In this talk moderated by Mattias Frey, the filmmaker and researcher Hikaru Kinouchi will explore the theme “Storytelling in the Age of AI: What Changes, What Doesn’t.”

Drawing on his multidisciplinary experience as a film producer and his academic background in neuroscience and the social sciences, Hikaru will discuss the current state of AI in the film industry, how it is reshaping the filmmaking process, and how it is redefining the role of the creator.

He will also examine the relationship between storytelling and investment, why stories matter and how their value is assessed, and how AI may reshape the way stories are created and evaluated in the future.

About the contributors

Hikaru Kinouchi is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and researcher working at the intersection of storytelling, investment, and social evaluation. He is the Founder and CEO of Tokyo New Cinema, an award-winning production company recognised at major international film festivals. Alongside his creative practice, Kinouchi conducts research in management, examining how investors interpret and evaluate entrepreneurial narratives under conditions of uncertainty. His work explores how stories construct legitimacy, shape trust, and mobilise resources, particularly where social mission and economic judgement intersect. Currently based in Europe as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Twente, he brings together experience from the creative industries with academic inquiry into narrative evaluation. His central concern is how meaning is constructed and assessed in contemporary society — and, in an age increasingly shaped by AI, what makes a story worthy of belief and investment.

Prof Mattias Frey (moderator) is Head of the Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries at City, University of London. He is a film and media industries scholar. Professor Frey takes a critical media industries approach to film (esp. distribution, regulation, exhibition); media audiences; promotional media and cultural intermediation (esp. film marketing, criticism); and digital culture (e.g. algorithmic recommender systems and media platforms). His current work examines streaming services such as Netflix and MUBI as well as the audiences of these platforms. His next book is an anthology on AI in the International Film and Audiovisual Media Industries. Professor Frey’s most recent monograph is Netflix Recommends: Algorithms, Film Choice, and the History of Taste (University of California Press, 2021). It was awarded the 2023 BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies) Best Monograph Award.

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