Infinity Festival Hollywood

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Infinity Festival Hollywood Logo

Infinity Festival Hollywood, also known as Infinity Festival, is an annual multi-day event held each November in Los Angeles. This event serves as a platform for bringing together creative talent from both Hollywood and Silicon Valley. It focuses on celebrating the concept of "Story Enabled by Technology" through curated exhibitions, panels, screenings, and special events. The festival garners support from various Hollywood studios and leading tech companies. Infinity Festival Hollywood takes place at nya Studios, with screenings and special events hosted at various locations throughout Los Angeles.[1]

History[edit]

2018[edit]

Infinity Film Festival VR Exhibit Hall (2018)

The Infinity Festival originated in 2018 under the name Infinity Film Festival. It took place in Beverly Hills from November 1–4, 2018. The former Paley Center served as the festival's hub, while screenings and special events were hosted in various theaters and other venues throughout Beverly Hills, including the Writer's Guild Theater. The festival featured over 200 speakers and more than 100 screenings, encompassing studio premieres, a Tech Lab, a Student Lab, two floors of exhibitions, industry networking opportunities, and a Fine Art Gallery. Key themes of the festival included 3D, 4K, Immersive experiences, Blockchain technology, and Artificial Intelligence.[2]

2019[edit]

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

In 2019, the festival underwent expansion and relocation to Hollywood. Renamed as Infinity Festival Hollywood, the event was held at nya Studios (formerly Goya Studios), the Dream Hotel, and multiple theaters across Hollywood from November 7–9, 2019. The festival comprised several key areas, including a Main Stage, Exhibition Hall, Student Lab, Innovation Hub, and ART+TECH, a Fine Art Gallery. It maintained its overarching theme of "Story Enabled by Technology," exploring topics such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Immersive Technology, and Wellness.[3]

2020[edit]

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival transitioned to a fully online format, hosting an all-virtual event spanning eight weeks. The 2020 Infinity Festival commenced on October 28, 2020, and concluded on January 7, 2021. Original content premiered on Wednesdays and Thursdays of each consecutive week, with the exception of Christmas week 2020 and New Year's week 2021. Access to the festival was free for registered attendees via an online platform specifically developed for the event.[4] The programming for each week was dedicated to one of eight themes: Remote Collaboration, Artificial Intelligence, 3D/Visual Effects, Virtual Production, Immersive Experiences, Real-Time Storytelling, Entertainment Content, and Wellness Tech. Additionally, the festival featured ART+TECH, a Fine Art Gallery showcasing innovative new media artists such as Rashad Newsome and Jam Sutton. Notable speakers at the festival included Oscar-winning actress and producer Brie Larson, actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and artist Refik Anadol.[5]

A new addition to the festival in 2020 was a collaboration with Universal Music Group and Capitol Records' Capitol Royale.[6] Throughout the festival, the Universal Music Group's Innovation Team conducted a five-week Lifestyle Innovation Challenge, during which four teams were tasked with creating a comprehensive vision for a consumer product. The final projects developed by these teams were showcased in the Virtual Capitol Tower, offering attendees a 360-degree navigable rendition of the iconic Capitol Records tower in Hollywood.

2021[edit]

Opening Night on the Dream Hotel Rooftop (2021)

Infinity Festival Hollywood proceeded in 2021 with a hybrid format, featuring both in-person and online components.[7] The festival took place at nya Studios and the Dream Hotel from November 2–4, 2021. The event showcased fresh programming centered on contemporary trends such as the Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality (XR), Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, Film, Television, Audio, Animation, Music, 5G technology, Art, and Gaming.

New sponsors in 2021 included data centers Equinix and CoreSite, as well as entertainment production solutions experts Cast & Crew. Featured guests at the festival encompassed a diverse range of individuals, including comedian/producer Howie Mandel, actor/producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt,[8] composer/musician A.R.Rahman,[9] political commentator and author Doug Schoen, musician/artist Dave Navarro, TikTok star Gabby Murray, social media influencers Dytto and Justmaiko.[10] Additionally, producer/writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller[11] conducted a panel discussing their Sony Pictures Animation blockbuster hit The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which subsequently received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The Fine Art Gallery, ART+TECH, received sponsorship from The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Los Angeles and Lighthouse Immersive. This gallery showcased artists utilizing both traditional and innovative mediums. Noteworthy among the installations was "NFT's – The Journey of a Collector," offering an extensive exploration of the role of NFTs in contemporary art. Attendees of the ART+TECH opening night were granted exclusive access to a private viewing of the Van Gogh Exhibit, hosted at the Lighthouse Immersive venue adjacent to nya Studios. In 2021, Infinity Festival Hollywood received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for its outstanding contribution to the community, contributing to the city's enhancement as a place to work, reside, and prosper.

2022[edit]

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

Infinity Festival Hollywood celebrated its fifth year with a live event held from November 2–5, 2022, hosted at nya Studios and the Dream Hotel. The festival continued its focus on the latest trends in content production affecting both Hollywood and the technology industries. Various tracks and themes were featured, including Virtual Production, Web3 technologies in media and entertainment, and collaborations between creators and tech companies. The main stage presentations provided an overview of these trends, with insights shared by Hollywood executives and talent. Notably, Howie Mandel returned for a second year to showcase Proto, a holoportation solution. Festival Chief Curator Lori H. Schwartz led a discussion with Oscar, BAFTA, and Grammy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman and Intel's Ravi Velhal, exploring the influence of technology on storytelling in Rahman's VR directorial debut, "Le Musk."[12] Distinguished guests at the festival encompassed a variety of individuals, including actor, environmentalist, and entrepreneur Ian Somerhalder, who shared insights on the Metaverse. Additionally, actor Jeff Bridges unveiled an NFT, while actor Jon Heder discussed his collaboration with Verified Labs to introduce his "The Order of the Tigons" NFT collection. Furthermore, Elijah Allan-Blitz presented his innovative AR short film "Remembering" on Disney+, featuring Brie Larson.

2023[edit]

In 2023, Infinity Festival expanded its offerings with the addition of two new events: Infinity Festival Silicon Beach and Infinity Festival Live at the Aster.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "infinityfestival.com".
  2. ^ Greenfence Consumer. "Joe Dante's "Trailers From Hell" Are Dropping Monsters and Hollywood Icons Across Beverly Hills In First Ever Blockchain-based "Digital Swag Bag"". CISION (Press release).
  3. ^ Schwartz, Terri (16 August 2019). "Infinity Festival 2019". IGN.
  4. ^ Chung, Gabrielle. "Infinity Festival Goes Virtual to Bring Filmmakers and Industry Innovators Together". People.
  5. ^ Bajgrowicz, Brooke (22 December 2020). "Brie Larson and Elijah Allan-Blitz discuss 'Messy Truth VR' at Infinity Festival". Mashable.
  6. ^ "Capitol Royale returns with Infinity Festival Hollywood". Musically. 26 October 2020.
  7. ^ Bloom, David. "Taking Hollywood To Infinity And Beyond With The Infinity Festival". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  8. ^ ""Learn by Doing": Interview with Award-Winning Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Producer Jared Geller On Launching 'Class Projects' To Teach Creative Skills Through Their Collaborative Media Platform Hitrecord". Mashable Benelux (in Dutch). 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  9. ^ "Infinity Festival Hollywood Announces 2021 Slate". 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  10. ^ Merrett, Robyn (October 4, 2021). "Infinity Festival Is Back! This Year's Event Features the Producers of Spider-Man, TikToker Justmaiko & More". People. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (2021-10-06). "Alamo Drafthouse Sets 'Godzilla' Anniversary Screenings; 'Spencer' To Close Austin Film Festival; Lord & Miller Headlining Infinity Fest – Film Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  12. ^ Bloom, David. "Infinity Festival Returns To Explore The Edges Of Tech, Art, Media & Entertainment". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infinity_Festival_Hollywood&oldid=1224841915"