LOS ANGELES, CA, January 26, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For more than fifteen years, the New Media Film Festival® has been a bellwether for where storytelling is headed next—spotlighting creators who experiment boldly, adopt emerging technologies early, and redefine how audiences engage with narrative. Since 2009, the festival has built a reputation as a home for breakthrough formats and future‑facing talent. Past honorees include Jeff Bridges, Ray Bradbury, Roger Corman and its jury has drawn influential voices from Marvel, HBO, the Emmys, the Grammys, PBS, and the BBC, reinforcing its status as a rare crossroads where established innovators and rising creators converge. https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com

The 2026 edition builds on that legacy with its acclaimed hybrid structure, offering creators two distinct yet equally weighted pathways: a global online program and an in‑person showcase at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles. This dual approach has become a hallmark of the festival, ensuring fairness in judging, expanding access for international talent, and giving audiences multiple ways to engage with groundbreaking work.

Founder/Director Susan Johnston https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426856/ emphasized the festival's forward‑looking mission. "Every year, we challenge ourselves to look further ahead — to champion the creators who are shaping the future before the world even knows it's coming," she said. "This early lineup reflects exactly why the New Media Film Festival® exists: to celebrate innovation, elevate new voices, and create real opportunities for artists working at the edge of what's possible."

First Wave Selections

The first wave of 2026 selections showcases the festival's continued commitment to bold storytelling, global voices, and emerging formats. This early lineup spans world premieres, U.S. debuts, and standout works from creators pushing narrative and technology into new territory.

Online Program — June 3
A globally accessible slate highlighting inventive storytelling and fresh international perspectives.
(Title — Confirmed Representative — Premiere Status)

• Sunflowers — YongJik Lee — World Premiere

• A Dream My Sister Had — Fabio Thieme — USA Premiere

• Summer 1990 — Loïs Levy

• If You See A Cat — Kenji Ishimaru

• Soul — Leeorah Hursky — World Premiere

In‑Person Program — June 4 at the Culver Theater, Los Angeles
A curated night of premieres, conversations, and in‑the‑room creative energy.
(Title — Confirmed Representative — Premiere Status)

• Reach the Sky — Lori Moilov — World Premiere

• Is Ai Gonna Get Better, or Nah? — Nick Roth — World Premiere

• A Day (HARU) — Da Eun Kim — World Premiere

• Life in the Trees — Dr. Owain Llwyd — USA Premiere

• Dolphins of the Reef — Rod Findley

• Limitless Podcast: Ignite Your Creativity & Chase Your Dreams — Lori Moilov — World Premiere

What This Lineup Signals

Together, these selections offer an early snapshot of the creative and technological frontiers shaping the year ahead. From intimate personal narratives to AI‑driven inquiry, from global perspectives to format‑bending experiments, the first wave reflects the festival's ongoing commitment to championing work that challenges convention and expands the vocabulary of modern storytelling. It also signals the depth and diversity of the full 2026 slate still to come, as additional categories, premieres, and special events are set to be revealed in the months leading up to June.

For more than a decade, the festival has served as a launchpad for what's next, championing bold new categories such as AI‑generated cinema, holographic comics, VR funding pitches, and NFT‑driven storytelling. Its commitment to emerging formats has made the New Media Film Festival® one of the few spaces where boundary‑pushing creators and industry powerhouses collide—often leading to real‑world opportunities in funding, distribution, casting, and even book deals.

With red‑carpet premieres, filmmaker Q&As, immersive tech‑driven experiences, and global art showcases, the 2026 edition pushes the festival's mission even further—championing the creators shaping the next wave of storytelling. Details on tickets, programming, and submissions are available at https://www.NewMediaFilmFestival.com, where creators and audiences can step directly into the future of story.

About the New Media Film Festival®

The New Media Film Festival® is a globally recognized leader in next‑generation storytelling, celebrated alongside the world's top festivals for its commitment to innovation across narrative, technology, and emerging media. Since 2009, it has become an essential destination for creators and industry decision‑makers seeking the cutting edge of what's possible in film, immersive formats, and tech‑driven content. With jurors from Marvel, HBO, the Emmys, the Grammys, PBS, and the BBC, and past honorees such as Jeff Bridges, the festival stands as a premier launchpad where breakthrough talent, influential voices, and future‑defining ideas converge.

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