Dubai AI Film Festival Grand Prize Winner Freewillusion Brings AI-VFX Innovation to Hollywood

Korean AI studio opens LA office, dramatically cutting VFX production time with an innovative AFX pipeline

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, November 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Studio Freewillusion, the Seoul-based AI film technology startup that swept top honors at the Dubai International AI Film Festival, is opening its Los Angeles office to accelerate its Hollywood expansion. The expansion positions the company to serve growing demand for AI-integrated production tools across Hollywood studios and streaming platforms.

Freewillusion is introducing its proprietary AFX (AI + VFX) pipeline to U.S. film and streaming production partners. The AFX system integrates AI-powered generation, compositing, and rendering into traditional VFX workflows. It delivers efficiency gains, cost savings, and shorter production timelines while maintaining studio-grade visual quality.

The technology comprises three core components: a Neural Rendering Re-Lighting system that enables post-shoot control of lighting and camera angles; Xpanza, an AI video outpainting tool that intelligently extends frame boundaries; and Taylor Dub, an automated dubbing solution that synchronizes lip movements across multiple languages.

As global studios increasingly turn to generative AI for faster and more cost-efficient production, Freewillusion's AFX system offers a practical, production-ready pipeline rather than an experimental approach.

Studio Freewillusion demonstrated the commercial viability of its AFX technology through Run to the West, one of the first Korean feature films produced using AI-driven VFX, which was released theatrically nationwide in October 2025. The film completed more than 350 VFX shots in 50% less time than traditional workflows.

The film had earned international recognition after winning both the Grand Prize and the Audience Award at the Dubai International AI Film Festival.

The company is now expanding beyond VFX services to become an IP-driven content studio. The technology is currently being applied to KOBOLD, a fantasy-horror feature film slated for 2026 release, with additional projects including LAND OF DEAD GODS now in production.

"Hollywood is looking for ways to balance creative vision with production efficiency," said Dongwook Cho, Managing Director and AFX Supervisor of Studio Freewillusion's Los Angeles office. Cho is a 20-year VFX veteran whose credits include NBC's Heroes and Marvel's Iron Man 2. "Our AFX pipeline provides exactly that—bridging artistry and AI-driven innovation."

Freewillusion's LA office targets feature films, streaming series, commercials, and remaster projects across the U.S. and Canada. The company is currently in discussions with multiple studios and production companies.

The company is in talks with platform partners including On Demand Korea to explore AI-powered content production for North American audiences.

Despite being founded only in 2023, Freewillusion has rapidly gained global recognition. The company was selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First program from among 1,700 companies across 89 countries and has received multiple awards from Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT.

With R&D partnerships spanning Korea, the U.S., and Canada—including Mila, the world-renowned AI research institute—Freewillusion is bridging academic AI research and production-level filmmaking.

"We're not just providing VFX services—we're building a new standard for filmmaking," Cho added. "By combining cutting-edge AI with traditional cinematic craft, we're proving that efficiency and artistry can coexist at the highest level through real-world projects."

About Studio Freewillusion
Studio Freewillusion is a Seoul-based AI media technology startup founded in 2023 with offices in Seoul and Los Angeles. In 2025, the company earned top honors at the Dubai International AI Film Festival for Run to the West, Korea's first AI-driven feature film. The company develops AI-powered production solutions for film, advertising, and entertainment through its proprietary AFX pipeline, which reduces production time by up to 50% compared to traditional VFX workflows while maintaining studio-grade quality.

Studio Freewillusion Los Angeles Office
Studio Freewillusion Inc.
usa_onclecho@studiofreewill.com

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