NYFF52 Convergence
What is Convergence? The advent of the digital age has created a new sort of audience. No longer content to be passive consumers of entertainment, the members of the “new audience” expect to be active participants in their media. The traditional lines separating the arts are being blurred by innovative makers who are creating stories that span multiple platforms, remixing the original and the established to create a bold new form of art. In addition to a keynote speaker event, this year’s Convergence program is broken into three categories: films, panels, and interactive presentations.
Attend all NYFF52 Convergence events for just $99 with our All Access Pass. (Sold out!)
A Brief History of Transmedia Worlds with Henry Jenkins
Keynote
Media Theorist and author (Convergence Culture and Spreadable Media) Henry Jenkins provides this year’s keynote address, an exploration of “world building” and contemporary transmedia storytelling.
Artifacts of Fukushima: Selections from Unknown Spring
Interactive Presentation
Creators Jake Price and Visakh Menon present fragments of what was left behind in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, finding hope in the stories of those who fled their homes but can never leave in their hearts.
Creators on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
In the age of the hyper-hyphenate, how can contemporary creators juggle their vast social networks, new technologies, and creative ambition and stay true to their art?
Ft. McMoney
Interactive Presentation
Director David Dufresne introduces us to his documentary/game hybrid that entrenches players within a community of real larger than life characters struggling with social, cultural, and environmental concerns in oil-rich Fort McMurray, Canada.
Futurestates
Interactive Presentation
How will today’s innovations shape tomorrow? Experience the latest edition of ITVS’s incredible series that imagines the world of the future via a series of incredible short films and an immersive online experience.
Immigrant Nation
Installation and Interactive Presentation
Free and open to the public!
Theo Rigby‘s interactive storytelling project collects a vast range of immigrant narratives and shares them via film, an online experience, and live events. NYFF Audiences are invited to upload their own personal stories using the new online Story Hub.
Last Hijack
Screening
Can Mohamed, an accomplished Somali pirate, give up his dangerous life and settle down? A revealing look at the motivations and real world consequences of contemporary piracy, Last Hijack combines documentary footage and animation to create something wholly unique.
Last Hijack (Online Experience)
Interactive Presentation
North American Premiere
Directors Pallotta and Wolting will present the North American premiere of the online elements of their engrossing documentary about modern-day piracy, offering details about the project and a glimpse at what it took to build this unique interactive experience.
Los Sures
Screening
Returning to the NYFF after 30 years, Los Sures celebrates the vitality of this largely Puerto Rican and Dominican community, showing the strength of their culture, their creativity, and their determination to overcome a desperate situation.
Living Los Sures
Interactive Presentation
Using 1984’s Los Sures as a starting point, UnionDocs has created a massive mixed-media project composed of film, audio, and online participatory experiences. Join the creative team for the premiere of two new immersive elements, Eighty-Nine Steps and Shot by Shot.
Loves of a Cyclops
Screening and Interactive Presentation
A screening of the short—a beautifully rendered story of art, love, and perception—is paired with a live exploration of the the artifacts, oddities, and abandoned films that complete this handmade storyworld created by Nathan Punwar.
Movies You Play: The Future of Interactive Cinema
Panel
Free and open to the public!
Interactive videos, in-theater immersive experiences, and virtual-reality systems present audiences with experiences that ask them to play an active part in telling the stories they consume. Are we approaching a time when filmmaking and game design will collide?
The New New Wave: Exploring Indie Games and Indie Film
Panel
Free and open to the public!
For all the attention massive releases like Grand Theft Auto V or Titanfall may receive, we are witnessing an equally impressive new wave of indie game titles. Our panel will dig into the state of the art and explore some of the parallels between the worlds of film and games.
The Vidzor Experience
Workshop and Lab
Free and open to the public!
Hosted by Vidzor, this series of workshops and events will introduce audiences to interactive videos and offer them the chance to do some next-generation filmmaking of their own.
We The Economy
Panel
Featuring films by award-winning filmmakers, an online experience, and support from top economic experts, We The Economy shines a light on how individual decisions play a critical role in our global financial stability. Be among the first to experience this cross-platform project at a presentation featuring filmmakers, economists, and the creators of the mobile elements.
Women’s Impact: Producing in a Convergent World
Panel
While studios and networks struggle to increase the number of women in decision-making positions, many female producers are creating opportunities themselves. PGA members from film, games, and interactive will share their stories and discuss the opportunities on the horizon for women in media.
