Archive · 17 Nov 2025
AI Film 'Humans in the Loop' Wins Grant, Enters Oscar Race
A movie called 'Humans in the Loop' about a woman working in a data center in India got a special grant.
This grant helps movies about science and technology reach more people.
The movie is about how computers learn, which is called machine learning.
It's also up for an Oscar now because of this grant.
Aranya Sahay's film 'Humans in the Loop' received the Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant
The grant supports films with science or technology themes, aiding wider audience reach
The film qualified for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best Original Screenplay category
'Humans in the Loop' explores machine learning ethics through an indigenous woman's perspective
The grant and Oscar qualification highlight the film's focus on the human element behind technology
- Who
- Aranya Sahay (writer/director), Mathivanan Rajendran (producer), Film Independent, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- What
- Aranya Sahay's feature film 'Humans in the Loop' received the Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant and qualified for the 98th Academy Awards
- When
- Recently, following US theatrical release and meeting eligibility criteria
- Where
- USA (for grant distribution and Oscar consideration)
- Why
- The film explores science and technology themes (AI, machine learning ethics) and aims to raise awareness about the human labor behind technology
Film Industry Perspective
Filmmaker's Perspective
Purpose of the Grant
Film Industry Perspective
The grant aims to help films with science or technology themes reach wider audiences in the US through strategic release support.
Filmmaker's Perspective
The grant allows the filmmaker to take the conversation about AI and the human heartbeat inside technology across the US, recognizing the unseen labor and stories of people.
Significance of the Film
Film Industry Perspective
The film's rigorous and deeply human approach to exploring AI and technology perfectly reflects the mission of the grant.
Filmmaker's Perspective
The film creates space for technologists and creatives to rethink how stories about technology are told, and its Oscar consideration validates that creatives can shape the future of tech.
- Film Title
- Humans in the Loop
- Director/Writer
- Aranya Sahay
- Producer
- Mathivanan Rajendran
- Grant Awarded
- Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant
- Grant Provider
- Film Independent and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Grant Purpose
- To support narrative features with science or technology themes and help them reach wider audiences.
- Oscar Consideration
- 98th Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay
- Film's Focus
- Ethics and inequities of machine learning, indigenous woman in rural India data-annotation center.
