AI-Generated “Vintage Adult Films” from 1970s Photo Shoots Debut at Cannes

At the Cannes Film Festival, a series of short films created using artificial intelligence and based on erotic photo spreads from magazines dating back 50 years has been unveiled, sparking discussion about the intersection of technology, sexuality, and archival imagery.

The films are already available on the streaming platform Cultpix, with plans for later release on physical media, including Blu-Ray and VHS, distributed by Klubb Super 8.

The project was developed by Thomas Meyer of the Norwegian company Multiformat. Using generative AI tools, he transformed static magazine spreads from 1976 into fully animated colour video sequences, complete with sound design, synchronised dialogue, and voiceover narration, according to Variety.

“We want to use the latest technology to provoke discussion about how we view images from half a century ago,” said Cultpix CEO and co-founder Rikard Gramfors.

“What was once considered shocking ‘adult material’ now appears surprisingly innocent by today’s standards. By bringing these static images to life with AI, we create a dialogue between the provocative aesthetics of the past and modern technology, exploring how attitudes toward the human body and sexuality have evolved over the past 50 years,” he added.

The Cannes announcement coincided with a festival screening of a restored version of Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), a film that faced heavy censorship upon release and remains a key reference point in debates over artistic freedom and on-screen sexuality.

The AI project arrives amid growing academic and curatorial interest in vintage erotic imagery. Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles launched an “Eros” programme paying tribute to its history as an adult theatre in the 1970s. Meanwhile, the Swedish Film Institute’s Cinematheque presented the retrospective “Swedish Sin,” exploring how Sweden’s liberal approach to nudity and sexuality in cinema became a global cultural phenomenon that challenged censors worldwide.