Bahman Ghobadi's film is yet another disappointment at TIFF.

Three months after Martin Scorsese emerged as a prominent filmmaker advocating for generative AI, he is now associated as an executive producer with a festival film criticized for its extensive use of the technology.

The movie, "Trees Are Watching," directed by Bahman Ghobadi and set in Turkey, is a psychological horror featuring Eva Green. It premiered on Friday as part of TIFF's Centrepiece program. Green plays Darya, who returns to Mardin with her Deaf daughter and faces threats from an intricately carved chair.

Variety's review offers a harsh critique of the AI usage, stating that the film ultimately resembles "a product of typed-in prompts rather than genuine, intelligent artistry." Critic Siddhant Adlakha notes that it's not only the establishing shots and transitions — entire segments of flashback mythology are created entirely with AI, featuring textures described as "repulsive."

Shots barely fit together as the film goes on, with anything except isolated closeups of human faces not only suspect, but downright insulting to watch, as “Trees Are Watching” becomes a product of typed-in prompts rather than real, intelligent artistry.

Adlakha suggests that it may be appropriate to completely prohibit major festivals from featuring films that use this technology, and recommends that audiences be informed prior to purchasing tickets. The review specifically criticizes Scorsese for endorsing the project as an executive producer.

This situation recalls events from June, when Black Forest Labs, a German AI startup, presented Scorsese in a promotional video utilizing its FLUX model to create storyboards. Shortly thereafter, the Art Directors Guild released a statement accusing Scorsese of "betraying the human artists" who have supported his career. In response, his team arranged a private conversation with ADG president Dina Lipton; however, a subsequent discussion reportedly did not advance.

Nevertheless, an executive producer credit like Scorsese's on Ghobadi's film is generally intended to confer prestige or enhance the film's visibility. Perceptions are important, and the timing in this case is particularly unfortunate.