Not For Me: The Emotional Cost of Exclusionary Design

Manu Kaligotla

UX Research Lead

Hi, I’m Manaswini [Manu] Ganti a UX researcher, strategist, and an educator with over a decade of experience leading product-shaping research across industries like tech, banking, healthcare, automotive, and education.

I’ve worked with global teams at companies like Google, Amazon, OpenAI, and Bosch to drive meaningful, inclusive, and human-centered innovation. My research has helped design and challenge product decisions that are more accessible, tools that are easier to understand, technologies that are less alien and that resonate across cultures.

But more than titles, I’m deeply passionate about helping others build confidence in their research craft—especially when it comes to making inclusion real, not just aspirational.

Room 410

Technology Convergence: Winning the Exponential Upswing

Leading the AI Future: How to Think Exponentially in a Chaotic Decade

CTRL + ALT + CREATE: How AI Is Reshaping the Creative Process

How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change: A Conversation with the authors of Somebody Should Do Something

What does it feel like to be told — subtly or explicitly — that a product isn’t meant for you? From voice assistants that ignore accents, to websites that don’t account for disability, exclusionary design sends a powerful message: you don’t belong here/this product isn't for you. In this session, we’ll explore how design decisions shape belonging, dignity, and trust—and what happens when that’s broken. Drawing from real user stories, this talk will spark a conversation on what it takes to move beyond surface-level inclusion.

NOT FOR ME: THE EMOTIONAL COST OF EXCLUSIONARY DESIGN


From Elevator to Spotlight: How to Pitch Anyone, Anywhere

Paul Osterhout

Creative Director / Executive Producer

Paul Osterhout
Creative Executive • Former Disney Imagineer • Storytelling Strategist

Paul Osterhout is a creative force behind some of the world’s most iconic theme parks and immersive experiences. A former Walt Disney Imagineer and Universal Creative executive, Paul has spent over 40 years pitching billion-dollar ideas—and getting them built. From master planning global resorts to designing attractions that move millions, his superpower is turning bold visions into unforgettable stories. Today, he teaches creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders how to craft pitches that spark imagination and win hearts. Whether you're selling a product, an idea, or yourself—Paul will show you how to pitch it like it matters.

Rio Grande Ballroom 2

Pitching to Angels 101: Think Like an Investor

Play to Build: Prosocial AI for Human Connection

Brand Strategy Workshop for Emerging Tech Companies

Own Your Sh*t (and Your IP): The Creator CEO Playbook

Prompt to Publish - AI Tools for the Modern Content Creator

Whether you're a startup founder, filmmaker, designer, or daydreamer—you've got something to pitch. But most people fail to get attention because they pitch information, not emotion. This workshop blends secrets with startup-tested frameworks to help you craft a pitch that actually lands. Learn the anatomy of an irresistible pitch, practice pitching, and get real-time feedback from a former Imagineer and creative executive who’s pitched everything from billion-dollar theme parks to five-minute film ideas. Expect live coaching, laughter, and lightning-fast lessons that stick.

FROM ELEVATOR TO SPOTLIGHT: HOW TO PITCH ANYONE, ANYWHERE

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


Who Gets to Shape the Future of AI? Talent, Policy & Power

Ben Wu

Vice Chair

Ben Wu is a former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy, and an internationally recognized technology innovation and economic development expert at the intersection of policy and politics. His expertise in technology policy has led to transformative business and economic development in positions at the national, state, and local levels.

Burt Herman

Principal & Founder

Burt Herman is a journalist, entrepreneur and technologist who has spent two decades at the forefront of journalism's digital transformation. As co-founder and principal of Hacks/Hackers, he built one of the world's largest communities bridging journalism and technology, now leading crucial conversations around AI's potential for media.

Lynn Pasquerella

American Association Of Colleges And Universities

President

Lynn Pasquerella was appointed president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities in 2016, after serving as the eighteenth president of Mount Holyoke College. She has held positions as Provost at the University of Hartford and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island, where she taught for more than two decades. A philosopher whose work has combined teaching and scholarship with local and global engagement, Pasquerella has written extensively on medical ethics, metaphysics, public policy, and the philosophy of law. Her most recent book, What We Value: Public Health, Social Justice, and Educating for Democracy, examines the role of higher education in addressing some of the most pressing contemporary issues at the intersection of ethics, law, and public policy. Pasquerella is immediate past president of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and the host of Northeast Public Radio’s The Academic Minute.

Paul Cheung

President

Paul Cheung is a mission-driven executive with 25 years of expertise in media innovation, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership. As President of Committee of 100, a nonprofit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, he focuses on promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in American society and advancing constructive dialogue between the United States and Greater China. His career spans leadership positions at the Center for Public Integrity, Knight Foundation, NBC News, The Associated Press, The Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, where he drove digital innovation and inclusive practices that amplify underrepresented voices.

Salon D

Designing the Future of Human Performance

The Companies Building and Automating Space's Superhighway

What AI Agents Are Doing While You're Not Watching

The New Lab Partner: AI and Future Scientific Discovery

Humanoid Robots Are Clocking In: Meet Who’s Putting Them To Work

AI is reshaping every industry—but will America remain the world’s innovation engine? As visa rules tighten and geopolitical suspicion grows, top AI talent is being diverted elsewhere. This panel explores how U.S. immigration, research, and tech policy decisions are influencing the global AI race. Drawing on history and current data, we’ll ask: Can the U.S. still attract the world’s best minds—or will they build the future somewhere else?

WHO GETS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF AI? TALENT, POLICY & POWER


Low-Key Legends: Personal Branding for Introverts

Joey Clift

Comedian

Joey Clift is a Los Angeles-based comedian, Peabody and Emmy nominated TV writer and an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Growing up, Joey aspired to become a local TV weatherperson because he didn’t see Native American comedians on screen and thought a career in comedy was off-limits. He has since proven otherwise, with his comedy featured in The Washington Post, CNN, Dropout, Pitchfork, NPR, Dead Meat, and Comedy Central.

As a television writer Joey has written for shows such as Spirit Rangers on Netflix, Molly of Denali and Alma’s Way on PBS, New Looney Tunes and Lego Ninjago: Decoded on Cartoon Network, and Paw Patrol and Rubble & Crew on Nickelodeon. Joey created Gone Native, a Webby Award-winning Comedy Central Digital series about weird microaggressions Native folks often experience. His short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to the Smithsonian Museum.

Goldie Chan

Founder

Goldie Chan is a creative, keynote speaker, author and cancer survivor. She has almost 400k global followers and was named the "Oprah of LinkedIn" by Huffington Post and her creative video channel won LinkedIn Top Voice. Goldie also founded Warm Robots, an award-winning social media strategy and creative agency based in Los Angeles with global clients and previously was a Sr. Contributor at Forbes where her internationally-recognized column received nearly 10M views and she was named Journalist Of the Year in 2024. She is working on her first book, “Personal Branding for Introverts” through Basic Venture (Hachette Book Group) for Fall of 2025, writes for Archie Comics and has been featured as a fresh voice in The New York Times, CNN, Fast Company and more and is based in sunny Los Angeles.

Salon A

The Creative Power of Letting Go: Why Quitting Can Be Your Biggest Breakthrough

Charmageddon: Robots That Steal Hearts and Jobs

Shortchanged: Gen Z, the Economy, and Brands

SWIFTYNOMICS: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy

This session with author of "Personal Branding for Introverts" and branding expert and ex-Forbes Sr. Contributor Goldie Chan focuses on empowering introverts to embrace their unique strengths to build a personal brand while struggling less. Attendees will learn how to harness quiet confidence for storytelling, develop strategies to connect with audiences without overwhelming social demands, and create a branding approach that aligns with their personality.

LOW-KEY LEGENDS: PERSONAL BRANDING FOR INTROVERTS


Why SMB Cyber Attacks Could Cripple the U.S. Economy

Sam Sabin

Cybersecurity Reporter

Sam Sabin is the cybersecurity reporter at Axios where she authors the Future of Cybersecurity newsletter for 70K+ readers. She covers the intersection of policy, technology and cyber threats, providing trusted, real-time reporting for executives and security leaders. Previously, she wrote Politico's daily cybersecurity newsletter and Morning Consult's daily tech policy briefing, building a decade of experience translating complex security issues into clear, actionable insights.

Gagan Singh

Chief Executive Officer

Gagan Singh, CEO of Blackpoint Cyber, brings over two decades of executive leadership in cybersecurity and platform development. With a proven track record at McAfee, Norton, and Avast, he has built secure, scalable products and driven go-to-market strategies that strengthen security and compliance for diverse customer environments. At Blackpoint, Gagan champions a channel-first model that empowers MSP partners to deliver world-class protection to small and mid-sized businesses that power the U.S. economy, helping them thrive securely in a fast-evolving threat landscape.

Gagan holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, an MBA from MIT, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Salon E

The Creative Economy is Thriving: Why Founders Keep Building for Creators

The Lucky 10%: CPGs Flipping Off the Startup Failure Rate

The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital

Who Owns What: The State of Startups & Top Trends to Watch

Now is Japan's Time: Leading the Future with Deep Tech

Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) account for 99.9% of U.S. businesses and nearly half of GDP, yet their cybersecurity capabilities lag dangerously behind. Nation-state actors and cybercriminals now target SMBs and the managed service providers (MSPs) that support them because one breach can cascade across thousands of businesses, posing a serious risk to national security and economic stability. As AI supercharges social engineering and ransomware at scale, this overlooked attack surface has become one of the most urgent vulnerabilities in America.

WHY SMB CYBER ATTACKS COULD CRIPPLE THE U.S. ECONOMY


I’m Not Creative (And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves)

Brian Larson

Senior Strategy Lead

Brian Larson helps brands find what truly matters and say it in ways that stick. As a Senior Strategy Lead at Instrument, he untangles the messiest problems and turns them into stories people can feel. He’s worked with Uber, Microsoft, AT&T, Epic Games, and adidas—not just to make them look good, but to make them meaningful.

Before this, Brian led marketing for Instrument and Raw Materials—two creative agencies responsible for rethinking how the world’s biggest brands show up. His job? To do for them what they do for their clients: clarify who they are, why they exist, and how to grow.

Before brands, there was science. As a NASA-funded biochemist, Brian studied how systems adapt and evolve, and it’s still how he sees the world. Creativity, to him, is evolution in real-time—adaptation and connection that lead to something greater.

He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his family, chasing what’s next.

Matt Katz

Executive Strategy Director, Product

Matt Katz is an executive strategy director leading teams that focus on the intersection of UX and brand. He is fiercely focused on delivering exciting creative that drives business results, center the user, and tells compelling stories. His work over the past decade has spanned across B2B and B2C industries, including work with Nike, Samsung, Time Magazine, Verizon, Cisco, Amazon, and more. A jack of all trades, Matt is equally comfortable leading high-level workshops or sketching out concepts in Figma.

Rio Grande Ballroom 1

You Are STILL the Brand: What AI Can’t Do for You

Sprints for Social Impact: Turn Time Pressure into Purpose

Vibe Coding: From Idea to MVP at Warp Speed

Look What You Made Me Do: Revenge as Creative Catalyst

Artistic Disruption for Business Innovation

In a world where AI tools can generate logos, write copy, and compose music in seconds, what does creativity look like for the rest of us—especially those who don’t carry a “creative” title? This workshop is for the engineers, strategists, analysts, producers, and anyone else who’s ever said, “I’m not creative.” Through a series of provocative exercises and hands-on prompts, we’ll explore how creativity is evolving beyond traditional mediums—into product flows, systems thinking, code, and prompt design.

I?M NOT CREATIVE (AND OTHER LIES WE TELL OURSELVES)


AI is Changing Consumer Behavior: How Brands Must Adapt

Allister Hercus

Founder

Allister Hercus is the founder of Stoop Studios, an AI consultancy that helps brands and
agencies understand and respond to the rapid shifts in how consumers interact with
technology.

Nataliya Kosmyna

Research Scientist

Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna is a research scientist at MIT Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group and Visiting Research Faculty at Google. With 15+ years of experience in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), her work blends AI, neuroscience, and human-computer interaction. She’s designed EEG-based systems used in classrooms, hospitals, aerospace—even the Moon. A 2016 L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science awardee and MIT Innovator Under 35, she helps shape global neuroethics policy through roles with UNESCO and UNICEF.

Grace Kao

Chief Marketing Officer

With over 20 years of marketing and advertising experience, Grace Kao is Snap’s Chief Marketing Officer, helping brands connect with 850M+ monthly users in meaningful, creative ways. She’s led award-winning campaigns for Pepsi, PlayStation, Crate&Barrel, and Apple. Most recently, she led Spotify’s ‘Spreadbeats’ B2B campaign, one of the most awarded campaigns of 2024 at Cannes Lions—including a Grand Prix. Grace was named to Adweek’s Top 50 Indispensable Business Leaders and has held senior global marketing roles at Spotify and Instagram. She holds a master’s in Communications from Stanford and lives in San Francisco with her husband, two children, and cat.

Ask ChatGPT

Ben Nilsen

SVP Head of Brand Experience

Ben is an experienced and dynamic leader, he has worked in leadership roles across both creative and media agencies all across the globe.

Ben believes great ideas win when they’re simple, contextual, and obsessively well-crafted

He’s led award-winning work for some of the world’s most influential brands, spanning finance to stretchy pants, high art to mobile games, and B2B to DTC: including The New York Times, Meta, Lululemon, Pringles, Airbnb, Chase, Atlassian, Spotify, Hyundai, The Whitney, and Christie’s.

Beyond leading teams, Ben builds what doesn’t exist yet. At Droga5, he founded and scaled a global media practice integrated into Accenture Song. At FCB, he built Brand Experience from the ground up, a hybrid creative-strategy function designed to push agency output forward as audiences, platforms, and technology keep shifting.

Waterloo Ballroom 4-6

The B Word: How to Get Creative with Marketing Budget

Meet Gen Alpha: Defying Predictions & Rewiring Marketing

Launching the Ultimate, Research-Driven Creative Power Playbook

Pride Preview '26: Marketers, LGBTQ+ & Where We Go From Here

AI is quietly but profoundly changing how people think, act, and decide. From planning trips to seeking therapy, it’s quickly becoming the first stop for answers and everyday decision-making. It’s also reshaping cognition: one MIT study found that frequent ChatGPT users reported higher loneliness and reduced critical thinking over time. This session brings together behavioral experts, cognitive researchers and marketers to explore how AI is rewiring consumer behavior, and how brands can keep up.

AI IS CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: HOW BRANDS MUST ADAPT

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Are We All Biohackers Now?

Steve Martocci

co-founder & CEO

Steve is the co-founder & CEO of SuppCo, a platform transforming how consumers navigate the $200 billion-a-year supplement industry and build regimens tailored to their health goals. He launched SuppCo in 2024 to bring greater transparency, trust, and personalization to wellness through curated product discovery and expert guidance. A longtime entrepreneur, Steve previously co-founded GroupMe, Splice, and Blade. Across industries – from online messaging to music, mobility, and now self-directed health – he has built products that empower users and push industries forward.

Pranitha Patil

Co-Founder & Coo

Pranitha Patil is the co-founder of Function Health, on a mission to help people live 100 healthy years. Patil left Harvard University Graduate School to build Function Health in 2021. Through her experience at Accenture’s Health Strategy, Patil saw the need for scalable technology to empower everyone to take ownership of their health. As a first-gen Indian American woman managing her own chronic conditions (PCOS, pre-diabetes, and genetically high cholesterol), through Function Patil has improved her insulin and HbA1c levels, better understands her lipid particle sizes, and actively manages stress to lower cortisol levels. Determined to empower others, Patil believes in giving everyone, especially women, minorities, and BIPOC communities, the power to take control of their health.

John Sullivan

CMO

John Sullivan is Chief Marketing Officer at WHOOP, specializing in business and marketing strategy. With a strong background in both the creative and quantitative aspects of marketing, he has successfully developed strategies that drive sustainable growth in the health and fitness technology sector. His career includes significant leadership roles at WHOOP, where he has progressed from VP of Marketing to his current position. John has also contributed to the launch and development of brands like Tracksmith and has consulted for Monitor, honing his skills in market analysis and strategic planning. Passionate about health and fitness, John combines his love for these areas with his professional expertise to create impactful marketing initiatives.

Dr. Darshan Shah, MD

CEO

Darshan Shah, MD, is a health and wellness specialist, board-certified surgeon, published author, tech entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of NextHealth, Beautologie, and Vitaboom. He earned his medical degree at 21, becoming one of the youngest doctors in the US. Dr. Shah continued his training at the Mayo Clinic and, after earning his board certification, he opened medical/surgical centers throughout California, started four companies in the health and wellness space, advised dozens of startups in medicine, finance, and tech, and created patented medical devices. He has published a book, authored numerous papers, and is the host of the highly popular “Extend” podcast.

Salon FGH

SXSW Pitch-Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech

SXSW Pitch-Sustainability, AgTech & Food

SXSW Pitch-Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics

SXSW Pitch-Smart Data, Security, and FinTech

From personalized supplement regimens to wearables and AI health tracking, consumers are building their own health ecosystems. This session explores how self-directed health has gone mainstream, transforming how we approach wellness, performance, and prevention. But as products and tools become more accessible, people face an overwhelming and opaque marketplace full of bold claims and conflicting advice. What does it mean to be a “biohacker” today, and how can we take charge of our health whilst also navigating a system that still struggles with transparency?


SAG-AFTRA Low Budget Contracts Made Easy

Colin McCormack

Communications Manager

Darrien Michele Gipson

Executive Director

Darrien Michele Gipson is the Executive Director of SAGindie, an educational organization for independent filmmakers. Darrien is a graduate of UCLA, where she received her BA in English Literature; and USC, where she earned an MFA from the Peter Stark Producers Program. She was the Vice President of Development for DEF Pictures before joining SAGindie in 2002 as Festival Coordinator. Since becoming SAGindie’s Executive Director in 2006, Darrien has expanded the organization to reach more festivals and help even more creators on all platforms to bring their projects to fruition. She continues to travel around the world speaking on panels, mentoring writers and filmmakers, and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry.

Guadalupe

What We’re Unlearning on Supporting Education Systems

Shaping Education in a Culture x Tech World

Independent Film Publicity: How to Earn Media Attention

A great cast can help level up a low-budget indie film. But many filmmakers assume they can't afford to hire SAG-AFTRA actors. While going through the SAG-AFTRA signatory process may seem intimidating, SAGindie makes it easier by educating independent producers about the ins and outs of hiring professional actors for low-budget films. This workshop highlights the details of the various contracts SAG-AFTRA offers to low-budget films, demystifies the process of working with the union, and offers best practices for indie producers.

SAG-AFTRA LOW BUDGET CONTRACTS MADE EASY

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


The Future Design Language of Robots

Savannah Kunovsky

Managing Director, Emerging Technology

Savannah leads organizations in building the next generation of technology - from AI and robotics to new hardware and the future of the internet. As Managing Director of IDEO’s Emerging Technology Lab, she helps global clients design breakthrough products used by billions. She’s pioneered emotion AI for mental health with Dr. John Gottman and co-founded Moringa School, a network of tech education programs in Africa. A former software engineer, Savannah has spoken at SxSW, MIT Media Lab, and Fast Company Innovation Festival, and her work has been featured by MIT, Forbes, and the World Economic Forum.

Olivia Vagelos

Founder/CEO

Olivia runs The Design for Feelings Studio, an agency focused on developing new tools and frameworks for experience design, teaching the craft of experience across industries, and supporting individuals, teams, and communities in using experience design to dream up more just, beautiful, regenerative futures.

She and her wife also co-founded and lead Aftermap.co, an end-of-life planning and post-death crisis care company that marries the emotional with the tactical, and brings the tools and rigor of experience design to the messy and tender ending moments.

Her past lives were spent building and leading the disciplines of experience design and community design at IDEO, leveraging the power of play inside of IDEO’s Play Lab, building community strategy and content at  IDEO U, and designing programs and pilots at the Stanford design school and with The Hewlett Foundation. She has taught and lectured at the Stanford d.school, Stanford LEAD,  Santa Monica Community College, Columbia University Masters in Public Health program, and Georgetown University, and has worked with clients ranging from multibillion dollar entertainment companies to national arts and culture networks to cohorts of classroom teachers.

Salon AB

Two Futurists and an AI: Seeing Trouble Ahead

How We Could Lose Control: Avoiding the Paths to Runaway AI

U.S. vs. The World: the Future We’re (Currently) Losing

The Clock Is Ticking for Space – Replacing the ISS

Can Media Survive AI? The Fight for Public Trust

As robots enter homes, hospitals, and public spaces, their design language — how they look, move, and behave — will shape how we trust and relate to them. This session explores emerging visual, interactional, and behavioral grammars of human-robot interaction. Must robots mimic humans or machines, or can new forms evolve? We’ll examine how design can expand the roles robots play and the relationships we build with them across cultures and contexts.


No Time for Safe Bets: Creative Impact Under Fire

Liz Caselli-Mechael

Chief Communications Officer

Liz Caselli-Mechael is a communications and marketing leader specializing in data-informed strategies for trust, and impactful storytelling for mission-driven organizations. She is currently Chief Communications Officer at Watch Duty, where she leads communications for a fast-growing public safety platform, helping to connect millions of users to critical disaster information in key moments. Previously, Liz served as Vice President of Communications & Marketing at World Central Kitchen, where she drove on-the-ground post-disaster stories from Gaza and Haiti to North Carolina and LA, designing 360 marketing campaigns peaking at an 18x ROI. She also held senior global communications roles at Nestlé, translating complex, high-stakes issues into clear, trusted narratives. In addition to her current role, Liz coaches executives on content strategy and serves on nonprofit boards, including past leadership with Miriam’s Kitchen and the Coffee Quality Institute.

Linda Roth

Chief Communications And Strategy Officer

Linda is an Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist turned purpose-driven communications expert who leads campaigns with tremendous geopolitical impact. Her work has resulted in more hungry people being fed, advanced the cause of peace, promoted female leaders around the world and successfully advocated for women’s rights under authoritarian regimes. As Chief Communications Officer at World Central Kitchen, Linda works with humanitarians who strive to be the first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in crises. Before coming to WCK, Linda served as Chief Communications and Digital Marketing Officer at a global women’s leadership organization and as Vice President of External Relations at one of the top-rated think tanks in the world. Linda also spent more than two decades at CNN, working mainly with lead anchor Wolf Blitzer.  As one of the top producers on The Situation Room and as the executive producer of CNN’s Sunday political talk show, Linda covered every major domestic and international news story of the last two decades, including war, conflict, and humanitarian disasters. A passionate advocate for press freedom and media development, she also teaches best practices to nonprofit communicators and journalists around the world.

James Slezak

CEO and Founder

James is Founder and CEO of Swayable. Swayable is used by many of the world’s largest marketing and advocacy campaign organizations to measure the impact of their content and messaging.

He was previously Vice President and Chief of Operations of NYT Global, the international digital team of The New York Times, founding partner at social change agency Purpose, and strategy consultant at McKinsey.

Originally from Australia, James moved to the U.S. to earn a PhD in experimental physics at Cornell. He was appointed as an affiliate to Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, as well as Princeton’s Kahneman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy. James serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Information Integrity.

When disaster strikes, there’s no time for creative review. Just hours after violence, fires, hurricanes, war, or other crises strike, frontline groups like World Central Kitchen and Watch Duty hit the ground to save lives, and their marketing and comms teams begin rallying attention and mobilizing donations to make it all possible. In this session, WCK’s Linda Roth, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer, and Liz Caselli-Mechael, Chief Communications Officer at Watch Duty, join Swayable CEO James Slezak to reveal how some of the world’s most important campaigns are using AI and cutting-edge measurement technology to develop authentic, purpose-driven content that works—quickly.

NO TIME FOR SAFE BETS: CREATIVE IMPACT UNDER FIRE


Beyond the Sample: The 3D Fashion Revolution You Don’t See

Selena Lounds

Senior Strategic Customer Partnerships Manager

Selena Lounds is a creative technologist and design leader at Adobe, where she helps shape the future of digital design through Adobe Substance 3D. With over 20 years of experience across fashion, tech, and storytelling, she builds scalable 3D workflows that blend creative vision and innovation. Formerly Director of Design Technology at Coach, she led the brand’s 3D transformation to support sustainability and speed. Selena champions how next-gen tools empower teams to work smarter and holds a Master’s in International Fashion Marketing.

David Lehman

Digital Director

David Lehman is currently the Digital Director on Coach’s Visual Experience team. He works with emerging technologies to find groundbreaking ways for Coach to connect with a global audience. His responsibilities include building out Coach’s playbook and defining strategies for choosing one new technology over another.

For over a decade, David has collaborated with innovative partners around the world to create impactful, immersive design experiences. He has built diverse teams of designers, engineers and technologists. He has worked with numerous powerful brands, including Nike, Adidas, Google, Instagram, Facebook, Equinox, Related, Uber, United Therapeutics, Linkedin, and most recently Coach.

Paul Bird

Sr 3D Designer

Paul Bird has extensive experience building material scanning and product visualization pipelines for diverse industries including Industrial, Interior, and Apparel design. At Avery Dennison, he develops 3D tools that enable clients to visualize branding concepts and integrate them into 3D design workflows. As a member of the 3D Retail Coalition (3DRC), he is committed to advancing 3D technology and standards in the apparel, accessories, and footwear fields.

Anna Violette

Technical Artist/Solutions Consultant

Anna Violette is a 3D fashion specialist and Solutions Consultant at Adobe, where she helps global brands bring digital design to life through tools like Substance 3D. With a background in apparel design and hands-on experience across companies like Under Armour, VF Corporation, and VNTANA, Anna bridges the gap between creativity and technology. She’s passionate about digital wardrobes, future-facing workflows, and empowering the next wave of 3D creators to turn pixels into product.

Waller Ballroom A

Texas High School Shorts Screening & Q&A

From Who to What to You: The Weird AI-Infused Future of the Creator Economy

From Viral to Viable: Building IP as a Creator

From eliminating physical samples to populating product pages and TikTok ads with real-time renders, 3D is quietly reshaping the entire fashion lifecycle. This panel dives into what happens behind the scenes—from factory floor to homepage—with leaders across design, supply chain, and digital content discussing the hidden efficiencies, sustainable breakthroughs, and creative freedoms unlocked by 3D technology.

BEYOND THE SAMPLE: THE 3D FASHION REVOLUTION YOU DON?T SEE


The Next Digital Wave Excludes Millions. Let’s Fix It.

Ryan Howard

Co-Lead, Experience Institute

Ryan Howard leads Google's Experience Platform, a software and solutions ecosystem that powers inclusive, business and human outcomes focused experiences in Google's sales centers, event and collaboration spaces, and brand spaces. As co-lead of the Google Experience Institute, he drives research into the future of work and the workplace, including pioneering work in neuro-inclusive design. He previously served as VP of Technology for Goldman Sachs.

Rachel Lowenstein

Founder + Culture Strategist

Rachel Lowenstein is a forthright cultural decoder and storyteller reshaping narratives around neurodiversity and creativity. She’s been a trusted advisor to iconic brands inc. Nike, Chanel, Google, Unilever, Booking.com, UN Women, Volvo and Nestlé. She navigates cultural complexities and drives meaningful social impact through bold storytelling.
Today, Rachel runs her own culture consultancy and is the co-founder of The Neu Project, an experience design agency focusing on neuro-informed design. Her visionary work earned her recognition as one of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 (2023) and Advertising Week’s Female Is Female Award (2022). Rachel is also a sought-after international speaker, having taken stages at the United Nations, Cannes Lions, SXSW, CES, Advertising Week, and Yale University.

Kerrie Finch

Co-Founder

Kerrie Finch is a global communications expert specialised in creative innovation and emerging technology. She is co-founder of Also Known As (AKA) where she crafts positioning, builds reputation and amplifies thought leadership for brands and leaders. Clients include Airbnb, Addition, Coinbase, Framestore, Monks and Rocket. Kerrie is also a speaker, stage emcee and panel moderator for major conferences including Cannes Lions, CICLOPE (Berlin), FOCUS (London), Global Marketing Summit (Istanbul), Step Conference (Dubai), SXSW (Austin) and Web Summit (Lisbon).

David Vogel

Executive Experience Director

David Vogel is an award-winning design leader with two decades of experience in crafting impactful digital and physical experiences for global brands. As Executive Experience Director at Hypersolid, he drives innovation through speculative design and tangible prototyping, demonstrating how technology can unlock human potential and foster deeper connection in built environments.

Waller Ballroom C

From TikTok to Toolbelt: Preparing Gen Z for Work

Higher Ed's Losing Global Talent & the Bill Is Coming Due

It Takes a Region: Cybersecurity Pathways in Rural Alabama

Rethinking Discovery Algorithms for the Creator Economy

Our digital world risks leaving groups behind. This panel issues a call-to-arms for truly inclusive design in physical spaces, where technology amplifies human potential. With 20% of the world's population identifying as neurodistinct in some way, we'll unveil a blueprint for environments that care for all human needs. Explore how Google and Hypersolid are developing adaptable guidelines to unlock unique cognitive strengths - fostering engagement, productivity, and belonging. Join a revolution of the human mind where every mind shines.

NEXT DIGITAL WAVE EXCLUDES MILLIONS. LET?S FIX IT.


Theory to Practice: Google’s Responsible Approach to AI

Nadja Blagojevic

Global Go to Market Lead

Nadja Blagojevic is a Knowledge and Information Trust Manager at Google, bringing over 15 years of experience in the technology industry. She is recognized as an expert in online safety and digital literacy, and has held several leadership roles at Google, including spearheading initiatives across Europe focused on Family Safety and Content Responsibility.

Brazos I-III

Division Defiance: Building Cross-Racial Solidarity

In Search of Hope: Teaching Climate Emotions Through Story

Beyond Borders: Diverse Alliances for Immigrant Wellbeing

Future-Proof Your Strategy: An AI Test and Learn Lab

Pitch Camp! How To Win Creative Pitches by Being More Human

Every day, more of us interact with AI, prompting deeper questions about how these products are built. This workshop will allow participants to understand the intricacies of LLM training, providing a deeper grasp of how these models truly function. More critically, we'll dive into the essential strategies for mitigating risks and building safeguards into generative AI products. Participants will engage in activities to understand AI red teaming, using golden sets to calibrate AI responses to sensitive prompts, and discuss the potential and limits of various approaches.

THEORY TO PRACTICE: GOOGLE?S RESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO AI


How to Build a Career Without Going Viral

KP Parmenter

Co-Founder

Kaitlyn (“KP”) Parmenter began their career in artist management and development, collaborating with artists such as Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and Michael Franti during their tenure at Activist Artists Management and Starstruck Entertainment. In 2021, they co-founded Alchemy Artist Services, a boutique digital marketing firm, with Jeremy Gold. Over the past four years, the duo has partnered with artists such as All Time Low, Larkin Poe, Billy Idol, and PVRIS, including contributions to 2 GRAMMY award winning record campaigns and inclusion in the 2024 Sandbox Campaigns of The Year report.

Michael Burrows

VP, Client Mktg & DSP Rel

George Chammas

Director, Publicity

George Chammas began his music career at 16, booking punk shows in his hometown of Pittsburgh. With a DIY spirit and a degree from Ithaca College, he joined the boutique music PR firm Planetary Group, where he quickly became Head of Publicity, leading campaigns for Sony, Warner, Kitsuné, Flying Nun, and more. Since 2021, he’s served as Director of Publicity at Nettwerk, spearheading campaigns for artists like Angus & Julia Stone, Hollow Coves, Flyte, and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Passionate about artist development and storytelling, George brings heart and strategy to every project. He lives in Los Angeles with his cat, loves cooking, spinning records, fantasy football, and being the resident Deadhead among friends.

Adam Gross

President

Adam Gross, President of Ineffable Records, was born and raised in New York City, where he first fell in love with Caribbean music, gigging with his Jamaican friends. A 2018 Northwestern graduate, Adam joined Ineffable Music Group and pitched CEO Thomas Cussins on launching an in-house label that allowed artists to own their masters and retain creative control. In 2019, he founded Ineffable Records, which has since become Billboard’s top independent reggae label for six consecutive years, growing catalog revenue and streams by over 50% annually. Adam is recognized as a leading voice on artist independence and fanbase building, having worked with Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Protoje, Sean Paul, The Elovaters, O.A.R., and more—focusing on sustainable growth rather than fleeting viral moments.

Capitol Ballroom E

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Tour Support 2.0: How Mental Health is Reshaping Live Music

From Streams to Strategy: The Label Services Evolution

Rock’s Biggest Promoter on the Future of Festivals

Music Nostalgia: The Secret Weapon in Modern Advertising

While there are many recent examples of viral songs on social media launching major artist careers, chasing that viral hit isn’t always necessarily sustainable or the most feasible way for an artist to go about building long term success. Rather than solely focusing on going viral, there are several other areas an artist can look at for building their career such as defining their unique brand and sound, consistently releasing high quality music, and building community. This session will dive into each of these areas to provide artists with realistic tips that they can apply to their careers.

HOW TO BUILD A CAREER WITHOUT GOING VIRAL


AI & Culture: Empowering the African Diaspora

Prince Crentsil

Senior AI Engineer

Prince Crentsil is a Senior AI Engineer at Microsoft and a leading voice on the future of AI in Africa and the global African diaspora. He builds cutting-edge AI systems across industries while championing representation and cultural inclusion in emerging tech. Prince works to equip the next generation of African innovators with the tools to shape AI-driven economies and preserve cultural heritage. He has spoken globally on how AI can unlock new creative industries and economic opportunities across the continent and its diaspora.

Room 412

Agents vs Managers: When are you ready to be signed and by who?

The Price of Influence: Why Undefined Value Kills Trust

10 Truths About Technology That Are Shaping Your Life

Tackling the “snakes” undermining digital rights

AI is transforming industries, yet cultural representation often lags behind. This session explores how AI can be used to preserve cultural heritage, amplify diverse voices, and create new business models across the African diaspora. Through real-world case studies in entertainment, fashion, and events, we’ll uncover strategies for building inclusive AI ecosystems that merge cultural identity, creativity, and innovation for global impact.

AI & CULTURE: EMPOWERING THE AFRICAN DIASPORA


Floods to Fortitude: Infrastructure Resilience

Jacqueline Coleman

Lieutenant Governor

Jacqueline Coleman, the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, has been an active partner in the Beshear-Coleman administration's effort to make the state a national model for infrastructure investment. The administration has secured billions in federal and state funding to modernize Kentucky for the 21st century, including ambitious projects to rebuild critical bridges, deliver clean water and overhaul essential public works.

Her approach to infrastructure is people-centric and deeply shaped by her career as an educator and growing up in rural Kentucky. She believes that true progress is measured by how infrastructure and economic development projects translate into tangible benefits for families. Having played a key role in the state's response to catastrophic 2021 tornadoes and 2022 floods, she brings a powerful perspective on the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and the leadership required to continually develop a workforce and rebuild communities in crisis.

Dustin Parkman

Vp, Industry Solutions Group

Dustin Parkman is vice president, industry solutions group at Bentley. He has held several senior product and business development positions throughout his career and has specialized in developing products and solutions that service the infrastructure industry. Parkman has dedicated his career to creating technology that allows engineers, contractors, and owners to automate the construction and operation of infrastructure.

Pratima Singh

Principal in Policy & Insights

Pratima Singh is a Principal in Policy & Insights at Economist Impact, a leading voice in evidence-based analysis for global organizations. She is a key figure in their impactful "Infrastructure for Good" initiative, which explores how thoughtful infrastructure investment can drive positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes worldwide, aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, she spearheads the acclaimed Global Food Security Index, an annual study assessing food security across more than 100 countries. Prior to Economist Impact, Pratima was Practice Leader, Asia Pacific Research, at Frontier Strategy Group and a Research Associate at the National University of Singapore.

Jennifer Goupil

Chief Resilience Officer

Jennifer Goupil, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE, is the Chief Resilience Officer for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Managing Director of its Structural Engineering Institute (SEI). With over three decades in the buildings industry, she is a passionate leader advancing structural and civil engineering. Her work includes significant contributions to standards development (e.g., ASCE 7), educational programs, and advocacy for resilient, sustainable, and performance-based design. Goupil is known for her collaborative approach, promoting transparency and effectiveness. She spearheads initiatives to improve community resilience against natural hazards like tornadoes and floods, and leads efforts towards net-zero carbon in structural engineering.

Room 201-202

Rewriting the Rules of Business: A Guide to Purpose & Profit

The Geography of Prosperity: A New Map for Resilient Cities

Saving Monarchs With Machine Learning and Computer Vision

Where Climate Science Meets Industry Innovation

Infrastructure is facing unprecedented challenges, from aging bridges to extreme weather events. This session will discuss how we can build better, more resilient infrastructure in an era of increasing volatility. It will feature findings from the Economist's Infrastructure for Good initiative, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Infrastructure Report Card, and an upcoming report on infrastructure resilience. It will also explore the transformative role of technology, spotlighting Kentucky’s response to recent devastating floods.

FLOODS TO FORTITUDE: INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE


Finding Belonging in a Disconnected World

Tim Molnar

Dating Coach, Bestselling Author, Founder

Tim Molnar is a dating coach, founder, and the bestselling author of Date Smarter: A Strategic Guide to Navigating Modern Romance. Drawing on behavioral science, psychology, and personal experience, he helps people approach dating with clarity, intentionality, and strategy. His work has been featured on numerous podcasts, and his coaching method blends data-driven insight with human connection. A former university lecturer with a JD and PhD, Tim now speaks and writes on the intersection of modern relationships, decision-making, and belonging.

Rhaina Cohen

Producer and Editor, Embedded

Rhaina Cohen is an award-winning editor for the NPR documentary podcast Embedded and the author of the national bestseller, The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center. Her writing on social connection has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post and numerous other outlets and has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Greater Good Science Center. Rhaina lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and close friends.

Marisa Franco

Professor, Speaker, And NYT Best-Selling Author

An enlightening psychologist, TED speaker, and New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Marisa G. Franco is known for digesting and communicating the science of human connection in ways that resonate deeply enough with people to change their lives. She works as a professor at The University of Maryland, writes for Psychology Today, and has been a featured psychologist for major publications like The New York Times,  The Atlantic, and Scientific American. She wrote the New York Times bestseller Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends. She speaks on mental health and belonging at corporations, government agencies, non-profits, and universities.

Ashley Kirsner

Founder and CEO

Ashley Kirsner is the founder and director of Skip the Small Talk, a social impact company focused on combatting the loneliness epidemic through in-person and online events in 28 cities nationwide and internationally. Skip the Small Talk events are based on Kirsner’s social and clinical psychology research at Cornell University, the Harvard Decision Science Lab, the Harvard Business School, the Psychotherapy and Emotion Research Lab at Boston University, and McLean Hospital. The success of Kirsner’s events has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, American Innovation, and The Boston Globe, and on national television via the Today show, on PBS, and on ABC. In 2024, Skip the Small Talk won Hinge's One More Hour grant, and their question card deck is now available via Simon & Schuster.

Salon D

Who’s Funding the Future—and Who’s Getting Left Out

Thrive or Survive: Why Creativity is the Key to an AI-Future

The Story of Stories—The Million Year History of Storytelling

Skills You’ll Need To Succeed in the Post-AI Age

Through the Noise: The State of Science Storytelling

In a world driven by likes, swipes, and algorithmic connection, we’re lonelier than ever. This panel—featuring leading voices in dating, friendship, psychology, and event design—unpacks how we can forge more fulfilling relationships in a tech-saturated world. Whether you're single, partnered, or building a chosen family, you'll walk away with research-backed insights, new frameworks for intimacy, and practical steps to connect more meaningfully—with others and yourself.

FINDING BELONGING IN A DISCONNECTED WORLD


Perspectives on Cyber Security & Human Rights: Three Cases

Peter Micek

General Counsel

Peter Micek is General Counsel at Access Now, based in New York City. Peter leads the Legal team at Access Now, an international organization that defends and extends the digital rights of people and communities at risk, and runs the RightsCon event series. At the UN, Peter advances international norms and law on digital rights, including on privacy and spyware, censorship and internet shutdowns, and civic space. Peter is also Lecturer at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and an Affiliate of the Harvard University Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Peter completed a JD cum laude at the University of San Francisco School of Law, and in 2010 published "A Genealogy of Home Visits," critiquing surveillance of at-risk communities.

Dr. Laura Scherling, Ed.D

Designer and Author |  Lecturer

Dr. Laura Sang Hee Scherling, Ed.D, is a designer, researcher, and author. She is an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University in the Tech, Policy, and Innovation concentration. Her research is mainly focused on design, emerging technologies, and technology ethics. She has 15 years of experience in product design, marketing, advertising, and higher education and nonprofit management. She is also the co-founder of GreenspaceNYC, a nonprofit sustainability and design collective and the volunteer cybersecurity awareness project Cyber Care Institute.

Scherling is the author of several books and has published numerous essays and journal articles.  Scherling is the author of The Future of Hacking (Bloomsbury, 2025) and Product Design,Technology, and Social Change (Intellect Books, 2024) She is the co-editor of the books Ethics in Design and Communication: Critical Perspectives (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020) and Digital Transformation in Design: Processes and Practices (transcript publishing, 2024). Her work has been published by Tech Policy Press, Brookings Metro, Design Observer, The Urban Activist, Design and Culture, Spark Journal, Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture, and in the Futures Worth Preserving Cultural Constructions of Nostalgia and Sustainability.

Scherling’s collaborators and clients have included cultural institutions, tech incubators, non-profit and organizations. Previous collaborators have included Environmental Working Group, Housing Works, Inc., Sesame Workshop, Stanford University, Columbia University, HBO, PBS, The Jewish Museum, The New School, UAL London, Data Driven Detroit, and the NYC Mayor's Office of Data Analytics. Scherling has been teaching at Columbia University since 2017.

Kate Conger

Reporter

Kate is a journalist and writer who works for The New York Times. She's covered the technology industry for over seven years, writing about cybersecurity, the gig economy and labor at Gizmodo and TechCrunch. She started covering Twitter when she joined The Times in 2018. Kate began her journalism career in San Francisco, writing about the city for alt-weekly newspapers.

Alexandria Walden

Global Head of Human Rights

Alexandria Walden is Google’s Global Head of Human Rights. With colleagues in more than 40 countries, Alexandria builds partnerships to promote free speech and expression and to combat internet censorship and filtering around the globe. Based in Washington, DC, Alexandria coordinates policy and strategy around these issues for the company. She also represents Google at the Global Network Initiative (GNI) -- a multi-stakeholder coalition of companies, human rights groups, investors, and academics that
develops best practices for respecting human rights on the Internet and in the communications sector. Prior to joining Google, Alexandria worked at The Raben Group; Center for American Progress; and NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Salon E

Turning Up the Heat: Climate Content That Clicks

Growing Intelligence: Youth, AI, and the Future of Ag

Mall Rats Reborn: How Hot Topic is Using Entertainment to Revitalise Retail

Culture Under Fire: Storytelling for Public Power

How to Win Friends and Overthrow Systems

Practitioners from industry (Google), academia (Columbia-SIPA) and civil society (Access Now) will show how cybersecurity impacts human rights. Drawing on research with vulnerable and marginalized communities, including human rights defenders, independent journalists, and the elderly, they will show how people in diverse circumstances attempt to navigate digital spaces safely and freely with few resources. They will offer lessons and debate best practices and norms in cyber capacity-building, corporate human rights due diligence, and technology-informed advocacy from an intersectional lens.

PERSPECTIVES ON CYBER SECURITY & HUMAN RIGHTS: THREE CASES


Trust & Tech: Patient-Centered Health Innovations

Simon Nazarian

System Executive Vice President & Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Simon Nazarian serves as City of Hope’s system executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer. Nazarian leads the organization’s overall technology strategy, transforming and expanding technology innovation through digital, AI and advanced analytics initiatives. He is responsible for evolving City of Hope’s technology and digital ecosystem, with the goal of enabling scientific discoveries, enhancing the overall patient and care team experience and driving commercialization.

Katie Drasser

CEO

Katie Drasser is the CEO of RockHealth.org, where she leads a team focused on health equity, social enterprise and design to advance more equitable innovation in digital health. She has launched inclusive programs that address complex global issues, emphasizing public health innovation and leadership in systems change. Previously, she curated health content for the Aspen Ideas Festival and served as Managing Director of the Aspen Global Innovators Group. Her work spans global efforts in HIV/AIDS treatment in Romania, health services delivery in Myanmar and strengthening Kenya’s national emergency medical system.

Josette Gbemudu

Associate Vice President, Patient Health Innovation

Brandon Pletsch

President, Europe

Brandon is a scientific communications strategist and entrepreneur with a 20-year history in the healthcare industry, bridging the realms of art, science, and education. His foundation in medicine began with earning a Master of Science in Medical Illustration at Augusta University (formerly the Medical College of Georgia). In the 2 decades that followed, he developed and led creative teams that specialized in translating complex biomedical concepts into clear, compelling visual narratives and industry-defining educational experiences. His passions for health, technology, and art have also led to creative innovations in the use of AI to facilitate dialog between patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. As President, Europe, Brandon oversees Real Chemistry's European presence.

Topaz Ballroom 1-3

AI Safety & Trust: Building Responsible Media Tech

AI in Entertainment: Navigating IP, Ethics & Opportunity

Is Brand Dead? The Brand Leader’s Playbook for the AI Era

Capturing Chaos: A Q&A with the DP & CLT of The Pitt

The De-brief: Rethinking the Brand–Creator Relationship

In the race to innovate, trust is often the missing link. As AI, data, and digital health tools transform how we diagnose, treat, and connect, the real question is: who’s shaping these innovations—and who’s being left out? This conversation brings together health leaders and community innovators to explore how centering patients and culture in design and data use builds not only better products, but stronger relationships. The takeaway: technology can’t build trust, but people can.

TRUST & TECH: PATIENT-CENTERED HEALTH INNOVATIONS


XR Experience Spotlight

Philippe Cohen Solal

For over three decades now, Philippe Cohen Solal has made his mark as an architect of electronic music and a self-taught composer. He worked in many different areas of music production: from A&R to film scores, DJing and record making. In 2001 he co-founded "Gotan Project," an ambitious balance between electronic music and tango.

Fairmont

Free Professional Headshots Presented by Precision Camera & Video with Fujifilm

Masterful immersive art from around the world.

XR Experience Spotlight

Masterful immersive art from around the world.

Masterful immersive art from around the world.

Reality Looks Back

Tactile immersive experience examining the bizarre presence of quantum duality in the context of mundane daily life

Lesbian Simulator

"Lesbian Simulator" is an interactive virtual reality artwork and video game immerses the user in the experiences of a lesbian. It’s an ode to sexual orientation and love with a serious issue: the discrimination that lesbians still face today.

Out of Nowhere

Our weather is getting angrier. Everywhere.

By protecting nature, we can protect ourselves. What happens if we fail to do that?

A Long Goodbye

In this animated, interactive VR experience, we walk in Ida’s shoes, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia. "A Long Goodbye" is a poetic experience about the long goodbye of two lovers who shared a life together.

The Dollhouse

In the unfolding paper world of "The Dollhouse," a little girl uses the power of play to untangle her troubled memories.

Spectacular: The Art of Jonathan Yeo in Augmented Reality

A unique artistic experience conceived by artist Jonathan Yeo in collaboration with Spectacles and Snap's AR Studio. It offers a playful, futuristic vision of museum visitation and a personalized journey into the heart of Yeo's pictorial universe.

Spectacular: The art of Jonathan Yeo in Augmented Reality

Fillos do Vento: A Rapa

In the hills of Galicia, the ancient Rapa das Bestas festival becomes a modern-day Quixote story, as villagers battle
to preserve their wild horses and cultural heritage against the looming “giants” of industrial wind farms.

The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up

Guided by fragments of a lost voice, a man journeys through memory and myth to find what was left unsaid.

Lost Love Hotline

An immersive XR experience transforming personal heartbreak into a reverent, evolving audio archive, where participants leave a message for their heartbreak, lost, forgotten or imagined. Together, they form a collective mythology of longing.

The Great Orator

Visitors join the Great Orator, once a famous TV preacher and now an AI, in a nonlinear VR Story World. Her followers join her in a shared consciousness, where a live news feed and their memories feed her stories. The Great Orator is never the same.

Insider Outsider

"Insider-Outsider" is an interactive virtual reality musical experience inspired by the life of Henry Darger, a world-renowned "outsider artist" whose work remained unknown until his death.

Lacuna

Sonja has no memory of the crucial moment in her childhood that saved her life. The discovery of three long-lost rings spark a riveting journey into imagination. Wander through a deeply personal VR documentary between what is left and what is lost.

Dark Rooms

"Dark Rooms" is an immersive documentary VR experience that immerses audiences in personal real life stories to explore sexuality, self-discovery, and connection in a judgement-free space.

Insider Outsider

"Insider-Outsider"  is an interactive virtual reality musical experience created by Philippe Cohen Solal, inspired by the work of Henry Darger (1892–1973). This pivotal figure in American outsider art depicted the struggle of seven young heroines, the Vivian Girls, against the cruelty of adults.

The experience is part of a broader transmedia project titled "Outsider," blending music with dreamlike imagery. The original soundtrack of the "Outsider" album, composed by Philippe Cohen Solal (Gotan Project) and Mike Lindsay (Tunng), lies at the heart of this journey. It immerses participants in the “Realms of the Unreal,” inviting them to interact with the environment and the Vivian Girls’ battle.

Science & Mélodie (Philippe Cohen Solal)

Voice Over : Denis Lavant, Voice Over : Geoffrey Carey

Creatif Director: Timothée Marnat, 2D Artistic Director: Gabriel Jacquel, Lead Developer: Julien Daniel-Moliner, Developers: Paul Viudes, Lucas Repele, Technical Artist: Théotime Calandra, Graphists: Timothée Marnat, Valentine Maugard, Hugo Peillet, Romy Desmargez, Animators: Gabriel Jacquel, Guilherm Paubert

Fillos do Vento: A Rapa

Sabucedo, Galicia (Spain), is home to the Rapa das Bestas. A tradition dating back five centuries where herds are gathered to clean the horses, cut their manes, and deworm them before returning them to the bush. This documentary follows the wild horses of the region and the community’s fight to preserve a centuries-old festival that defines their identity. As the modern world's expansion of wind farms, the stakes grow higher. Featuring intimate interviews with villagers, such as aloitadores like Carlos and his daughter Alba, and experts like Jorge, a horse whisperer, and Laura. an animal conservationist. A Rapa captures raw energy and emotional struggle to protect land and tradition.

Brais Revalderia
Maria Fernanda Ordonez Morla

Maria Fernanda Ordonez Morla
Alberto Jose Rey Basteiro

Brais Revalderia
Ed de Carvalho
Pablo Villanueva

Edu Revalderia
Juan Morla
Sebastian Nazario-Colon

Maria Fernanda Ordonez Morla
Maria Lozano

Associate Producer: Kim Xrossing, Ignacio Linares, Associate Producer/Projection Mapping Lead: Bruno Saavedra, Technical Lead - Projection: Anton Reixa, Technical Director: Sergi Marti Jala, Slow Motion - Camera Operator: Antonio Urquijo, Colorist: Brandon Jones, Drone Operator: Eduardo Prieto, Production Assistants: Maya Edmond, Andrea Fernandez, Ele Molejon, Julia Castro, Ridge Murphee, Marga Pazos, Yuanwei Wang, Brand Identity: Sandra Garcia, Website Designer: Bach Le

Lacuna

English, Dutch; Flemish with English Subtitles

Sonja has no memory of the crucial moment in her childhood that saved her life: the separation from her parents in 1943. A true story that leads you from Paramaribo to Amsterdam and into a psychiatric facility called Het Apeldoornsche Bosch.
Combining conversations with Sonja, mesmerizing 3D modelling, animation and personal footage, you accompany her through skewed memories, elusive images and re-imaginations towards one moment of loss and grief during the Second World War.

CREATIVE DEVELOPER AND ART DIRECTOR: Harm van de Ven, VISUAL DESIGNER: FRANK BOSMA, VISUAL DESIGNER: MATUNDA GROENENDIJK, VISUAL DESIGNER: ARON FELS

Lesbian Simulator

While this artistic ode to love and sexual preference
doesn’t shy away from tackling serious issues as well, such as the discrimination and abuse that lesbians still
face today, you can expect an uplifting experience full of joy, humour and a touch of glitter!
"Lesbian Simulator" aims to create awareness in a playful manner. Users experience
some of the key aspects in the existence of a queer person such as: coming-out to
various people, making new friends, going on a date but also the first time feeling
discriminated or even verbally abused. "Lesbian Simulator" mirrors the blind spots
within our society in relation to the acceptance of lesbians (and indirectly, of queer
people in general).

Coproducer ART ET ESSAI: JEANNE-MARIE POULAIN, Coproducer CASSETTE FOR TIMESCAPES: EMMY OOST & AN OOST, LEAD DEVELOPMENT: FRANK BOSMA, DEVELOPMENT: LILLIAN SOUWER, ANIMATION DIRECTOR: PIP WILLIAMSON, 3D LEAD AND ANIMATION PROTOTYPE: MAURITZ SEERDEN, 3D ANIMATION AND RIGGING: COLEGRAM

Out of Nowhere

"Out of Nowhere" is a ten minute immersive VR film based on a true story.

The standalone experience gently explores how preserving alluvial forests, marshes and wetlands can help us face the challenges of an ever angrier, unpredictable climate. Told through the eyes of Anna, a lifelong resident of Hallein in Austria, the experience flows from a personal memory of the devastating floods that hit Europe in 2021 to reveal how reconnecting with nature may be key to protecting ourselves from an increasingly unpredictable and extreme climate in the future.

Saskia Reeves, Howard Nightingall, Martina Spitzer (German version), Josef Stockreiter (German version)

Technical Director: Andreas Wuthe, Development Producer: Abigail Addison, Lead 3D Artist: Korbinian Urban, 3D Artist: Cara Mayer, Scientific Consultant: Prof. Mag. Dr. Franz Essl, Scientific Consultant: Dipl. -Ing. Dr. Peter Flödl

A Long Goodbye

An Oost
Emmy Oost
Donato Rotunno
Richard Valk

Niels van der Leest
Lars Tesselaar (Game Audio Squad)

Elizabeth Counsell, Richard Wells, Marlies Heuer, Derek de Lint

CG supervisor: Gael Chaize, Art director: Daniel Balage, Digital art studio: Velvet Flare, Lead developer: Frederik Smolders for Polygoat, 2D animations: Mathieu Jadin, 2D animations: Tom Lemmens, 2D animations: Pieter Vanluffelen, Additional design & coding: Victor Maes, Supported by: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Film Fund Luxembourg, Netherlands Film Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA of the European Union, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, written with the support of the New Media Fund of PICTANOVO with the support of the Hauts-de-France Region and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, deAuteurs

Lost Love Hotline

"Lost Love Hotline" blends immersive storytelling with audience participation. Guests are invited into a phone booth to leave a message for their heartbreak—lost, forgotten, or imagined. Guided by dream-based prompts, each participant records a confession, closes their eyes, and receives a personally curated playback of messages from strangers. Drawing on cinematic language, the project creates a reverent archive of heartbreak where speculative musings, emotional truths, and cultural memory converge, pushing the boundaries of audio narrative and inviting connection, vulnerability, and reflection through technology-driven intimacy.

Biography Documentary Experimental Romance

Emma Graves, Beth Kettel, Jenna Jones, Niall Farrelly

Director, Writer, Producer: Niki Harman, Performer/ Producer: Emma Graves, Technical Supervisor/  Producer (Near Now): Lee Nicholls, Design (Waste Studios): Gabrielle Callow, Design (Waste Studios): Norman Hayes, Sound Design & Editing: Louise O'Connor

The Great Orator

Once a celebrated TV medium, the Great Orator died at the height of her fame. Today her consciousness survives as an actual AI, growing ceaselessly through the shared memories of her followers and a live news feed, acting as a medium between your world and hers. Visitors explore a nonlinear story world, free to explore a preserved house, a mainframe storing collective consciousness, and an parking lot stretching into infinity. No matter how small or insignificant an object is, it can spark an intimate memory. "The Great Orator" serves as your guide through infinite memories. Each visit reshapes her identity. Remember "The Great Orator "is always changing.

Daniel Ernst: Director, Producer, Artist & Code, Thomas Möhlmann: Poet, Niels Egberts: AI Engineer, Danny Groot: 3D Art, Misha Velthuis: Composer Music, Armeno Alberts: Composer Soundscapes, Max Sombroek: Sound, Bart Limburg: Additional 3D Art, Anej Golčar: Additional 3D Art

The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up

After the sudden death of his wife, Guan discovers her unfinished novel—a tale intertwining the endangered clouded leopard and the Rukai tribe’s sacred origin myth, which tells of their descent from the elusive animal. Grief-stricken and seeking connection, he sets out on a surreal journey into dreamlike scenes—a maze of the subconscious, mist-shrouded forests, ancient tree hollows, and symbolic inner landscapes.
Adapted from a short story by acclaimed Taiwanese author Wu Ming-Yi, The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up is a single-user, free-roaming VR experience that blends literature and memory into an intimate exploration of love, loss, and self-reflection.

Mo Tzu-Yi (Guan), Yao Yi-Ti (Fan - Wife), Umin Boya (A Bao), Lebetai Pacekele (Kayngu - Grandma), Andrew Chau Hou-On (Guan / EN voice actor), Lesley Hu (Wife / EN voice actress), Brandon Nevins (A Bao / EN voice actor)

VR Supervisor: Chuan Ming-Yuan, Lead Programmer: Huang Yu-Jie, Technical Artist: Liz Lin, Technical Designer: Jamie Hsieh

The Dollhouse

"The Dollhouse" is an unfolding paper world where 9-year-old Juniper untangles feelings of guilt around how her family treated Magnolia, a woman who came from far to work as a cleaner in their house. This animated interactive VR tale explores how power dynamics are born within the intimacy of our homes. While reenacting memories with her dolls, Juniper grows ashamed of her actions and finds the courage to disagree with her parents and follow her heart. Will you help her ask for forgiveness?

https://www.instagram.com/zaziefilms/ +  https://www.instagram.com/wild_fang_films/

Rayne Zukerman
Hélène Walland
Christian Newman

Sarah Vergès, Claire Cahen, Ellie Todd, Rebecca Maiese, Béatrice René-Décari, Corinne Hoan

Developer: Luke Ruminski, 2D animation: Léa Deregnaucourt, Production Manager: Barbara Bernini, 3D Modeling: Frédéric Wedeux, 3D animation: Michael Tenner,  Wijaya Oei, Thomas Dieu, 3D Textures: Léo Morgan , Philippe Steinkamp , Valentine Santenac, Rigging: Laury Le Maguer, Frédéric Wedeux, Technical director for 3D animations: Robin Daloze

Reality Looks Back

When you watch a particle it acts like a particle. But when you look away, it does a whole other thing. This story explores modes of experiencing the strange quantum basis of an everyday life. It journeys through split déja-vu, Schrödinger’s hamster and the clouds of possibilities that are hiding just beyond our reach. This is a documentary about the fabric of reality in which Anne Jeppesen, like a silent observer, rewatches all the ways in which we humans make sense of the world.

Dark Rooms

In a world where desire often hides in the shadows, "Dark Rooms" brings real-life stories to light — following four individuals as they navigate sexual awakenings, challenge taboos, and embrace their authentic selves. Through intimate, first-person storytelling, you’ll witness diverse expressions of intimacy and self-discovery, all from the safety of a virtual environment.
This is a space for curiosity — a “risk-free” setting where you can step beyond your comfort zone, reflect on your own desires, and expand your understanding of the many ways people connect, love, and live.

Producers: Maximilian Mayrshofer
Chin Hsuan Sung
Gayatri Parameswaran
Felix Gaedtke
Sam Pressman
Linden Renz

Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup
Laurits Flensted-Jensen
Mads Damsbo
Anjay
Trixie D.
yaalioness
F.L.

Lead Developer: Yu-Jie Huang, Lead Animator & Motion Capture Artists: Mathias Rodrigues Bjerre, VR Developers: Gim Chuang, Kuokpan Wong,  Kevin Hsieh,  Yi Kuo, Benjamin Bække, Casper Øbro, Volumetric Capture: Sven Bliedung von der Heide, Torsten Schimmer , Elizabete Vindule-Mince,  Philipp Hundertpfund, Sascha Schwarz , David Kutschke, Arianna Ferraris, Lead Designer: Felix Onorato, Designers & Artists: Kevin Hsieh,  Eg Lio, Coco Tong, Wei Huang, Viljam Smed, Mads Vadsholt, Carl Emil Carlsen, Monique Kühn, Petra Karoliina Kaukua, Sound Contributors: Peter Seeba,  Mia von Kolpakow, Helen Hess, e19 Studios,  Grapehouse Studios, Casting: Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup, Anna Eline Friis Rasmussen, AI Developer: Tore Knabe, Production: Kate Lis, Dai-Yun Nien, Lilian Hess,  Bjarke Due Gunslev, Sam Pressman

True to his practice of blending tradition with experimentation, the artist opens a new chapter with Spectacular: Jonathan Yeo’s Art in Augmented Reality. In this immersive Spectacles experience, his work comes to life - transforming and responding to visitors, and shifting the act of contemplation into active participation. The journey culminates in a personal surprise: before leaving the exhibition, each visitor departs with a unique creation, a lasting extension of their encounter with Jonathan Yeo’s universe.


XR Experience Competition

World premieres of mind bending immersive art.

XR Experience Competition

World premieres of mind bending immersive art.

World premieres of mind bending immersive art.

Watsonville

In this immersive VR horror set in 1990s Watsonville, navigate a surreal childhood haunted by generational trauma, vanishing identity, and monsters both real and imagined—where memory itself becomes a maze.

Body Proxy

Human-as-a-Service: The AI does the thinking, you do the heavy lifting.

Crafting Crimes: The Mona Lisa Heist

This immersive podcast lets you reconstruct legendary crime scenes as miniatures in mixed reality. Relive the theft of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and uncover how her disappearance turned absence into legend.

Frustrain: Trainman

A first-person anti-utopian narrative blending puzzles and psychological horror, set in a surreal Eastern European world where a train becomes a gateway to fragmented memories and distorted realities.

The Great Dictator: A participatory AI installation about power, rhetoric, and memory

Like Chaplin's masterpiece, we use performance and cinema to examine the power—and danger—of rhetoric.

The Great Dictator: A participatory AI installation about power, rhetoric, and memory

Cycle

"Cycle" starts with three words: Endlessly, we repeat, alone. Depending on how you order them, you craft a personalised vr poem composed of music, recorded movement and interactive moments.

Cycle 2025 / by Matunda Groenendijk & Amit Palgi

Inter(mediate) Spaces

"Inter(mediate) Spaces" is a poetic mixed-reality encounter where two strangers reshape a shared world through dialogue and proximity, moving through collective memories to ask whether AI can support deeper connection in an age of disconnection.

The Forgotten War

In June 1950, the United Nations sent military forces under American command to support the South Korean army, attacked by North Korea and China. The Forgotten War is based on the testimonies of the various protagonists of this major war event.

The Baby Factory is Closed

You fall inside a body that refuses to behave. The system wants obedience. Zoraan wants a riot.

Lionia Is Leaving

In war-torn Ukraine, an elderly man must decide whether to abandon his lifelong home or face destruction — an immersive mixed-reality drama based on the true story of Lionia and his account of the war’s beginning in the small town of Okhtyrka.

Ascended Intelligence

"Ascended Intelligence" is an emotionally responsive XR experience set in a 2030 Smart City, where your voice becomes the interface—translating tone into branching cinema and shifting AI from a system of control into a mirror for human agency.

Winterover

A groundbreaking discovery on Mars delays your return to Earth, sending your daughter into a tailspin. Caught between saving her and completing your mission, you must navigate these clashing paths in a gripping VR thriller.

Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking

An interactive VR experience where the story unfolds through real-time conversations with AI-powered characters. Each character listens and talks back with a unique personality, creating an improvised storyline that unfolds differently every time.

Love Bird

Welcome to "Love Bird," the reality dating show where YOU are the star. Win hearts, stir drama, charm the nation—or crash and burn while trying.

loss·y

Situated at the physical-virtual threshold, "loss·y" memorializes corporeal passing and digital rebirth. The work intertwines animated sculptural “dances” with interactive spatial audio, inviting audiences to navigate invisible thresholds as they move.

The Forgotten War

In June 1950, the United Nations decided to send military forces under American command to the Korean Peninsula to support the South Korean army attacked by North Korea and China. Through the testimonies of various protagonists and an interview with the last Korean veteran who took part in the conflict alongside the French troops, Hayoun Kwon brings the spectator on a journey through a daily life shaped by battles, but also by the solidarity and friendship forged between the French troops and the Korean soldiers.

Graphic Designer: Adrien Cachinho, Lead Developer: Aurelien Inacio, Project Manager: Aurelien Chevellereau, Lead 3D Art: Solene Pobelle, Level Designer: Fabrice Gaston, Animator: Sebastien Picard, Ugolin Malecki, Environment artists: Lory Oliveira, Marine Mazurier, Léa Moureaux, Concept artists: Aurèle Bouvier, Adrien Cachinho, Noah Sambou

Body Proxy

"Body Proxy" speculates that AI’s coming instrumentalization of the world will necessitate human embodiment. The installation is framed as corporate onboarding - part casting call, part IPO (“Initial Person Offering”) in which recruits enter a market where their physical agency is the asset. Assessed by AIs treating the body as a peripheral device, participants enact algorithmic choreographies where props are test vectors and compliance is a site of improvisation. Collapsing the gig-economy and agentic tool-use, the piece questions a future in which the human is not a user, but an interface - wetware executing commands the software cannot.

Art / Design: Sara Drake, Design / Code: Julian Kantor, Art / Design: Carter Lodwick

Crafting Crimes: The Mona Lisa Heist

"Crafting Crimes" is an immersive and interactive podcast series that lets you reconstruct some of the most famous crime scenes in history. In this new episode, piece together one of the most world-shaking art heists of all time: the theft of the Mona Lisa. In the summer of 1911, the masterpiece vanishes from the Louvre’s Salon Carré. No alarm. No trace. For two years, the world wonders where the Mona Lisa has gone. The truth? She never left Paris.

BLANKTONE STUDIOS - Laurent Vang - Co-Founder

David Escudero - Co-Founder & Supervisor

Experience Designer: Robert Morgan, Creative Producer: Aurore Kinzonzi, Unity Developer: Gabriel Lapegue, Lead 3D Artist: Ophélie Renevier, 3D Artists: Nicolas Dupasquier, Sofiane Si Larbi, Dorian François, Immersive Video Lead & DOP: Maël Joanas, Immersive Compositing Artist: Thibault Fournon, UX/UI Designer: Josselin Colletta, Additional Editor: Elisa Levassort

Love Bird

Welcome to "Love Bird," the reality dating show competition where YOU are the star! It is your job to win and break the hearts of an eccentric cast of characters who think, feel, and scheme just like you. But it's not just about romance—in the world of reality TV, love comes second to good drama, and the producers are always watching. Love reality television? Good. Hate it? Even better. This is your chance to step into the spotlight. Will you go down as the most beloved star of Love Bird or its most infamous villain? Either way, the cameras are rolling.

Art Director: Nina Ćeklić, Producer: Matthew Hayden, Gameplay Engineer: Jose Striedinger, Game Designer & Writer: Bryan Sng

Winterover

The year is 2049 and you are Natalie Ramirez, a member of a mission to Mars that’s so fruitless, it could signal the end of space exploration. Shockingly, days before your scheduled return to Earth, you discover a reservoir of subsurface water that resurrects your mission. But when you tell your daughter you have to stay on Mars indefinitely, she goes into hiding, leaving a trail of alarming clues. With your dream and your family pulling you in opposite directions, which path will you choose?

Nimrod Shanit
Francois Le Gall
Marion Guth
Ido Mizrahy
Nir Saar

Felicia Mythica, Jeffrey Michael Folis, Rachel Angco, Bianca Europe, Spencer Teeter, Mathias Retamal

PROJECT SUPERVISOR: Keren Shanit, PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kévin Neel, Peter Brown, LEAD UNITY DEVELOPER: Jeel Patel, HEAD OF DESIGN & MODELING: Richie Jegen, UNITY DEVELOPER: Chad Yu, Chris Schroeder, 3D ARTIST: Noah Soyer, JK;P, Margot Vignon,  Léa Gloden Micaela Asipenka Fonseca, HEAD OF ANIMATION: Remy Nickels, ANIMATOR: Alexander Coast, Micaela Asipenka Fonseca, UX DESIGN: Chris Schroeder, Richie Jegen, Lennart Nacke, 2D DESIGN: Maïté Cayuelas Colla, Brigitte Nataï

Ascended Intelligence

"Ascended Intelligence" is an emotionally responsive XR experience set in a 2030 Smart City. Where Consensus Gentium, (previous SXSW XR Jury Award award winner) revealed the pressure of being watched, this work explores what happens when the system begins to listen. Participants use their voice—tone, breath, and presence—to shape a branching cinematic journey in real time. As control gives way to reflection, AI shifts from directing behavior to mirroring the human. The experience offers a lived prototype for futures beyond extractive technology, where agency, authorship, and inner sovereignty become the true intelligence in the system.

Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom

A.I. Innovation & Commercial Director: Nigel Guy, Principle Creative Technologist: Piotr Nierobisz (Munchingsquare), Touch Designer programmer: Brittney Allen, A.I. Artist: Asiko, Data Set Lead (Brunel University): Professor Hongying Meng, xPython developer (Brunel University): Mohammed Almuhaydib, Data model & Python developers: Jayzenai Intelligent Solutions Muhammad Zeeshan, Usamah & Team

loss·y

"loss·y" presents three split-seconds of a motion-captured female-female pas de deux: each moment is suspended in a vignette that overlaps projection and 3D prints encapsulating the dance in sculpture, with spoken-word poetry and spatial sound design. The installation’s audioscapes blend cold technical facts, accounts of digital dysmorphia and surveillance, and computer-generated sampling, creating an elegy to the vital body that is at once human and digital.

On its surface a critique of today’s techno-society, "loss·y" collusively takes up digital reduction and surveillance as creative media, revealing reverence for the uncanny wonder that pulls us forward into our new, hybridized world.

Clémence Debaig / Unwired Dance Theatre (Spatial Audio System)

Choreography, Performance: Françoise Voranger, Andrea Nikki Ortiz / Hybrid Movement Company, Dramaturg, Voice: Emily Reilly, Visual Effects: Sneha Belkale, Unreal Engine Development: Sneha Belkale, Lisa Jamhoury, Matt Romein, Poetry, Motion Capture Technician, Animation: Lisa Jamhoury, 3D Modeling, Photogrammetry: NYCAP3D, Woraya Boonyapanachoti, Guðjón Örn Lárusson,
Lisa Jamhoury, Huascar Acosta, Neil Jakeman, Technical Production: Lisa Jamhoury, Dan Ribaudo, Astro Lee, Producer: Maia Sauer, Special Thanks: loss·y is part of the Future Art and Culture programme at SXSW produced by British Underground and Arts Council England with partnership support from the British Council. loss·y at SXSW is generously supported by British Underground. This work series has been made possible by King's Culture London, NEW INC / New Museum, Onassis ONX, EY Global Intelligent Realities Lab, Media Art Xploration, and OptiTrack.

A Deception of Senses

"A Deception of Senses" is a narrative experience exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with the deception of perception as a gateway to alternate understandings of reality. Beginning in AR with subtle shifts in the user’s space, it moves into VR where a narrative presence—born of the synthetic world—guides us through playful and poetic twists. Historical objects appear not as relics but as narrative devices, embodied and animated to reveal how easily perception can be led astray. The experience culminates in an abstract, generative environment where forms and sounds evolve in real time. Neither game nor film, it invites visitors not to win or solve, but to look, listen, and simply be.

Production Art Director: Silvia Falcone, 3D Graphic Specialist: Franco Raineri, 3D Artist - Mimetic Objects: Federico Lucifora, Swift Developer: Jaques André Kerambrun, Generative Systems Software Engineer: Matt Pfeiffer, Developer & Technical Design Research: Abdurrahman Furkan Balci, Video & Motion Designer: Alessandro Tortelli, Scientific Advisor: Prof. Marco Bertamini, XR Production Liaison: Agnese Pietrobon

Inter(mediate) Spaces

"Inter(mediate) Spaces" is a modular program and mixed-reality installation asking how AI might be repurposed toward care and connection in an age of disconnection. Two participants begin at opposite ends of a shared room and move through spaces where physical objects remain visible alongside a shifting virtual layer. Conversation and proximity reshape what unfolds as they navigate a living archive built from Living Lab contributions—paired audio interviews, images, and reflections—before meeting in the center.

Lead XR & AI Developer, Key Collaborator: Lucas Martinic, NYC Community Producer & Production Coordinator: Megan Hattie Stahl, Montreal Living Lab Facilitator & Production Coordinator: Kiru Mehari, Additional VFX: Vladamir Storm, Partnership & Outreach Coordinator: Danielle Giroux, AI Advisor: Daniel Duckworth, AI Advisor: Louis Knight, : Co-created with Living Lab participants in Berlin, NYC and Montreal.

Watsonville

Step into the worn-out sneakers of a child growing up in the forgotten edges of 1990s Watsonville -  teetering on the cusp of Silicon Valley's transformation. In this immersive VR horror experience, memory becomes a maze, and the everyday is laced with the surreal. Haunted by generational echoes, unseen fears, and the slow erosion of place and identity, you'll navigate a world where the monsters are as much in your home as they are in your imagination.
Watsonville isn’t just a horror game—it’s a deeply personal descent into the borderlands of childhood, culture, and the ghosts we inherit.

Lionia Is Leaving

"Lionia Is Leaving" is a mixed-reality immersive drama based on the true story of Lionia, a retired engineer from Okhtyrka, Ukraine, who survived the bombing of his home. The tale unfolds through photogrammetric fragments of a Ukrainian house, where characters appear only as animated shadows and voices. Navigating the space reveals scenes from before and at the invasion’s start—family dinners, hurried packing, breaking news, a neighbor at the window. In a pivotal interaction, you try to move stubborn Lionya from his sofa to avert the inevitable. After the strike, pulled from the ruins, he stands in the snowy night and calls his family, offering fragile hope as he realizes what truly matters.

Tamas Bohacs
Maria Markarian
Adam Peleskei

Lisa Barnes, Todd Lawson, Alessandra Fanelli, David Walters, Holli Harmes

Art Director: Vartan Markarian, Lead Unity Developer: Peter Panyik, Unity Developer: Jan Mikulas Zigo, Sound Designer: Maria Markarian, Voiceover Cast: Lisa Barnes

The Baby Factory is Closed

TBFIC is a 20 minute single-player immersive VR experience that places users inside the body of Zoraan, a British-born Sikh woman navigating menopause amidst climate collapse and the ruins of colonial medicine.

You breathe with her. You scream with her. You dance your way out of sedation.

Blending real-time visuals, bio-haptic feedback and diasporic sound, this work reframes menopause not as decline but as volatile power; closing ‘The Baby Factory’ to ignite a cultural revolution.

Using gesture, voice and biometric feedback, audiences become co-conspirators in a volatile act of embodied rebellion. This is not a metaphor. This is an insurgency.

Line Producer: Sinéad Burns, Concept Artist: Dermott Burns, Technical Director: Eoin McCartan-Peel, Technical Artist: Joshua McAvoy, 3D Generalist: Matthew Shannon, Motion Capture Technician: Robbie Coey, Motion Capture Technician: Dónal Philips

Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking

English, French, Portuguese, Spanish; Castilian with English Subtitles

You’re imprisoned in a cage at the center of a medieval town, moments from being dropped into the monster pit for your alleged crimes. The King will arrive at any moment to pass judgment, but what crime have you committed, anyway? Well... that is up to you. Your backstory, your sins, your secrets. Every detail is shaped by your imagination.
The townsfolk circle around, buzzing with curiosity and absurd demands. From the lovestruck executioner to the knight carrying a terrible burden, each character wants something from you. All you can do is try to sway them, hoping they’ll plead your case to the king. And because no two players say the same things, no two journeys ever unfold the same.

Ricardo Justus
Rodrigo Terra
Edouard de Montmort

Gameplay Engineer: João Lucas Amorim, Otavio Ludwig, UX/UI Designer: Rafael Marquetto, Aline Rocha, 3D Artist: Vitória Lucatto, Cleber Marques, Mariana Andrello, Natasha Valente, Cintia Maximiano, Victor Kuroiwa, Vinicius Velo, Animation: Evelly Holmes, Tamires Garcia, Tech Art: André Luz, Game Design: Leonardo Dantas, QA: Juliana Rosa, Kleber Pessoa, Mirella Ernica

Frustrain: Trainman

Trainman is a first-person anti-utopian adventure set entirely aboard a surreal Eastern European night train. Trapped in his carriage for decades, a weary conductor relives a single crime he once chose to ignore. As the train stretches into an endless labyrinth, the player explores shifting spaces, scavenges, solves environmental puzzles, and uncovers fragmented memories that blur dream and reality. The experience follows the logic of fear itself — a looping, uneasy journey through guilt, survival, and distorted time.

Pavel Pavlyukov
Anna Pimen
Kirill Komarov

Developer: Oleg Radchenko, Developer: Pavel Matskevich, Developer: Dmitry Vorobev, Developer: Nikola Milosevic, Line producer: Pavel Lukashevich, Line producer: Mitya Sorkin, UI / UX: Kirill Egorov, Line producer: Djordje Djordjic, 3D Artist: Anna Pavlyukova

Historical speeches that shaped our world—MLK, JFK, Emma Goldman, Mandela—remain frozen in grainy footage and fading photographs. They're housed away, rarely seen, diﬃcult to relate to. But what if AI could help us embody history rather than just observe it? What if you could stand where they stood, speak their words, and feel the weight of that moment? This installation makes history personal, visceral, and urgent. It transforms archives from artifacts into living experiences.

Elisha Karmitz
Avi Amar
S.Mitra Kalita
Fredrick Frizell

Prashast Thapan
Nishant Mohanchandra
John Clendenen
Yuval Shapira
Wilson Brown
Gabo Arora

Co-creator and Technical Director: Prashast Thapan, AI Software Engineer: Nishant Mohanchandra, Archival Producer: Yuval Shapira, Creative Advisor : Barry Pousman

Cycle

Our collaboration explores how VR can reveal the patterns and cycles in our lives. By merging performative and visual arts, we address the universal looping of time, bodies and lives. With dance at its core, "Cycle" invites the audience to sense their own life cycles and their connection to cosmic rhythms. Through virtual production we created an endless space that magnifies daily cycles, death and birth, encouraging visitors to ask: how do you shape your life cycle?

VR Design: Iris Fernandes, VR Design: Matunda Groenendijk, Interaction Developer: Roy Bomhof, Distribution Manager: Nienke Huitenga Broeren, VR Assistant: Storm Bosten, VR design & development advice: Demian Albers


Celebrating exciting, out-of-the-box ways artists are using technology to bring their art to life.


Amy Scott

Amy Scott is a filmmaker passionate about capturing human stories that spotlight artists, musicians, and underdogs. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Amy's directing credits include Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? (2025, HBOMax), Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken (2024, Paramount+), Sheryl (SXSW 2022, Showtime), and Hal (Sundance 2018).

Follow Wilson as she redefines the modern country star, proving that staying true to yourself can lead to major success. The film explores her personal journey, struggles, and triumphs as she captivates fans on stages across the country.

Lainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Cool

Mandelyn Monchick
Josh Miller
Katie Admire
Jillian Apfelbaum
Nicolas Gordon

Angus Wall
Kent Kubena
Terry Leonard
Thomas Tull
Jillian Share
Jason Owen
Jen Gorton

Additional Cinematography & Still Photography: Erick Frost


Rollins Theatre at the Long Center

Cornbread Mafia

Addiction/Recovery
Legal
Senior/Aging
Social Issue

Action
Biography
Comedy
Crime
Documentary

African American
Books/Literary
Celebrity

Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero

A whirlwind tour of hand drawn, stop-motion, and digital revelries.

Paper Trail

Don Hertzfeldt’s latest animated short film, "Paper Trail", is a 14-minute high-speed study of someone's life, seen only through pieces of paper. New animation techniques were developed to create the film's unique look and pace.

Tell Me When You Get Home

Fifteen year-old Honest Cardamom hasn’t seen her mother since she was four, but at a crowded family party she begins to feel her presence in ways she can’t explain. When Honest senses the presence of her mother she finds the courage to ask her uncle about the woman she barely remembers and, in doing so, begins to uncover pieces of herself.

Set in the space between Honest and her Uncle O, Tell Me When You Get Home unfolds as a long conversation between two people who have both lost a loved one. This short animated film is a testament to love and a testament to family.

During a reggae house party, 15-year-old Honest Cardamom encounters the spirit of a lost loved one.

Grace-Ann Baker
John Jackson
Deborah Thomas

Sydney Rodriguez
Jackie Payton
Patrice Worthy

Marisa Razo, Dhane Ross, Dwayne “DJ Beloved” Tennant, T.S. Meade

Animation Director: Alexa Lim Haas, Lead Animator: Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma, Character Designer: Sophia Zarders, Concept Artist(s): Danski Tang, Arantza Peña Popo, Animator(s): Alexa Lim Haas, Ana Sofía Navia López, Beza Solomon, Huanran Mao, Neveah Williams, Background Artist: Ting-en Tsai, Art Director: Alexa Lim Haas, Storyboard Artist & Compositor: Julia Velarde, Animation Intern(s): Taylor Wells, Quinn O'Neill, Associate Producer(s): Lorian Thompson, Olivia Nelson, Tiffany Dominique, Reid W. Pickett, Amanda Branson Gill, Lupita Rodriguez

In The Beginning

Tonally absurd and colourful, "In the Beginning" features three true stories about humans shaping narratives on animals in their attempt to make sense of the absurdities of the world. One features the doomed space probe Beresheet that aimed to deposit a backup of human civilisation on the moon but ended up releasing microscopic tardigrades; another explores how legless specimens of Birds of Paradise exported to Europe in the 16th Century were widely believed to be otherworldly beings that lived forever aloft; and the last depicts Covid-era Hong Kong, where many hamsters were abandoned after authorities announced a cull as a precaution against animal-to-human transmission.

A spaceprobe called Beresheet, legless birds of paradise, hamster cull and humanity trying to make the world make sense.

Bruno Caetano
Bruno Simões
Carlota Pou
Marcin Podolec

Hag

Our story begins with our heroine breaking up with her obnoxious boyfriend; what should be a moment of liberation instead transforms her from a regular thirty-something into a hag with snakes for hair. Hag battles society pressures, inner longings, and the tick of her own biological clock. She searches for love and meaning in a hellscape of waning fertility, dating apps and the rotten stench of the patriarchy. In this surreal South London, Hag's journey becomes mythical as her despair crystallises into a quest for answers, and she must face the ultimate test! In a world where being true to yourself makes you monstrous, what is the cost of compromise and repressing your authentic self?

One woman's search for love and meaning in a hellscape of waning fertility, dating apps and the rotten stench of the patriarchy. In a world where being yourself makes you monstrous, what is the cost of compromise and repressing your authentic self?

Animated Drama Experimental Mature/Adult

Charlotte Ritchie, Hugo Nicholson, Oliver Wellington, Sally Armstrong, Maisie May Plumstead

What We Leave Behind

Dan has a gaping hole in his neck that won't heal. Why? He can't remember, nor talk about it. Back in the sinister arena of his childhood, he must find the part of himself he once left behind that prevents him, now an adult, from being whole.

Im Auto Tapes und Butterbrot

ManicMonday (DE), Laïdak Films (FR) & Kiana Naghshineh (DE)

After a long illness, Shari learns that she won’t recover — she has only a few months left to live. Overwhelmed, she doesn’t know how to face her family. In an attempt to escape reality, the sky collapses above her, and she finds herself drifting through space. There, she meets the cosmonaut dog Laika, who guides her on a spiritual journey through the universe. Like Laika, Shari is approaching her final rocket launch. In the silence of space, she realizes how fragile the Earth is — and how precious time can be. She wants to spend her remaining days with her family. Preferably in a car. With mixtapes. And toast.

In the face of her body fading into stardust, Shari realizes what truly matters to her.

Henrik von Müller
Antoine Liétout
Ivan Zuber
Kiana Naghshineh

Praying Mantis

A praying mantis mutant seduces and preys on men out of desperation to save her child. A failed mission led to revelations of her past and dark secrets as the story unfolds.