On X|Media|Lab’s sixth anniversary, we return as part of the Sydney Film Festival with a stunning program.
In partnership with ABC TV and Screen Australia initiative, XML Sydney “Serious Games” enjoins documentary filmmakers and game makers to produce groundbreaking new ideas about creating new forms for documentary and factual content.
Each of the finalist projects in the Lab will receive AUD$15,000 for concept development, and the best project will receive AUD$325,000 for full scale development.
The Pro Day Conference and Lab will feature some of the world’s leading serious games identities including Noah Falstein, the ‘father of serious games’; Ian Bogost, Founding Partner of Persuasive Games at Georgia Tech; Lee Sheldon, author of ‘Character Development and Storytelling for Games’, a primary text in game design at the world’s most distinguished universities; Michel Mol, the Director of Innovation and New Media, Netherlands Public Broadcasting; plus a selection of Australia’s outstanding documentary makers and game designers, and Australia’s leading playwright, Stephen Sewell.
In addition, the documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner will be attending the Pro Day Conference and Lab. Ondi is the only director to win the Sundance Grand Jury Award twice (with ‘DIG!’ and ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC!’).
‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC!’ is the featured documentary at the Sydney Film Festival. The film documents the chaotic and mesmerizing life story of Joshua Harris, the legendary founder of Jupiter Communications (still one of the world’s leading media research companies) and the aptly-named Pseudo.com. From his early childhood, being raised by the family TV set, to his meteoric rise and spectacular fall as one of the main characters and visionaries during the dot.com boom and bust of the late 90’s, ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC!’ gives a gut-wrenching view of the life of this flawed genius, while serving as a cautionary tale about the effect the internet will have on all of us.
The documentary will be screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the eve of the Conference Day and all delegates are invited to attend.
Oh, and one final flourish .... Joshua Harris himself will be attending the screening, the Pro Day Conference, and the Lab.
My first X Media Lab event and I definitely look forward to flying into Sydney again for the next one.
Posted by: Hannah Suarez | June 14, 2009 at 02:15 AM