Infinity Festival Hollywood is a multi-day, unique event held annually each November in Los Angeles. The event, which brings together creative talent from Hollywood and Silicon Valley, celebrates “story enabled by technology” through curated exhibitions, panels, screenings and events. The festival is supported by several Hollywood studios and leading tech companies. IF is held at nya (formerly Goya) studios and the Aster, with screenings and special events taking place at various locations in Los Angeles. IF Venues have included UTA, The Griffith Observatory, LightHouse ArtSpace, Capitol Records, Dolby Screening Room, Google Spruce Goose, Sony Studios and other iconic venues.

IF History

Infinity Festival began in 2018 as Infinity Film Festival. The event was held in Beverly Hills, from November 1–4, 2018. The former Paley Center, at 465 North Beverly Drive, served as the festival hub, with screenings and special events held in various theaters and other locations in Beverly Hills, including the Writer’s Guild Theater. The festival included over 200 speakers and over 100 screenings including studio premieres, a Tech Lab, a Student Lab, 2 floors of exhibitions, industry networking and a fine art gallery. Festival themes included 3D, 4K, Immersive, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. This was also the debut of the Infinity Festival Monolith Awards, which are awarded in various categories recognizing achievements in entertainment and technology.

The festival expanded in 2019 and moved to Hollywood. Re-titled Infinity Festival Hollywood, the event took place at Goya Studios, the Dream Hotel and various theaters around Hollywood, from November 7–9, 2019. The event featured a Main Stage, an Exhibition Hall, a Student Lab, an Innovation Hub and ART+TECH, a fine art gallery. The festival continued its theme of “story enabled by technology” through themes that included 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Immersive Technology and Wellness. Screenings were held at the Dolby Vine Theater and included original films from Disney, Netflix, Pixar and Sony. Exclusive screenings included a CLED screening of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Gemini Man” in 120 FPS 3D.

For 2020 the festival was held entirely online with an all-virtual event that was held over eight weeks. The Festival began on October 28, 2020, and ran through January 7, 2021. Each week’s programming was devoted entirely to one of eight themes: Remote Collaboration, Artificial Intelligence, 3D/Visual effects, Virtual Production, Immersive Experiences, Real Time Storytelling, Entertainment Content, and Wellness Tech.

Infinity Festival Hollywood continued in 2021 with a hybrid in-person and online event. The Festival was held at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel from November 2–4, 2021. The event featured all new programming focused on current trends including the Metaverse, AI, XR, OTT, Film, Television, Audio, Animation, Music, 5G, Art and Gaming.

Infinity Festival Hollywood continued for its fifth year with a live event that took place on November 2-5, 2022 at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel. Tracks and themes for the show included a focus on Virtual Production and Web3 technologies for media and entertainment. The main stage featured an overview of these trends with Hollywood executives and talent sharing their insights. Howie Mandel joined the show for a second year demonstrating Proto, a holoportation solution. The festival’s Chief Curator, Lori H. Schwartz, lead a conversation with Oscar, BAFTA, and Grammy Award winning composer A.R. Rahman and Intel’s Ravi Velhal on the impact technology had on the storytelling for Rahman’s VR directorial debut, “Le Musk.” Featured guests at the festival also included actor/environmentalist/entrepreneur Ian Somerhalder on the Metaverse, actor Jeff Bridges launching an NFT, actor Jon Heder talking about his partnership with Verified Labs to launch his “The Order of the Tigons” NFT collection, and director Elijah Allan-Blitz discussing his groundbreaking AR short film “Remembering” on Disney+ starring Brie Larson.

A new event for 2022 was a Virtual Production Workshop, conducted for a full day, which featured sessions on the virtual art department, on-set operations, and shooting and directing, all with a focus on the pipeline. Other highlights included a Web3 case study summit, a track dedicated to creatives, and panels featuring various celebrities whose connection to technology elevated their experiences. Also new in 2022 was the So. Cal Women’s Summit, sponsored by MESA and Women in Technology Hollywood.

Special events for 2022 included a VIP opening night party on the rooftop of the Aster, a special screening of the film “Signs of Life” at the Griffith Observatory. The festival also featured the US debut of A.R. Rahman’s “Le Musk”, the first feature-length VR cinematic sensory experience.

The Festival is currently in pre-production for our 6th year, which will be held at nya studios, the Aster and other Hollywood locations on November 1st through 4th, 2023. IF has been able to grow at a consistent pace by offering cutting-edge content and staying ahead of the curve. We have been the first to curate panels and exhibitons devoted to XR, VR, AR, AI, Metaverse, Web3 and Virtual Production in the marketplace. Tech Leaders from every major studio and media company participate and attend the festival. We also are on the forefront of screening Academy Award contenders and winners. Our media sponsors have ranged from The Wall Street Journal to OUTFRONT Media to all local LA media outlets as well as global entertainment, tech and industry media. Celebrity and industry leaders participants have included Brie Larson, Jeff Bridges, Van Jones, Howie Mandel, A.R. Rahman, and many more.

Confirmations for IF 2023 include nya studios as our main venue and opening night Party at the Aster rooftop. Highlights will include the Monolith Creative Awards, a Director Interview Series with The Hollywood Reporter Tech Editor Carolyn Giardina, Award Contender Screenings, a Women In Tech/SoCal Women’s Summit Programming Day, “Flip the Script”, an inclusivity festival within IF, powered by Black Filmmakers Foundation and a Student Lab that will include multiple universities.

For 2023, NVIDIA and HP will return as Title Sponsors. Past IF sponsors include Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Serivces, Intel, Epic Games/Unreal Engine, Unity, Coresite, Equinix, Verizon, Qualcomm and other Fortune 500 technology companies. IF is the only festival of its nature to be recognized by the city of Los Angeles.