festival.
- Nominee: 42nd Tehran International Short Film Festival — an Oscar-qualifying event.
- Nominee: 12th Silk Road International Film Festival (AI Short Film Competition).
AIGC Popular Science Series – A Brief History of Life Sciences
The studio’s popular science series A Brief History of Life Sciences (生命科学简史) won First Place and the Best Science Communication Award in the 2025 Beijing Science Communication Competition, hosted by the Beijing Science Association and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Grand Mirror Digital Science Channels
Grand Mirror continues to break records across popular Chinese social media channels:
- Bilibili: #1 in overall popularity once; #1 in Knowledge Zone popularity eight times; #1 in Knowledge Zone follower growth (July).
- WeChat Channel: #1 in Technology and Internet Daily Influence List once.
- Douyin: Selected as a Featured Creator (August); #1 in Knowledge Popular Science Zone follower growth (August); consistently ranked #1 in daily influence.
Altogether, Grand Mirror now has over 2 million followers and more than 200 million views and exposures across platforms—demonstrating the power of creative, AI-driven storytelling to inspire curiosity and expand public engagement with science. The Chen Institute plans to expand distribution of the content outside of China on YouTube and Instagram.