Infinity Festival Hollywood

Infinity Festival Hollywood Logo

Infinity Festival Hollywood, aka Infinity Festival, is a multi-day event held annually each November in Los Angeles. The event, which brings together creative talent from Hollywood and Silicon Valley, celebrates "Story Enabled by Technology" through curated exhibitions, panels, screenings and special events. The festival is supported by several Hollywood studios and leading tech companies. Infinity Festival Hollywood is held at nya Studios, with screenings and special events taking place at various locations in Los Angeles.

History

2018

Infinity Film Festival VR Exhibit Hall (2018)

Infinity Festival began in 2018 as Infinity Film Festival. The event was held in Beverly Hills, from November 1–4, 2018. The former Paley Center served as the festival hub, with screenings and special events held in various theaters and other locations in Beverly Hills, including the Writer's Guild Theater. The festival included over 200 speakers and over 100 screenings including studio premieres, a Tech Lab, a Student Lab, 2 floors of exhibitions, industry networking and a Fine Art Gallery. Festival themes included 3D, 4K, Immersive, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The Student Lab was presented by Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and Moody College of Communication; Sony, Deloitte and Intel. This was also the debut of the Infinity Festival Monolith Awards, which are awarded in various categories recognizing achievements in entertainment and technology. The opening night party was held at United Talent Agency and was co-presented by CES, the Consumer Electronics Show.

2019

Publisher Judith Regan interviewing Van Jones (CNN) and director Elijah Allan-Blitz (2019)

The festival expanded in 2019 and moved to Hollywood. Retitled Infinity Festival Hollywood, the event took place at nya (formerly Goya) Studios, the Dream Hotel and various theaters around Hollywood, from November 7–9, 2019. The event featured a Main Stage, an Exhibition Hall, a Student Lab, an Innovation Hub and ART+TECH, a Fine Art Gallery. The festival continued its theme of "Story Enabled by Technology" through themes that included 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Immersive Technology and Wellness. Screenings were held at the Dolby Vine Theater and included original films from Disney, Netflix, Pixar and Sony. Exclusive screenings included a CLED screening of "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and "Gemini Man" in 120 FPS 3D. Festival media partners included People, Entertainment Weekly, IGN, Mashable and Los Angeles radio station KPCC. The opening night event was held on the rooftop of the Dream Hotel. The Infinity Festival Monolith Awards were once again awarded to talent in the tech and entertainment communities.

2020

Infinity Festival Virtual Platform (2020)

For 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held entirely online with an all-virtual event that was held over eight weeks. The 2020 Infinity Festival began on October 28, 2020, and ran through January 7, 2021. Original material debuted on the Wednesday and Thursday of each of the 8 consecutive weeks (with the exception of Christmas week 2020 and New Year's week 2021.) The festival was free to attend after registration on an online platform which was created specifically for the event. Each week's programming was devoted entirely to one of eight themes: Remote Collaboration, Artificial Intelligence, 3D/Visual effects, Virtual Production, Immersive Experiences, Real Time Storytelling, Entertainment Content, and Wellness Tech. The programming also included ART+TECH, a Fine Art Gallery that featured innovative new media artists including Rashad Newsome and Jam Sutton. Festival speakers included Oscar winning actress and producer Brie Larson, actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and artist Refik Anadol.

New to the festival in 2020 was a collaboration with Universal Music Group and Capitol Records' Capitol Royale. During the festival, the Universal Music Group's Innovation Team hosted a five-week Lifestyle Innovation Challenge, where four teams were challenged to develop a detailed vision for a consumer product. The teams then hosted their final projects in the Virtual Capitol Tower, which provided a 360 navigable version of the iconic Capitol Records tower in Hollywood.

2021

Opening Night on the Dream Hotel Rooftop (2021)

Infinity Festival Exhibition Hall (2021)

Infinity Festival Hollywood continued in 2021 with a hybrid in-person and online event. The festival was held at nya Studios and the Dream Hotel from November 2–4, 2021. The event featured all new programming focused on current trends including the Metaverse, AI, XR, OTT, Film, Television, Audio, Animation, Music, 5G, Art and Gaming.

New sponsors in 2021 included data centers Equinix and CoreSite, and entertainment production solutions experts Cast & Crew. Featured guests at the festival included comedian/producer Howie Mandel, actor/producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt, composer/musician A.R.Rahman, political commentator and author Doug Schoen, musician/artist Dave Navarro, TikTok star Gabby Murray, social media influencers Dytto and Justmaiko, and producer/writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who conducted a panel about their Sony Pictures Animation blockbuster hit "The Mitchells vs. the Machines", which was soon after nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The Fine Art Gallery, ART+TECH, was sponsored by The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Los Angeles and Lighthouse Immersive. The gallery featured artists working in traditional and new mediums, and included an installation called "NFT's – The Journey of a Collector", a comprehensive story on the role of NFT's in today's art world. ART+TECH opening night attendees were offered a private viewing of the Van Gogh Exhibit, which was held at the Lighthouse Immersive space adjacent to nya Studios. In 2021, Infinity Festival Hollywood was commended by the City of Los Angeles for its exceptional contribution to the people, helping to make the city a better place to work, live and thrive.

2022

Intel's Ravi Velhal, A.R. Rahman and Lori H. Schwartz discuss Rahman's "Le Musk" (2022)

Infinity Festival Exhibition Hall (2022)

nya Studios Courtyard with Rotating "Squircle" logo (2022)

Infinity Festival Hollywood continued for its fifth year with a live event that took place on November 2–5, 2022 at nya Studios and the Dream Hotel. Festival programming continued with a focus on the latest content production trends impacting Hollywood and the tech industries. Tracks and themes for the show included a focus on Virtual Production, Web3 technologies for media and entertainment, and creators and their partnerships with tech companies. The main stage featured an overview of these trends with Hollywood executives and talent sharing their insights. Howie Mandel joined the show for a second year demonstrating Proto, a holoportation solution. The festival's Chief Curator, Lori H. Schwartz, lead a conversation with Oscar, BAFTA, and Grammy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman and Intel's Ravi Velhal on the impact technology had on the storytelling for Rahman's VR directorial debut, "Le Musk." Featured guests at the festival also included actor/environmentalist/entrepreneur Ian Somerhalder on the Metaverse, actor Jeff Bridges launching an NFT, actor Jon Heder talking about his partnership with Verified Labs to launch his "The Order of the Tigons" NFT collection and Elijah Allan-Blitz discussing his groundbreaking AR short film "Remembering" on Disney+ starring Brie Larson.

A new event for 2022 was a Virtual Production Workshop, conducted for a full day, which featured sessions on the virtual art department, on-set operations, and shooting and directing, all with a focus on the pipeline. Other highlights included a Web3 case study summit, and panels featuring various celebrities whose connection to technology elevated their experiences. The festival also featured an exhibition hall, showcasing the latest innovations from Z by HP, Qualcomm, Proto and others, and also featured a Student Lab. The ART+TECH Fine Art Gallery included the works of prominent new media and fine artists, including Carlos Luna James, Teek Mach, Giuseppe Lo Schiavo and Marilyn Minter. A popular activation was Be_Yond, a collaborative interactive installation by Londubh Studio's Brynn Gelbard & Lisa Donohoe and the Polish software house Nomtek. Also new in 2022 was the So. Cal Women's Summit, sponsored by MESA and Women in Technology Hollywood.

Special events for 2022 included a VIP opening night party on the rooftop of the Aster, a private members' club, a special screening of the film "Signs of Life" at the Griffith Observatory with an intro by noted astronomer and Director of the Griffith Observatory, Dr. Ed Krupp. The festival also featured the US debut of A.R. Rahman's "Le Musk", the first feature-length VR cinematic sensory experience. Infinity Festival 2022 was presented by Z by HP, NVIDIA and XLA, and co-presented by Snapdragon. Presenting media sponsors were The Wall Street Journal, OUTFRONT Media and media sponsor was IGN. The Virtual Production Workshop was sponsored by Z by HP, NVIDIA, ETC at USC, and Roe Creative Display.

2023

Infinity Festival expanded to include two new events in 2023, Infinity Festival Silicon Beach, and Infinity Festival Live at the Aster.

INFINITY FESTIVAL SILICON BEACH

Infinity Festival Silicon Beach Virtual Production Panel (2023)

Infinity Festival Monolith Technical Awards at IF Silicon Beach (2023)

Infinity Festival Silicon Beach, hosted on May 18-19, 2023, at the Google Spruce Goose in Playa Vista, CA, signified the expansion of Infinity Festival into a year-round brand. This invitation-only event focused on tech-enabled production, particularly emphasizing workflows and the utilization of Cloud technology.

The event featured distinct programming tracks, including Content & Virtual Production and The Journey to the Cloud. Discussions and presentations revolved around the intricacies of transitioning production workflows to the Cloud, with a specific focus on workstation integration.

Attendees included C-Suite executives and high-profile members from the realms of technology and entertainment. The two-day event concluded with the presentation of the Infinity Festival Monolith Technology Awards. These awards recognized individuals whose innovative contributions have played a pivotal role in advancing storytelling through the development of cutting-edge technological tools.

Monolith Award winners included "Remembering" (The Walt Disney Studios StudioLAB), DreamWorks for their MoonRay Renderer, Felix and Paul Studios for 360 Camera in Open Space, and Intel was given an award for 8K Live Streaming Pioneer. Other winners included Pixar, Qualcomm, and USC Institute for Creative Technologies.

INFINITY FESTIVAL LIVE AT THE ASTER

Opening Night Party on The Aster Rooftop with BlueVishnu 3D xxperience in Foreground (2023)

Infinity Festival Live at The Aster is a curated series of events dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in entertainment technology. Hosted at The Aster, a private members' club in Hollywood, this invitation-only gathering provided an in-depth exploration of the intricacies involved in creating diverse forms of entertainment content.

The inaugural event offered an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the film "Avatar: The Way of Water." Tom Grane, a noted documentarian, delved into the technological challenges and breakthroughs that shaped the production. The discussion provided valuable insights into the impact of these innovations on cinema production techniques.

The following segment of Live at The Aster featured a special screening of the film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." The event was followed by an insightful behind-the-scenes discussion with filmmakers Bret St. Clair and Pav Grochola, offering attendees a unique perspective on the creative process behind the cinematic experience.

INFINITY FESTIVAL HOLLYWOOD

Practical Application of AI Panel Hosted by HP s Barbara Marshall (2023)

Impact of Innovation on Production Panel (2023)

Networking at Infinity Festival (2023)

Chris Miller and Phil Lord Accepting Monolith Award for Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

IF Monolith Award Statues (2023)

Infinity Festival Hollywood, celebrating its 6th year in 2023, took place from November 1-4, 2023 with nya Studios serving as the main festival hub. Additional events were hosted at The Aster and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences Linwood Dunn Theater. Z by HP, NVIDIA, and Barco were title sponsors of the 2023 Infinity Festival, which commenced with a lively rooftop party at The Aster.

Festival tracks encompassed Thought Leadership, A.I. Applications & Empowerment, Gaming Modalities, The Age of the Creator, and the SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit. The latter featured panels highlighting the advancement of young women in careers in the technology sector.

Program highlights featured an A.I. Lab, a Virtual Production Workshop, a Student Lab, an interview series with The Hollywood Reporter tech editor Carolyn Giardina, Behind-The-Scenes glimpses of blockbuster films including “Avatar: The Way of Water”, and the Infinity Festival Monolith Creative Awards. Panels included "Creating the Spider-Verse" with Academy Award-winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with VFX Supervisor Andrew Roberts. IF 2023 also showcased "The Cinematic Magic of Barbie," offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the blockbuster film "Barbie," discussing the technology used and featuring exclusive on-set footage.

The digital production company Barco unveiled Lightsteering, a revolutionary HDR projection system, with special screenings at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Linwood Dunn Theater. Presentations included a tech demo of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" using Lightsteering HDR projection, followed by a full-length screening of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts."

The festival concluded with the Infinity Festival Monolith Creative Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding storytelling advanced by technology. Winners of the Monolith Creative Awards included: “Remembering” (Disney Studio Lab) for Outstanding Narrative MXR (hybrid) Experience, “In Search of Time” for Outstanding Use of A.I. Storytelling, “Gorillaz Presents” (Nexus Studios) for Outstanding Marketing for Tech-Based Entertainment and Refik Anadol’s Living Paintings won for Outstanding New Media Fine Art. In the video game category, God of War Ragnarök (Santa Monica Studio, Sony Interactive Entertainment) tied for Outstanding Narrative Video Game World along with “Baldur’s Gate 3” from Larian Studios. HBO Entertainment’s "Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon" won Outstanding Virtual Production Scene for "Creating the Dragonstone Bridge”, and A.R. Rahman and Intel’s Ravindra Velhal were awarded Outstanding Cinematic Immersive Experience for “Le Musk.”

Phil Lord and Chris Miller along with Sony Imageworks received the Quantum Breakthrough Award for “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, and "Avatar: The Way of Water" (James Cameron, Jon Landau, Ryan Champney, and Vaughn Cato), was honored with the Georges Méliès Pioneering Filmmaker Award. Tom Grane and Mob Scene, were given the Monolith Plus Award for the related making-of documentary "Opening Pandora’s Box."

Festival sponsors

Goya Studios courtyard (2022)

The festival has had a variety of different corporate sponsors over the years. In 2018 the title sponsor was Verizon's RYOT Studio; presenting sponsors were Epic Games and Unreal Engine, co-presenting sponsor was D-Box Technologies. Other sponsors included Intel, ILMxLAB, Sotheby's, Real D and The Third Floor, Inc. Verizon's RYOT Studios returned as title sponsor for the 2019 event. Presenting sponsor was Mastercard, and co-presenting sponsor was Z by HP. Producer sponsors included Amazon Web Services, Qualcomm, Dolby, Intel, Lenovo and The Third Floor. Presenting media sponsors were Los Angeles Times and Outfront Media. The 2020 festival was presented by Z by HP Inc. and Microsoft and was co-presented by Unity Technologies. The presenting media partner was OUTFRONT Media, executive producer was Intel and producer sponsors were Essentia Water and Phase Two. The 2021 Infinity Festival Hollywood title sponsors were Z by HP Inc. and NVIDIA, presenting and gaming sponsor was Unity Technologies, executive producers were Microsoft, Qualcomm and CoreSite, and producer was Intel. Infinity Festival 2022 was presented by Z by HP, NVIDIA and XLA, and co-presented by Snapdragon. Presenting media sponsors were The Wall Street Journal and OUTFRONT Media. Evening event sponsors were Intel, Lighthouse Immersive, The Aster, and The Griffith Observatory. Executive producer sponsors were Microsoft, Verizon, Paramount, Equinix, Barco, Cinionic and Powster. Producer sponsors were Avid Technology, JSF Financial, RSL and Company, USC Annenberg, Phase Two and Versatile Media. Research partners were Liz Huszarik and SmithGeiger, and the Student Lab was sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin Texas Immersive Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Infinity Festival Silicon Beach was presented by Google Cloud, Z by HP and Intel. Infinity Festival Hollywood 2023 was presented by Z by HP, NVIDIA and Barco. Presenting media sponsor was OUTFRONT. Executive producer sponsors were Verizon, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center Hollywood, Health and Society, Intel, Powster, Roe Creative Display and PRG. Producer sponsors were JSF Financial, RSL and Company and Avid. Media sponsors were IGN and The Hollywood Reporter and evening event sponsor was The Aster. A.I. Lab sponsors were Z by HP and NVIDIA and the Virtual Production Workshop and Student Lab was sponsored by ETC at USC. Official gaming sponsor was Enthusiast Gaming.