The Seventh Annual D.C. Web Fest, an event combining entertainment and technology, will be held at the AT&T Forum for Technology, Entertainment and Policy on New Jersey Avenue NW, on April 12 and 13.
The festival was founded in 2013 by D.C.-based filmmaker, author, professor, and technologist Otessa Ghadar. It features the best of the indie spirit in terms of digital content, including series, games, Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR), apps, podcasts, etc.
“We are a fun bunch, at the forefront of emerging art and technology, with a focus on policy and IP implications, both local & international,” notes the festival website.
The festival aims to entertain, educate, and promote new and innovative forms of modern art. D.C. Web Fest strongly advocates STEAM, and STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. “We have positioned D.C. as the flashpoint for New Media, exposing the District to ever-expanding platforms. By introducing Washingtonians to original content, some of it produced in their own backyard, we aim to inspire engagement with and support for the creative economy,” the event’s organizers explained.
Ghadar told WTOP that it originally started as web series specific. “We now also have digital shorts, trailers and music videos in addition to VR/AR, gaming and apps. We [also] included online writing, which is either screenwriting or blogging, and podcasting. It is all digital storytelling. If you do digital storytelling, you belong here with us and we want to know about the work you’re doing,” she said regarding the event.
The highlights of the two-day festival include, among others, a session on “Virtual Reality XP & Games Exhibition” in which brilliant makers and experts such as Shayna Skolnik (Navteca, NASA), Joey Cathey (Capitol Interactive, Discovery), Mark Lambert (VArtisans) and Kristian Bouw (Notion Theory) will talk about their experiences and work.
A “Games and Virtual Exhibition” is also scheduled for the opening day featuring demonstrations from VR experts.
On the second day, there’s an “Amazon Web Services (AWS) Educate Session” which will be led by the AWS Knowledge Leader.
The ticketed-portions of the festival are slated for April 12 and April 13. You can purchase tickets here.