At the Infinity Festival, we believe that true innovation often comes from the corners of the industry that are too easily overlooked. The Monolith Awards were created to shine a spotlight on the underdogs of the entertainment and tech space—those who are quietly making groundbreaking changes and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
We pride ourselves on discovering and celebrating those achievements that might fall through the cracks of traditional awards.
Executive Producer, Infinity Festival Monolith Awards.
Owner of JAR Entertainment, Jennielyn has overseen star-studded films and led the first successful Filipino Film Festival in Los Angeles. A breast cancer survivor and visionary in the film industry, she is dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices.
A dynamic entrepreneur, Mariana excels at the intersection of AI, XR, VFX, and game engines, bridging technology and creativity. With expertise in product launches, M&E workflows, and team management, she’s also a captivating public speaker and forward-thinking leader.
Andy, an expert in entertainment and new media law, is a key figure in XR education and the Monolith Awards. With a legal research background and experience with top production companies, Andy advises on IP rights and new tech in media, and runs his company Name and Like, Inc.
Dario, with a background in animation and virtual production, has worked at Stoopid Buddy and Lucasfilm. At The Third Floor, he built strategic resource models, ensuring the right talent for the right projects during Hollywood’s pivot to game engine-based production.
Jordan, with a career spanning animation and live-action, has contributed to “Doctor Strange” and “Dune”. Passionate about mentoring and AI explorations, he’s at the forefront of integrating emerging technologies into film production.
Nathalie Bonin is a distinguished producer, composer, and performer whose work spans some of the most prestigious networks and platforms, including Netflix, AppleTV, Showtime, CBS, NBC, BBC, PBS, TF1, CBC, ICI, and TVA. Her impressive list of awards includes the SESAC Best Film Performance 2023 and the SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year 2023. She contributed to the Grammy-winning project “Women Warriors: The Voices of Change” and has received the SCL Jury Award, HMMA Award, and Mark Award. Nathalie is an active member of the Recording Academy and the Television Academy.
Sami, a Creative Director and Producer with 15+ years of experience, excels in virtual production pipelines. Her keen eye for color and spatial relationships elevates production value, challenging aesthetic standards as technology evolves.
A versatile executive at Paramount, Rochelle integrates music across content, recently orchestrating a standout collaboration for “Yellowjackets”. Honored with multiple Clio Awards and recognized as an Influential Latina in Media, she’s a leader in music supervision.
A Southern California native, Sean transitioned from the music industry to film, with a knack for discovering and nurturing new talent. He has built a career unlocking emergent technology to create opportunities in the entertainment industry. His recent successes include “Trim Season” and “Shelby Oaks”, with Sony Japan developing his “Lipstick Cliqa” comic series.
Koina is a multi-platform storyteller and Unreal Authorized Trainer with expertise in AI tools, real-time 3D workflows, and visual direction. Her work at the intersection of narrative and emerging technologies is shaping the future of film and interactive media.
Felix, CEO of Narwhal Studios, specializes in virtual production and real-time VFX, with credits including “The Mandalorian” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. His leadership in pipeline development and team building drives innovation in the film and TV industry.
With 25+ years in live production, Jeroen specializes in technical and executive advisement for complex projects. He leads PRG’s Production Services, driving innovation in all production aspects; including live music, feature film, episodic series, commercials, LBE, new media endeavors and any other live entertainment.
Denys, an AI visionary, leads AI Venture Corp and Vidby.ai in advancing AI, media, and translation technologies. His work in responsible AI development is shaping the future of global media localization.
Brian is a Grammy Award & Guild Of Music Supervisors Award nominee, who has overseen music supervision for acclaimed films and videogames such as “Drive” and “Cyberpunk 2077”. A champion of artist rights in the digital age, his work spans music documentaries, independent labels, major studio releases and videogames.
As Head of Visualization at MPC, Patrick Smith leads global teams in creative direction and technology. With nearly two decades in the industry, including senior roles at The Third Floor and Technicolor, he’s a pioneer in visualization for film and TV.
Tanya Leal Soto is an accomplished producer with a diverse career spanning theatre, film, television, XR, and games. As Head of Production at Hexagram, she’s at the forefront of integrating AI and immersive storytelling. A Mexico City native now based in Los Angeles, Tanya has worked on cutting-edge projects like “The Under Presents” and “Virtual, Virtual Reality”. She brings an international perspective and deep expertise in emerging technologies, making her a key player in the future of narrative-driven experiences.
Tammy Sutton is an Emmy Award-winning VFX Supervisor and Producer with over 25 years of industry experience. As Head of Production at Theory Studios, she combines artistic vision with advanced technology, overseeing projects in VR, animation, theme parks, and XR training. Tammy’s leadership and technical expertise have driven the success of major films and TV shows, including “Silicon Valley”, “Avatar”, and “The Conjuring”. A Hollywood native, she continues to innovate and push the boundaries of visual effects.
Dan (aka SpookyDan) Walker is a renowned horror filmmaker, with directorial credits on “Slay Belles” and production roles on films like “The Devil’s Carnival” and “Spaghetti”. His career spans various aspects of filmmaking, including production, marketing, and visual effects. Since 2021, Walker has embraced AI in filmmaking, using tools such as Midjourney and RunwayML to innovate production methods. He now stands as a leading figure in integrating AI with traditional filmmaking, enhancing storytelling through technology.
Erik introduced LED Volume technology to filmmakers and won the Cannes Film Festival prize for “FATHEAD”. A leader in next-gen solutions, Erik crafts strategies for long-term business success and leverages cutting-edge technologies in film production.
Recognizing achievements in sound design, music composition, voice acting, and innovative use of audio to drive the story, this award highlights games that utilize auditory elements to enhance the player’s experience and emotional engagement. The Gaming Tech: Audio-Driven Narrative Award honors the studios, teams, and individuals who have set new standards in the industry, demonstrating exceptional creativity and technical mastery in narrative.
User Experience (UX) focuses on the overall experience that a user has while interacting with digital experiences. This category recognizes excellence in the design, usability, and effectiveness of digital interfaces, websites, apps, or interactive media to ensure they provide a seamless and intuitive experience for the end-user.
Celebrates vision and execution resulting in outstanding innovation, recognizing achievements in both technical and creative production. The award acknowledges studios or companies that have set new standards in the industry, demonstrating exceptional creativity, technical mastery, and transformative impact.
Recognizing outstanding achievements in creating immersive, interactive live experiences that engage audiences in real-time. The award celebrates innovative use of digital enhancements to create shared experiences that captivate and connect audiences, setting new standards for live digital engagement.
Celebrating excellence in new media fine art, recognizing outstanding fine art projects that utilize new and emerging technologies. Honoring the creativity and innovation in digital artistry, this non-jury prize is awarded based on the jurors’ collective choice.
This non-jury award is determined by your ballot as an attendee at Infinity Festival 2024. It celebrates the best technical and creative demonstrations, showcasing the innovations and achievements that resonate most with the Infinity Festival Community.
Honoring the Teacher and Student who have significantly influenced their next generation, demonstrated through submitted work. Next Gen acknowledges the exceptional contributions of both students and teachers in fostering creativity, innovation, and excellence in the film, television, and digital media.
The Nexus Award celebrates era-defining advances that were unimaginable before the stable integration of real-time technology, cloud computing, and XR. These innovations result from deep expertise, unwavering commitment to a singular vision, and leadership that attracts top talent, often without widespread understanding or assurance of success. Upon launch, these nominated leaders and their teams ushered in a new era of opportunity.
Recognizes outstanding achievements in the Virtual Art Department (VAD), celebrating projects that have leveraged VAD technology to create immersive and realistic digital environments. Honoring the creative and technical teams behind these projects, the category highlights the seamless integration of virtual and physical worlds, showcasing exceptional creativity, technical mastery, and transformative impact in the field of digital production.
Recognizing outstanding achievements in the field of pre-visualization. It honors the creative and technical prowess of individuals and teams who have utilized advanced visualization techniques to visualize complex scenes and sequences before production. Celebrating innovation in storyboarding, animation, and visual planning, this category highlights the importance of pre-vis in enhancing storytelling, improving production efficiency, and delivering compelling visual narratives.
Honors exceptional achievements in real-time production, recognizing the innovative use of real-time technology to create dynamic and interactive content. The award celebrates the creative and technical skills of individuals and teams who leverage real-time engines, virtual production techniques, and cutting-edge tools to bring stories to life with immediacy and responsiveness.
Recognizes outstanding technical innovation and execution using AI within the film, television, and digital media industries. The award honors individuals and teams who have made significant advancements in technology, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in production, post-production, or distribution. This award celebrates the ingenious application of technical skills that enhance the overall quality and impact of a project.
This category celebrates remarkable creativity and artistic innovation using AI in film, television, and digital media. It acknowledges the visionary work of individuals and teams who have demonstrated exceptional creative talent, bringing unique and compelling stories to life through their artistry. This award highlights the imaginative and groundbreaking contributions that set new standards for creativity in the industry.
The Infinity Festival Monolith Awards celebrate achievements in “Story Advanced by Technology” and are judged by a distinguished panel of experts hailing from top Hollywood studios, tech companies, and Fortune 500 companies. This diverse group of creatives and innovators bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, ensuring that the most deserving projects are recognized. For 2023, the Technology Awards ceremony was held on May 19th at the IF Silicon Beach Event.
The Creative Awards were given at Infinity Festival Hollywood in November. The Monolith Awards are given in two categories: Technology and Creative (Narrative Arts). This reflects the festival’s commitment to showcasing the very best in cutting-edge storytelling, encompassing not just traditional film and television but also emerging media such as virtual reality and augmented reality.
At the Infinity Festival Monolith Awards, attendees can expect to witness some of the most groundbreaking and imaginative works that are pushing the boundaries of what it means to tell a story in today’s media & entertainment landscape. The awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the art of storytelling and the power of technology to enhance and transform our creative expression.
Given at Infinity Festival Silicon Beach on May 19, 2023
Josh Arensberg – Verizon
Jordan Bartow – Google Cloud
John Canning – AMD
Rick Champagne – NVIDIA
Patrick Costello – Qualcomm
Paul Debevec – Netflix
John Gauntt – The Augmented City
Lisa Gerber – Amazon Web Services
Dan Gregoire – Nep Virtual Studios
Annie Hanlon – Netflix
Marc Johnson – Live Planet, Inc.
Phil Lelyveld – ETC @ USC
Mark Lieber – Infinity Festival
Penny Malsch – Intel
Barbara Marshall – Z by Hp
Will McDonald – Unity
Danilo Moura – Simulated Reality
John Rubey – Rubey Entertainment
Anshel Sag – Moor Insights and Strategy
Lori H. Schwartz – StoryTech
Seth Shapiro – Alpha Transform Holdings
Brad Spahr – Sony Music
Christina Lee Storm – Netflix
Sebastian Sylwan – Netflix
Alice Taylor – Disney StudioLab
Todd Terrazas – JoinAI
Chris Vienneau – Movielabs
Erik Weaver – ETC @USC
Ken Williams – ETC @ USC
Michael Zink – WarnerMedia
Given at Infinity Festival Hollywood on November 3, 2023
Co-Chairman – Jay Williams, Infinity Festival
Co-Chairman – John Canning, AMD
Mariana Acuna Acosta – Technicolor
Daniel Barak – R/GA
Vicki Dobbs Beck – ILMxLAB
Elijah Allan-Blitz – Director
Ana Brzezinska – Tribeca
Raegan Brown – Intel
Rick Champagne – NVIDIA
Christian Cloud – Intel
Simon Crownshaw – Microsoft
Noam Dromi – Reboot Studios
Addy Ghani – Disguise
Carolyn Giardina – Variety
Alton Glass – GRX Immersive
Annie Hanlon – Netflix
Alexx Henry – BlueVishnu
Marc Johnson – Digital Media Executive
Blake Kammerdiener – SXSW
Bill Kendal – Story World
Kevin Lau – mOcean
John MacInnes – MacInnes Studios
Daniel Mallek – Yu Studio
Barbara Marshall – Z by HP
Ron Martin – Unity
Adam Newman – Infinity Festival
Amanda Orr – Toonstar
Joanna Popper – Independent
Morgan Prygrocki – Adobe
Jackson Rogow – Infinity Festival
Lori H. Schwartz – StoryTech
A.J. Sciutto – Magnopus
Eric Shamlin – Media Monks
Christina Lee Storm – Independent
Alice Taylor – Disney Studio Lab
Ste Thompson – Powster
Justin Winters – Verified Labs
Boo Wong – Independent
Iris Wu – Ambidio
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View PressThe Infinity Festival Monolith Awards celebrate achievements in “Story Advanced by Technology.” The Monolith Award is voted on and judged by a panel of creatives and innovators from major Hollywood studios, tech companies and fortune 500 companies.
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