About the Foundation
We believe one good story can change a life. And when stories reach millions, they can shape a culture — influencing what we value, what we hope for, and what the next generation comes to believe is possible.
Tyrannus Angel Awards is the flagship program of Tyrannus Foundation, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit foundation created for a new era of storytelling.
As artificial intelligence gives more people than ever the power to create cinematic worlds, Tyrannus exists to champion the stories worth carrying forward — stories marked by artistic excellence, human meaning, hope, and the power to leave something meaningful behind.
Why we exist
For generations, filmmaking required enormous resources. Today, that equation is changing.
AI is placing extraordinary creative tools into the hands of individual storytellers around the world. Ideas that once required millions of dollars and hundreds of people can increasingly begin with a single creator and a vision.
Extraordinary voices still go unheard. Powerful stories remain buried by geography, economics, industry access, language, and circumstance. We believe creative opportunity should not be limited to those who already have access to the traditional gates of the entertainment industry.
If a story is powerful enough to move people, it deserves the opportunity to be seen.
Why now
Every major shift in technology changes not only how stories are produced, but who gets to tell them. Production barriers are falling. Creative speed is accelerating. Entire cinematic worlds can now emerge from places the traditional industry may never have reached.
When more stories than ever can be created, which stories will we choose to elevate?
Our belief
We are not interested in celebrating technology simply because it is new. We are interested in what people choose to create with it.
AI may transform the production process, but the heart of cinema remains profoundly human.
The human need for meaningful stories is not new.
A global stage
Through international submissions, distinguished jurors, creator grants, industry visibility, and a red-carpet awards gala in Los Angeles, we seek to give emerging creators something technology alone cannot provide.
Distinguished jurors and international submissions.
Creators meeting across nations, cultures, and languages.
A red-carpet awards gala in Los Angeles.
The Jury
Founding Jury
江秉承
Film Producer · AI Cinema Pioneer
A veteran film and television producer and advocate for AI filmmaking technology. Credits include The Rooftop, Nezha, and Soul Assassin. Long committed to lowering the barriers of film production through AI, and to advancing the development of Chinese-language AI cinema and IP content industries.
Founding Jury
Former Disney Animator · Founder, Kendu Films
A former Disney animator whose credits include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, and The Lion King. Born in Taiwan, he later founded Kendu Films and Kendu Kids, using animation and storytelling to inspire character and faith in the next generation.
Founding Jury
International Speaker · Co-Founder, Global Presence Ministries
Globally recognized communicator whose message has reached audiences across six continents. Brings a rare lens of narrative truth and human transformation to the jury table.
Jury
VFX ART DIRECTOR · CO-FOUNDER, MIXEL MEDIA
A Hollywood visual effects art director and producer whose credits include Avengers: Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Ghost in the Shell. Trained in Chinese ink painting from childhood, he now leads Mixel Media, bringing a bridge between Eastern artistry and Western visual storytelling to the jury table.
Jury
CHURCH HISTORIAN · AUTHOR · INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER
Roberts Liardon is a respected church historian and bestselling author whose landmark series God's Generals has impacted leaders and congregations around the world. Drawing from decades of global ministry, he brings a faith-informed lens to the jury, helping highlight projects that carry both artistic excellence and lasting moral weight.
Additional jurors representing film, animation, faith, and AI filmmaking will be announced through Summer 2026.
What we look for
Technical sophistication matters. Visual innovation matters. Originality matters. But technology alone does not make a great film. At Tyrannus, we look for work that combines creative innovation with genuine storytelling.
We are drawn to films with emotional depth, artistic intention, strong ideas, memorable characters, and a perspective worth sharing. Stories that make us feel. Stories that make us think. Stories capable of traveling beyond the screen and staying with an audience long after the final frame.
It should also be measured by what our creations leave behind.
Our values
Technology evolves. The human heart remains the measure. We champion storytelling that recognizes the dignity, complexity, struggle, and possibility within human life.
Great storytellers can come from anywhere. As technology lowers the barriers to creation, Tyrannus seeks to help lower the barriers to recognition.
Meaning and craft belong together. AI is a tool. The artist remains responsible for what the audience ultimately experiences.
Based in Los Angeles and shaped by connections across cultures, we seek to build bridges between East and West.
The culture we create today becomes part of the world the next generation inherits tomorrow.
The foundation
The Foundation was established around a broader belief: that creativity, culture, technology, and compassion can work together to create meaningful impact.
Our work begins with storytelling because stories influence how people see the world. But our mission does not end at the screen.
Tyrannus Foundation is committed to advancing meaningful storytelling, encouraging cross-cultural connection, supporting emerging creative voices, and contributing to initiatives that strengthen and protect children and families.
Faith and purpose
The values behind Tyrannus Foundation are shaped by a belief that every person carries dignity, that creativity can serve a greater purpose, and that hope is worth protecting.
That foundation informs who we are. It does not limit who may participate. Tyrannus Angel Awards welcomes storytellers from around the world, across cultures, backgrounds, and traditions.
We do not ask filmmakers to tell one kind of story. We ask them to tell stories that matter.
Where east meets west
Los Angeles has long been one of the centers of global filmmaking. But the future of cinema will not belong to one city, one country, or one industry.
A place where an unknown filmmaker can stand beside an industry veteran. Where technology leaders can meet artists. Where creators who might never have entered the same room can become part of the same conversation.
Our vision
We envision Tyrannus growing beyond an annual awards ceremony into a global ecosystem for meaningful storytelling. A platform where exceptional creators are discovered. Where filmmakers find collaborators. Where stories encounter audiences. Where established industry leaders meet emerging voices.
We believe the future belongs to stories with something worth saying.
Create Something
Worth Remembering.