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For the past 10 years FilmGate Miami has been introducing the various connections between art and technology to all seeking the imaginative worlds that film creates, to those enchanted and enraptured with the mind-boggling world of new technology, and to those searching out thrill-seeking new experiences.
The 10th anniversary of the FilmGate Interactive Media Festival (Nov. 29-Dec. 3) was no exception. Sitting on the cutting edge of creativity, hundreds of individuals of all ages from all over the world gathered to explore and discover, discuss and learn from each other and enjoy the wonders of interactive technology and art coming together, creating unique experiences.
World, regional and local premieres of works by artists from around the world — Taiwan, Germany, France, Colombia, Canada and across the U.S. — showcased the individual, artistic and singular use of Augmented Reality, Spatial Computing, AI and Virtual Reality to experiment and to express this year’s theme of the 10th FilmGate interactive Media Festival: Regenerate X.
“What Regenerate X meant to us at FilmGate is a collective reinvention — whether through ecological rejuvenation, a reimagining of aesthetic paradigms in arts and culture, or resilience and resurgence post COVID. Regeneration can radically redefine,” said Diliana Alexander, FilmGate’s executive director and co-founder. “The 2023 festival sought to posit art and technology as vital agents of this renewal. Drawing inspiration from the regenerative capacities of our environment and society, we aimed to delve into narratives that explored the possibility of a brighter, more inclusive future. Furthermore, with the evolution of generative AI, we’re reminded that regeneration isn’t always a return to a former state; regeneration can radically redefine.”
FilmGate’s 10th anniversary festival featured new collaborations — with the Taiwanese Arts Creative Agency as well as with Villa Albertine and the French government, the Festival Nouveaux Regards in Guadeloupe and Artizen, a community fund for art, science and public goods, to create a New Narrative Lab for six Miami and French Caribbean creators. In addition to the partners committing to mentor the projects to a successful completion, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the best idea, with the artists taking small prizes.
FilmGate’s collaboration with the Taiwanese Arts Creative Agency brought 18 leading artists and creative tech companies, as well as cultural funders from Taiwan to Miami.
“Connecting the creativity and technical skill set of the Taiwanese delegation to Miami’s leading museums and galleries was a major success for the festival and a program that will continue to grow. Similar delegations from Canada and Germany are in development,” Alexander said.
Creative labs, master classes, creator talks and pitches with SNAP, Qualcomm, Magic Leap, Meta, Microsoft, and AMD were sold out. Thousands of people from all over the county visited 35 works, including experiential installations at a variety of locations in Downtown Miami and Coral Gables, with many of the experiences and all panels taking place on campus at University of Miami’s Lakeside Center.
“Hosting FilmGate at the University of Miami was a resounding success,” said Kim Grinfeder, chair, Department of Interactive Media, director of UMVerse at the University of Miami.
“Welcoming creators and panelists from around the world and the U.S. to our campus was an honor, offering our students and faculty a unique opportunity to explore new ideas and immerse themselves in cutting-edge technologies.”
Opening Night — a celebratory evening of Dome experiences, music and screenings with hundreds of artists and curious film lovers — hosted by the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science was “celestial,” Alexander said.
Dr. Douglas A. Roberts, president and CEO, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, expanded on that thought, saying, “FilmGate is an important organization that connects new emerging artists all over the globe to a burgeoning community here in Miami. Frost Science is happy to partner with FilmGate to connect the passion of digital artists to the Frost Planetarium and other immerse spaces in the museum.”
Other locations where VR/XR and interactive experiences took place were the Perez Art Museum, and a variety of outdoor locations in Downtown Miami. FilmGate’s distinctive Sunset Cruise on Biscayne Bay again closed out the festival.
The programming, Alexander explained, was designed to create and provide opportunities for audiences to experience the intersection of art and technology. This year’s experiences included interactive games, Dome experiences Ai films, interactive films, and many VR experiences likes these:
• I wanna be ur dog shows the world through the specific senses of dogs and live through the documented interactions of three human/dog pairs — artistically visualized.
• Mind the Brain! a neuro-reactive journey, a new perspective and access to our brain.
• Flow invites one to float with the wind on what seems at first glance, to be a day like any other, with its turbulence: a night in the life of a woman, painted by the ebb and flow of air currents.
FilmGate Miami Interactive Media Festival 2023 Award Winners:
Said Matthew Niederhauser, winner of Best of Tech Award, “It was amazing to show Parallels for the first time in the U.S. at the Perez and Frost museums, getting to reimagine their architecture and the surrounding urban landscape through the eyes of a neural network.” Parallels, a site-specific machine-learning installation directed by Matthew Niederhauser, and Marc Da Costa and presented with the support of the Downtown Development Authority.
Best of Florida Award: Mangrove City created at the University of Miami by Kim Grifender, Zeven Rodriguez, Ashay Dave, Sourav Pandel, Kumani Riley and Cassandra Swilley. Mangrove City is a VR application that immerses students in mangrove forests, their ecology and their future.
Best of Fest Award: The Eye & I directed by Jean-Michel Jarre & Hsin-Chien Huang. The award was accepted by François Klein, producer. The Eye & I is an immersive experience exploring the evolution of surveillance across art, family, politics, and technology.
Social Impact Award: Body of Mine. State Sen. René García presented the Social Impact Award to Body of Mine, directed by Cameron Kostopoulos. This transformative full-body VR experience immerses users in the emotional landscape of gender dysphoria through the eyes of transgender individuals.
For more information about FilmGate, visit filmgate.miami.
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