Today we’re reporting on the 37th South by Southwest Film Festival (more commonly abbreviated to SXSW), which kicked off on the 10th of March in Austin, Texas.
SXSW is an annual conglomerate of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences. The event was first held in 1987, and since then, it has grown to become one of the largest and most diverse festivals in the world. In addition to the festivals and conferences, SXSW also includes a trade show, exhibitions, and a variety of networking events.
SXSW has become known as a breeding ground for new ideas, products, and technologies, with many companies using the festival as a launching pad for new products or marketing campaigns. The festival has also become a hub for networking and collaboration between professionals in various industries, with attendees coming from a wide range of backgrounds, including technology, media, music, film, and more.
The SXSW festival comprises three major components: Interactive, Film, and Music. The Interactive component focuses on emerging technology and innovative ideas, including panels, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities. The Film component showcases new and upcoming films, including premieres, screenings, and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. The Music component features concerts, showcases, and parties, with a particular focus on promoting independent and emerging artists.
Today, we’re looking into the Interactive component, and more specifically, what Metaverse-related content will be on offer. The SXSW XR and Metaverse track runs from the 12th to the 14th of March and covers “the most exciting immersive experience breakthroughs from virtual and augmented realities to the intertwining of worlds through the metaverse”.
Today’s events include: “Ready, Set, Metaverse! Creators Come Together”, where a panel will “examine the creative and technical process of authoring Metaverse experiences with existing technologies”; “The Power of Play in the Metaverse”, where Vice President of Business Development at Niantic Labs Jenna Seiden and other will be exploring “the rapidly evolving technology landscape, feature industry-leading brand experiences, cutting-edge platforms, partnerships, and highlight technologies empowering creativity, commerce, and connection in the world around us.”; “Humanity in the Metaverse: What’s Design Got To Do With It?”, which will discuss “how we can collectively overcome the challenges of building the right safety and control mechanisms, so the metaverse can be used to connect people—responsibly—for the greater good”; and Porsche’s Head of Brand Deniz Keskin, who will be exploring “the future of collectibles and how the Web3 movement is driving the democratization of luxury goods through NFTs”, in “Future Collectibles: A Collective Effort to Bringing Luxury Goods to Web3”.
We’re particularly excited for “How XR is Revolutionizing the Music Industry”, with French composer Jean-Michel Jarre, and currently looking forward to tomorrow’s “The Art of Sensory XR feat. Polymorf & IDFA DocLab”, and Wednesday’s “Inclusivity in Fandom and the Metaverse”.
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