3 min readNew DelhiMay 29, 2026 03:03 PM IST A former train driver from China has unexpectedly found himself on Hollywood’s radar after creating a 3.5-minute AI-generated short film on a shoestring budget of just 3,000 yuan (around Rs 42,206). According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Liu Ziyu, 29, from Yunnan province, made the film, titled Zombie Scavenger, in only 10 days using AI tools. The Atompunk-inspired story, centred on a robot and a mannequin-like doll, draws comparisons to Pixar’s WALL-E. Released on Chinese social media platform Douyin on May 9, the entire project was produced with AI, while the small budget was spent mainly on software subscriptions and usage credits. The short film soon caught international attention after Hollywood-based AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo praised it online. “This is one of the best short films I have seen in years,” Accetturo wrote on social media. “If anyone can find the director, please link his socials. I would love to hire him but I cannot find him. I think he is a Chinese creator …