New Media Film Festival® Unveils World Premieres Featuring Emmy Winners, SXSW Award Winning Creators & Broadway Talent Ahead of April 6 Deadline

The 17th Annual edition brings together creators across 28 classic and tech‐forward categories for two days of innovative programming, taking place June 3-4, 2026.


"New Media Film Festival® is always looking to the future, challenging creators, the market & the audience to discover new storytelling...pushing the limits."- Oscar Winner Nicholas Reed
LOS ANGELES, CA, -- On June 3-4, 2026, New Media Film Festival® once again becomes the place where creators and story lovers gather to experience the future of story - in person, in the moment. Across two days and two distinct experiences, the festival sparks new people, new stories, and new connections. The festival is a space to experience red‐carpet energy, global voices, creator Q&As, and tech‐meets‐storytelling moments that only happen when humans come together to celebrate story. Human‐run and built for creators, the festival unveils these prestigious voices leading up to the April 6 submission deadline.

The Mystery of Emma Thorn
Category: Trailer • World Premiere
Directed by Gregory Blair, a longtime festival alum. Blair first introduced the concept as a 30‐second webisode at New Media Film Festival®, a launch that helped spark the support that ultimately led to the feature version being funded.

Halloween Girl - Gods and Monsters
Category: Digital Comic • Los Angeles Premiere
Created by Richard T. Wilson, an Emmy‐winning writer. The newest installment in Wilson's acclaimed supernatural series, bringing fresh depth and momentum to the franchise.

We're Alive: Descendants - Season 2
Category: Podcast • World Premiere
Directed by KC Wayland, creator of the original We're Alive universe. Set 18 years after the original Story of Survival, the series follows a new generation navigating a dangerous post‐apocalyptic world and features Emmy Nominee Christy Carlson Romano as Gloria.

2 Can Play
Category: Best Song • Los Angeles Premiere
Featuring Broadway talent Ava Della Pietra and directed by Azzie Scott. A standout musical entry showcasing top‐tier performance and production.

Honey Fungus
Category: VR • Los Angeles Premiere
Created by Jonah King, whose work has previously won at SXSW. A visually striking immersive experience exploring nature, decay, and interconnected ecosystems.

CALL FOR ENTRIES - DEADLINE APRIL 6, 2026
New Media Film Festival® welcomes submissions across its 28 classic and tech forward categories - from narrative, documentary, animation, and music to VR, AR, AI, digital comics, mobile/vertical storytelling, and other new media formats. Creators working in any medium that pushes storytelling forward are encouraged to submit before the April 6 deadline.

ABOUT - Honoring stories worth telling since 2009. New Media Film Festival®, the original and only festival in the world dedicated entirely to new media innovation, will return for its 17th annual edition on June 3-4, 2026 in Los Angeles. For nearly two decades, the festival has stood alone as the global authority on new media - the technologies, platforms, and creative breakthroughs that continue to reshape how stories are created, shared, and experienced.

While many festivals have added "new media" categories in recent years, New Media Film Festival® is the festival that defined the category itself. Long before AI assisted filmmaking, VR/AR, Web3, digital humans, or vertical storytelling entered mainstream conversation, the festival was championing these formats and giving them a home. It remains the first, the original, and the leader.

Since its founding, New Media Film Festival® has welcomed more than 300 industry leaders who have helped shape the future of media. Past speakers and participants include Nobel Laureate Barry C. Barish; Academy Award-winning actor and producer Jeff Bridges; legendary songwriters Don McLean and Chip Taylor; Duncan Rouleau, co-creator of "Ben 10" and writer of "Big Hero 6"; NASA/JPL engineer Nagin Cox; futurist Ted Schilowitz (RED Digital Cinema, 20th Century Fox); Qualcomm Senior VP Brian Dunphy; International Screenwriters Association Founder Craig James; Mashable Co Editor Ben Parr; technologist and producer David C. Fein ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture"); OBB Pictures Founder and CEO Michael D. Ratner; and executives from Unity Technologies, Motorola, Panasonic, Nielsen, GoDigital, Flingo.tv, and many more. Their involvement underscores the festival's long-standing role as a central hub for new media innovation and thought leadership.

Website: https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com

New Media Film Festival
2355 Westwood Blvd. #381 Los Angeles, CA, 90064
info@newmediafilmfestival
310-288-1100
Alex

ABOUT NEW MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL®
Founded in 2009, New Media Film Festival® celebrates global storytellers who push the boundaries of creativity and technology. Described by the Los Angeles Times as presenting "stories that exemplify the power of the cinematic arts to inspire and transform," the festival showcases work across 25 categories including AI, AR, VR, Web Series, Animation, Documentary, and more. Its mission is to champion new formats, new platforms, and new ways of experiencing content while maintaining a creator‐first, transparent, and future‐focused approach. With a long history of industry recognition and a commitment to innovation, New Media Film Festival® continues to shape the evolving landscape of entertainment and support artists at every stage of their journey.

This release was published on openPR.