Web3 and Afro-Futurism Take Center Stage at Tribeca Film Festival

Recap of Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Written by: Barrie Adleberg and Crystal Willis

During June 8-17, amidst hundreds of film premieres and panels, the 5th floor of Spring Studios housed the immersive selections of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Featuring 7 games and 13 VR, AR, XR, and participatory experiences, the festival showcased their new media storytelling edge.

Immersive Standouts:

The writing of Tania de Montaigne takes new forms in her AR reimagining of the story of 15-year-old Claudette Colvin in Colored. Emojiii by The Smartphone Orchestra is an action-packed interactive group experience designed to create spontaneous, playful connections with an emoji phone game. Players faced monsters in the underground lairs of Monstrorama, a hidden museum housing the largest collection of monsters in all human history. Inspired by Philippine mythology, Director Michaela Ternasky-Holland builds the VR story world, REIMAGINED VOL II: MAHAL in a tribute to her late father. Money takes center stage in Fortune, a 7-part documentary using AR filters for Instagram and Snapchat.

We spoke with Creative Technologist, and Director, Idris Brewster, creator of Kinfolk: Black Lands. Black Lands explores the histories of Flatbush Ancestral Burial Grounds, and the Pinkster Festival by highlighting the lived histories of individuals within those communities, creating a safe digital space for connection in augmented reality (AR). Brewster shared, “Something that we like to do at Kinfolk is radically imagine. These monuments are really emblems to inspire other folks to memorialize lost stories. We hope to fill in these historical gaps that can’t be brought to life without imagination.”

The team at Kinfolk is using AR to honor the past, present, and future of the Black communities that built New York City.

In the second consecutive year as the event’s presenting partner, OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange is exploring the future of film commerce and distribution in Web3. Chief Executive Officer Jane Rosenthal said, “Our partnership with OKX showcases how Tribeca Festival is weaving technology into the culture and the creator economy.” OKX Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique told the festival press, “It’s a chance for creators to come together and discuss the future of arts, culture and entertainment. You can’t simply update the system… we think you need to rewrite the system for consumers and policymakers to see that there is a better way forward.”

Charting that path forward, Brewster commented, “Building a future with more agency, more community, more belonging, and more togetherness is really important to bring about the change that we want to see, especially after the pandemic. Using the technology to enable that agency and freedom is powerful.”

Black Lands is a precursor to the launch of a public, location-based version of Kinfolk in New York City. Kinfolk’s Production partners include Growhouse NYC, Black Gotham Experience, Transart, Pariah Interactive, and Rada Studio. For more information on upcoming Kinfolk activations, visit their community site. For a deeper dive into OKX’s investment in the future or film, explore their mission here.

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Tags: afrofuturism, film festival, New York, Tribeca, Tribeca Film Festival, Web3

About the Author

Crystal Willis Crystal Willis is an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Entertainment Publicist and CEO of The Omni Firm. She is also a Transformational Life Coach and Founder of The Crysalis. Her personal story has been seen by millions of people on media outlets like Marie Claire Magazine, PBS, Blaze TV, Daily Signal and more.