Loyola Marymount University will host its inaugural Innovators Film Festival, offering panel discussions and experiential installations centered around AI.
The free festival, hosted by LMU’s School of Film and Television, will include screenings of student short films as well as panels and workshops made up of industry professionals who will speak about topics like the ethical use of AI in entertainment. Reid AI, an avatar based on LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, will provide the opening keynote. Ben Relles and Parth Patil, who contributed to developing the avatar, will moderate.
Notable festival participants will include Ed Ulbrich, Metaphysic’s chief content officer, president of production; Sydney Bright, Webtoon’s head of global animation; Yoshi Takashima, senior vice president of advanced technology at Sony Pictures; Holly Willis, chair of media arts & practice division at USC School of Cinematic Arts and co-director of AI for Media & Storytelling and Dave Clark, Promise’s co-founder and chief creative officer.
Carolyn Giardina, Variety‘s senior entertainment technology and crafts editor, will moderate the festival’s Women Teaching Tech panel comprised of film school educators.
The festival will also feature experiential installations such as Sony’s demonstration of XYN software and hardware and the technology’s impacts on motion capture and 3D design, Google’s video generation technology Veo 2, Metaphysic’s AI-driven digital performance generation and Adobe’s demonstration of next-gen tools.
“We’re excited to launch this festival recognizing LMU’s awareness that AI will have a place in responsible filmmaking. The festival offers an incredible opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience and knowledge that will equip them for success in the rapidly changing landscape of the entertainment industry,” Joanne Moore, LMU SFTV dean, said.
The festival will take place on LMU’s Westchester campus.
