Hot-blooded Tribe

Hot-blooded Tribe (热血部落) is a 2026 AI-produced action film of about 64 minutes, the first AI film from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SCFAI) in Chongqing. It is a joint production of the institute's China Digital Art and Image Center and Yunnan Xiubaba Film Production Co., Ltd. It launched on 8 September 2026 on streaming platforms including iQiyi and Youku, and it is also on YouTube.

SCFAI says the film was produced entirely with AI digital imaging technology, and that AI was built into the whole process, from pre-production planning and narrative development to visual style exploration, rather than used only in post-production. AI-assisted tools generated character movement and atmospheric lighting, which the institute calls an efficient and cost-effective visual solution. Graduate students took on core tasks in AI visual design, scene concept design and digital character generation. Zhai Jiandong says AI tools can iterate ideas quickly in character design and scene construction, but the final artistic quality and emotional expression still depend on the creators' understanding of art. No specific AI model or software is named on the pages read.

Wu Quan directed. According to China Radio International, Pang Maokun, who heads the centre, was artistic consultant; Zhou Zongkai, a professor, was planner; and Zhai Jiandong, an associate professor, was producer, AI director and artistic director. Qian Changyun is credited as writer, Li Yubin as sound director, Bai Yunkun as AI production director and Liu Yuan as coordinator. The centre was founded in 2023 as a university research body, and CRI notes that Zhai earlier served as director of photography on the theatrical film Scavenger, which reached more than 20 overseas platforms.

The film announced its date on 7 September and was released on 8 September 2026 after receiving a network film distribution licence. The full film on YouTube had about 50,000 views and the YOUKU MOVIE upload about 94,000, both read on 7 October 2026; the Arabic and Thai uploads had about 1,800 and 1,600, and the trailer about 1,300. Overseas distribution has started, with a launch on Apple TV, Google TV and Amazon planned for March 2027 in English, Spanish, Arabic and other languages, aimed at audiences in more than 100 countries and regions.

Chongqing outlet ichongqing quoted netizen reactions praising the visuals and detail, such as "Stunning visuals; you can tell this was made by artists." A Chinese business-news report on AI film and series describes it as a university AI experiment, and says viewer reaction to such AI works is divided, with complaints about a heavy AI feel, blank eyes and flat voice acting. The institute presents the film as a landmark for its teaching-research-production model and says it plans more "AI + film" projects.