New Media Film Festival

Los Angeles, April 19, 2021 “ The New Media Film Festival® (www.newmediafilmfestival.com) is the first event of its kind in the world to accept non-fungible tokens (NFT) in competition. During its 12th annual event on June 2-3, 2021, the winner will be announced and then purchased live during the awards ceremony.

"This year's programming incorporates some of the most innovative and technologically creative work we have ever presented," according to Founder and Director, Susan Johnston. Especially our NFT competition, which supports artists who are truly trailblazing a new genre. This is an event we expect to see grow in years to come.

Put simply, an NFT can be viewed as a valuable digital asset or a one-of-a-kind artistic masterpiece. This new technology has recently set off a trend of high-priced digital art. Collectors have famously paid upwards of $69 million for such items.

This year, in a "bake-off" type competition, creators have submitted their NFTs to the festival with a pitch on why it deserves recognition. A panel of judges, made up of entertainment professionals from PBS, the BBC, The Emmys, Marvel, HBO, BMI, and the Grammy Awards, will choose two winners, whose work will be purchased by the festival.

The two-day event will feature 28 classic & tech categories like Film, TV Podcasting, Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). There will be 42 World, 6 US and 42 Los Angeles Premieres. Other highlights include a performance from award winning music prodigy, Samarah Conley and a podcast entry with "American Pie" songwriter Don McLean. Another don't miss entry, LIGO, documents the work of 3 Nobel Laureates who made the first historic detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes and were listed in National Geographic's Top 20 Discoveries of the Decade.

Story & Technology nominees have come from all over the world including, Arctic, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech rep, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Monaco, Namibia, Norway, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, USA

For the 2021 season, nominees voted to have a combo experience which will include Clubhouse Q & A's, Speed Networking, VIP Soiree w/ AR tables & chairs, Red Carpet Image Opp, Live Music Stream, Awards Ceremony with guest hosts, Video & VR Screening Opp, and more online. Ticket and scheduling information is available at https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/events-2/

12 th ANNUAL NEW MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL® NOMINEES:

A Beautiful Brain in a Beautiful World - How recent advancements can revolutionize brain disease treatments
A Castle In Brooklyn - a riveting, seven year condensed time capsule of American life narrated by Golden Globe Award winner, Brian Cox
A Spoonful Of Stardust “ The intergalactic Council believes that the inhabitants of Earth are very aggressive and for this reason pose a threat to the entire Cosmos
Adam's Apples - An unconventional reimagining of one of Chekhov's greatest romantic comedies, The Cherry Orchard
After Forever - An 8-episode journey of love, loss and moving on
After the Lockdown - Title song for After The LockDown: Black In LA
AI LA - An AI journey exploring China, the UK, and the USA
Almost Flying “ Photograph
An Interesting Story About an Uninteresting Guy - This soundtrack covers all genres, and features over 70 Chicago based musicians
Around the World in 80 Plates w/ Leslie Durso “ Leslie recreates her top 9 allergy free dishes from the world's hottest destinations
Ashford “ Doppelgängers Mikey and Faolan switch realities to solve the riddle of who the other is
Avocado Toast - After a lifetime of dating men, Molly surprises herself when she falls in love with a woman for the first time
Awakening the Earth -In many folklore traditions, existence cycles & human behavior are metaphorized with the soil, as a matter that gives life
Before “ DC youth share memories of growing up in the United States capital
Before I Knew “ A visual poem depicting the subtle and harsh ways Black men realize they are seen as other
Blackout “ In a post-apocalyptic world, a new kind of mystic warrior is recruited to defend the earth
Born Balearic: Jon Sa Trinxa and the Spirit of Ibiza - Resident DJ Jon Sa Trinxa has spent a quarter of a century spinning an eclectic mix of musical styles that stir the hearts of the Balearic artist community
Bottle Monster - An alcoholic mother, her young son, flees from everything she knows, to try to start over
Boy Scientist - A brilliant boy scientist meets the girl scientist of his dreams The best he can do is bottle her image in his flask
Breathing Through - A VR experimental short film about the journeying of consciousness from birth, through the stages of life, into rebirth
Breathing Through - a VR short film about the journey of consciousness from birth to rebirth
Calamity Jen “ An actress joins a touring theater troupe in a lawless, climate-ravaged, post-apocalyptic America
Cheyenne - Facing kidney failure at the age of 20, Cheyenne's options for a donor are dwindling until an unexpected turn of events presents love and a lifesaving gift
Chord “ A VR experience that tells the story of a young woman travelling back in time to save the future
Chores “ While Lily and Samantha, a long-term couple, are out doing routine errands, Samantha confesses her desire to move back home
Chouette “ Beatrix, a school teacher and polyvalent French artist works to make this planet a better place to live
Coffee with Karina, Ep Don Mclean - Inspirational chats within the entertainment industry
Colombia 2020 “ a documentary following a family backpacking around Colombia
Colourful and creative Leipzig in 3D Audio - Experience Leipzig museums and art spaces as an immersive tourist
Corona Bats - How bats act as a virus reservoir because of their unique immune system
Corona Virus Mechanism “ One of the rare scientific explainers broadcasted in Arabic on how Covid-19 works to replicate itself in our bodies
Detention Adventure - Three nerdy friends and the school bully find the entrance to the fabled hidden lab of
Alexander Graham Bell
Detroit Landmarks: Inspiration - A film celebrating the people and architecture of worship in Detroit
Dharmadhatu - 2D experimental Animation
Dreamover - A lonely old man takes part in a medical experiment, reviving a long-forgotten story of his love
Dwelling in the Unfolding “ An 360 degree art experience by artists Matthew Burtner and Mona Kasra
Egg Allergy 101 “ Did you know that experts estimate that as many as 2% of children are allergic to eggs?
Endless Forms Most Beautiful “ a data-driven exploration into the universal capacity for growth
Endless Guitars “ the Los Angeles Premiere of music from artist Conny Conrad
Equally Shared Parenting “ A public education project launched on social media about when parents divorce or break up
Explore VR - A new way to experience strong presence in some of the world's most remarkable locations
Fire “ Photography
Fish Story - A one-legged taxidermist gets her last chance at happiness when her father fishes a dangerous boy out of the sea
Generation Hops “ a TV journalism series devoted to the emergence of the craft beer industry
Gon, The Little Fox - When Hyoju loses his mother, Gon a playful fox he tries to comfort him
GREEN UP! Revisiting Classics - In London, a team of classic car enthusiasts have started their own green revolution
Heartland “ Two damaged cops pursue parallel hunts for the man they wrongfully blame for destroying their lives
Help Wanted “ A rowdy teen and old geezer discover an unexpected friendship with surprising benefits to both
Homecoming “ A doctor discovers her late mother's role in a new underground railroad for undocumented immigrants though Trump's America
Hominidae - Depicts an ecosystem of x-ray visibility
Hurricane - As a young girl navigates an unstable home, a chance encounter with a woman coping with the loss of her son creates an unlikely friendship
Hustle “ A web series about two women of color chasing creative goals while fighting racism and inequality
I Want You Too - An accident, a temptress, lies and betrayal
Icarus “ Memories of Icarus' childhood and conversations with his father, Daedalus
Illuminaire - A modern-day daughter from an ancient, powerful, and mystical bloodline is taken into captivity by her family's long-dormant enemy
Into the Polar Night - a year-long scientific expedition to study the Arctic climate system
Jessie + Jess - Two branding obsessed, social media savvy BFFs discuss the ins and outs of the prevailing digital era and how it affects our reality as individuals
Lead City - Before Deadwood Before Tombstone Before Durango
Legends of the Brush - Step into a wild collection of colorful fables created in virtual reality from the mind of
Eisner-nominated digital artist Sutu
LIGO - The first historic detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes
Los Bravos “ A powerful salsa band serenades the skyline of the city that engendered it
Love Gov A Crisis Not To Waste “ Shunned by a failed relationship of his own doing, Gov embarks on a new, more ambitious mission
Loved Ones “ A look into the hard side of being a funeral worker
LUA - An emotional, expressive and vulnerable song by Isaias Elpes
Manatee “ see the world from a Manatee's point of view
Mayfair Lady “ An ambitious lawyer covertly uses her new bribery case to search for a link between her father's execution in Africa twenty years ago, and her new billionaire client in London today
Movin' On “ World premiere for a song written through extensive creative process
Ms Pearl's Private School for Posh Piggies “ You can take the pig off the pirate ship, but you can't take the pirate out of the pig
Myth - Luna and Sol; Two star crossed Lovers, born into a genetically engineered society, destined to change the course of history with their love
Nona's Peppers “ Photography
Norway majestic fjordland - A drone film on the outstanding beauty of Norway's fjords
Ode To Joy “ A music project born out of a great desire to unite during the pandemic
One Actor Short “ The first-ever episodic digital series dedicated to creating films in an experimental and improvisational format
Organa, A Saga of Epigenetic Proportions “ Two damaged cops pursue parallel hunts for the man they blame for destroying their lives
Original Skin “ In a surreal world of shape-shifting cops and criminals, a homicide detective tries to take down criminals with superhuman powers and appetites
Parallel “ An introduction to contemporary Korea while making connections between the country's political and cultural histories
Peach Blossom - A young astronaut returns with a sample from a habitable planet, only to find out his untold identity
Perspective “ Drone film of South Africa
Planet b234 “ Jorge, a father thousands of miles away from his son, creates an alternate world, planet b234
Players “ Based on the true story of the world's first superstar Sarah Bernhardt
Revolution Generation - A manifesto for today's youth, narrated and starring Michelle Rodriguez (Lost, Avatar, The Fast and Furious)
Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of a Western Opera - LogOpera's hallowed traditions and America's cowboy culture converge to celebrate the collaborative power of art
Roots-Sequoia - A feel-good blend of soul-pop, emaé is a fusion of all the cultures that embraced her and the places she's called home
Round Went The Wheel “ When technology brings the world to the brink of disaster, a new regime will need to dream it all up again: the children
Seers “ When flight 129 returns from the past, the world soon learns that its passengers and crew have comeback with the ability to forecast and shape the future
Short of Breath “ A dramatic podcast series following the journey of a single mother and recovering addict
Sleepwalker E1 “ an alien from a dimension called The Mindscape, has entered Rick Sheridan's mind
Small Talk “ Mark tries to navigate the doubting nature of his roommate as he courts Ashley
Spiegel “ a VR-based interpretation of Arvo Part's piece, Spiegel Im Spigel
The Beast Rose Up! - A blithering stream of short skits and stills, surrounding the funny, fierce, and whacky Wee
Beasties that daily run amok in our brains!
The Dinner “ Mariam returns home with a Korean male friend to find herself in the midst of a traditional Emirati family dinner
The Fash Life Series - Fashion, beauty and the Influencer life, starring your favorite real life Influencers
The Gliwensbourg Chronicles - Gliwensbourg, winter 1915, a soldier is buried alive and digs into a mysterious tunnel that leads to 1925!
The Gorilla Group: A Garmento's Story “ How Paul Jewels advances through the men's tailored clothing industry
The Great Atchafalaya Basin, VR -The Atchafalaya Basin, home of North America's last great river swamp
The Intra-Earth Chronicles; Book 1: The Two Sisters “ A teenage girl in year 2444 must find her way into the Intra-
Earth and save her sister and her world from annihilation
The Last Zen Master - An epic story of love as a young American living in Japan
The Mississippi - An interactive documentary that explores the ecological transformation of the River
The Old Gods Club “ During a group exercise in humility, three powerful gods from the ancient past take the form of three elderly Boomers and meet up in San Diego's Balboa Park
The Safe Shipment of Small Cargo “ The viewer is introduced to a new innovation: a steel container called a cargo van
The Safety Plan - a socially inept New Yorker abandons his life for perfect Los Angeles in search of a chosen family in the LGBTQA community
The Stand “ A podcast that tells the story of Irene Checler's unusual upbringing
The Tea Room - A woman with the ability to create a room where people can commune with the dead is perceived as demon
The Torchbearers “ The best and brightest performers, writers, producers, and reviewers of our generation, in their own words
The Vision “ The untold story of WNBA
They Call Us Sedicioso “ An ignored narrative of Mexican-Americans in US history starring Blanca Araceli from Disney's Coco
Umbrella “ Photography
Unseen Australia “ A beautiful drone tour through the vast empty land of unseen Australia
Vampire State of Mind - Newly turned vampires Irina and Roxi navigate their afterlife together in New York City
Vegan on a Jet Plane: Bali “ search for the best vegan foods this world has to offer
Vigilante Laundry “ Marie learns that her crush is the city's new vigilante
Walking Forward - Creative entrepreneur Ndinomholo meets some of Namibia's most incredible minds and talents
Yasmine/Jasmine “ A grieving daughter must contend with haunting visitations from her doppelganger
Yuki vs Panda - Animated series that combines comedy and teenage drama with the elemental power of a fantasy story

About:

The New Media Film Festival®, part of the United Nations Millennium Project, was launched as an annual event during the 2009 C3: Center for Conscious Creativity Immerse in the Future symposium held in Los Angeles. The festival is the brainchild of media futurist and current president of Select Services Films Inc. Susan Johnston. She saw the need for a unique event specifically catering to new media content artists that would look at new technologies and how it merges with the story so people can go on the journey the story set out to create. The result is a film festival that creates new opportunities outside the norm to bolster creators in media.