from our 15th legends in the business

Amazing Connections

Picture: Designer Jamie Adler, NASA/JPL Engineer Nagin Cox, Broadway Star Ava Della Pietra, Broadway Producer Pam Hurst Della Pietra, 2 X Emmy Winner Doug Leighton, Attorney Travis Gemoets, Media Futurist Susan Johnston, Emmy Nominee & CEO SoundMindMusic David Leon, 10 X Telly Winner Randy Bellous and International Jazz Artist Irina Maleeva. Credit Jomel Fragante.

History

In 2009 New Media Film Festival® was announced in Second Life at Los Angeles Studios as an annual story and technology event, honoring stories worth telling.

The festival’s commitment to nurturing talent and giving back to the community underscores its role as a catalyst for creative innovation in the digital age.

 

“In the world of festivals, it is refreshing that there are no politics or pay to play at New Media Film Festival® and it is run by a team of caring and passionate people that put the creators first and respects the content, not the  profits.”

– Angelwood Films

About

New Media: A Catalyst for Story & Technology

The New Media Film Festival® is a pioneering force in media innovation and diversity. Since its inception in 2009, it has honored the fusion of storytelling and technology, showcasing works that push creative boundaries and redefine conventional media.

With a steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion, the festival provides a distinctive platform for both emerging and established creators to gain recognition from industry leaders. It celebrates the narratives that shape our world, remaining dedicated to exploring uncharted territories in media and technologyOur mandate is to be fair to all creators—of all ages, cultures, and media.

Sounding Committee

Susan Johnston

Media Futurist – Innovator, believer in story, lover of life. Creates & implements things that help content & creators. Founder/Director New Media FIlm Festival®

Knighted for work in humanity & arts.

View Susan’s IMDB profile

David Leon

David  is an Emmy-nominated, multiple award-winning composer and music supervisor at ABC Television. Prior to The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Marvel, WB, Fox, Disney & more.

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings

A social entrepreneur, speaker(CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and BET), writer (New York Times, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, & the Washington Post among other publications), & strategist who’s on a mission to drive society toward inclusion.

Greg Palast

Palast has broken front-page stories for BBC Television Newsnight, The Guardian, Nation Magazine and now Rolling Stone Magazine. Greg Palast has been called the “most important investigative reporter of our time “up there with Woodward and Bernstein” (The Guardian).
erin gray

Erin Gray

Not only is Erin (Silver Spoons, Buck Rogers & the 25th Century), kind, funny, smart, talented & beautiful, as CEO Heroes for Hire she connects celebs & producers with events such as ComicCon.

nagin cox nasa jpl

Nagin Cox

Systems engineer & manager on multiple interplanetary robotic missions including NASA/JPL’s Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Mars Exploration Rover Missions & the Kepler telescope mission to search for Earth-like planets around other stars.

Randy Bellous

CEO Randy Bellous Productions, EP on multiple Award Winning Music & Film projects including NASA with Astronaut Leland Melvin.
simon and schuster

Bonnie Schneider

Simon & Schuster author of Taking the Heat: How Climate Change is Affecting Your Mind, Body & Spirit, and What You Can Do About It.

Newton Lee

Author/Editor on  Transhumanism,  Disney, Facebook, Google, Cybersecurity & Counterterrorism.
President of the award-winning, nonprofit Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships.

Peter Miller

Peter joined NFL Films right after graduating from Ohio State where he worked in the international production operations department. He moved to PBS in 2017 & started his roll as a program screener.

“Thanks so much for everything! I learned so much from this program, and I definitely will be carrying these skills with me for my future endeavors. I enjoyed every project I was given, they really helped me expand my horizons.”

— Teju Kashyap, Student Intern

We Are The First - Pioneering - Innovative

we were the first
  • Pioneering the Future of Storytelling Since 2009

    At New Media Film Festival®, innovation isn’t a buzzword—it’s our DNA. Since our founding in 2009, we’ve consistently shattered boundaries and redefined what a film festival can be. We were the first to embrace and program groundbreaking technologies and storytelling formats that others only dreamed of.

    First-Ever Festival to Program:

    • AI-Generated Film – Showcasing the creative potential of artificial intelligence in cinema.

    • Touch Rotation – Interactive storytelling that responds to physical movement.

    • Holographic Digital Comic – A futuristic blend of comic art and holography.

    • Immersive Distribution Experiences – Pushing the limits of how stories reach audiences.

    • Micro Content Distribution – Celebrating bite-sized brilliance in storytelling.

    • AI Platform-Built Romcom – A love story crafted by algorithms and heart.

    • AR International Art Exhibit – Augmented reality meets global artistic expression.

    • Collaborative V Screening – A new frontier in participatory viewing.

     Tech Meets Talent

    • First Festival in Story & Technology – Where narrative innovation meets cutting-edge tech.

    • EMMYS® Consulting & Broadcasting – Trusted by the best in the industry.

    • Live VR Pitch Funding – A panelist funded an audience member’s VR pitch in real time.

    • Feature Film Funded from a 30-Second Pitch – Proof that big ideas don’t need big time.

    Ahead of the Curve

    • Bitcoin Payment Integration – Embracing decentralized finance for creative commerce.

    • NFT Categories – Recognizing digital ownership and blockchain-based storytelling.

    • And So Much More – From AI to XR, we continue to lead the charge into the future.

    Want to explore the next wave of media innovation? Join us at New Media Film Festival®—where the future of storytelling unfolds.

Current Awards New Media Film Festival® has won:
  • Media Innovator Awards
  • LUX Global Excellence Awards
  • Best Celebration of Emergent Media Content – USA
  • Best Annual Media and Technology Event – California
  • Best Celebration of Emerging Cinematic Talent – USA

Let’s connect

Fill in our form to contact us for anything related to New Media Film Festival®. A human will respond soon, usually the same day.

Venue:
Los Angeles studio zone, California USA

 

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