AUSTIN, Texas (March 13, 2025) – Agog: The Immersive Media Institute announced today the winner of the inaugural “Agog Immersive Impact Award,” created in partnership with South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals. This new award, given this year to Cameron Kostopoulos for his extraordinary “In the Current of Being” project, recognizes visionary creators leveraging extended reality (XR) to foster community, spark action, and build a more just and sustainable future.
Agog, a philanthropic organization that helps people use XR to bridge divides, build community, and inspire action toward a better world, sponsored the award as part of SXSW’s XR programming, a globally recognized hub for this emerging form of communications. The projects up for consideration covered a broad range of topics, from the Navajo’s relationship to U.S. uranium mining to reproductive rights in Texas to the ecological wonders of mycelium networks. The winner was selected by a jury of XR leaders convened by SXSW, including Caspar Sonnen, the head of new media at International Film Festival Amsterdam; Christina Lee Stormall, founder and CEO of Asher XR; and Diana Williams, co-founder and CEO of Kinetic Energy Entertainment.
“In the Current of Being” is a virtual reality (VR) experience that shares the true story of Carolyn Mercer, a survivor of inhumane electroshock conversion therapy. Through wearable haptic vests, sleeves, and gloves, participants physically connect to the rhythm of Carolyn’s heartbeat, the cadence of her breath, and the tremors of the procedures she endured. The project was celebrated by the jury for its creative boldness and fully embodied experience, and for bearing witness and leading with kindness.
“XR has this almost magical ability to open minds, letting us experience the world from new and different perspectives,” said Chip Giller, Agog co-founder and executive director. “This award celebrates creators who are using immersive storytelling to imagine a resilient and connected tomorrow.”
The Agog Immersive Impact Award is part of the organization’s efforts to help build and support a field of practitioners using XR for good and to expand access to immersive media. Agog focuses in particular on engaging individuals who have historically been excluded from past tech revolutions.
“We are so excited to partner with our friends at Agog this year to celebrate the amazing creators working with XR to make our world a better place. XR technology has a unique way of transporting us to places unknown and helping us see the world in new ways, and we are so thankful to be able to share and honor their stories with this award,” said Blake Kammerdiener, SXSW senior manager of Film & TV, XR Programming.
“It is a huge honor to be recognized at this year’s festival as one of the leading immersive projects inspiring change,” said Kostopoulos. “Storytelling is at the heart of my work and I was honored to be able to share Carolyn’s story. I hope to inspire other creators to continue to build immersive projects and tools that can help change our world for the better.”
In addition to “In the Current of Being,” the XR experiences considered for this year’s award were “1906 Atlanta Race Massacre,” an AR project about white attacks on the city’s African-American community; “Any War Any Enemy,”a VR project about nuclear war; “The Choice: Chapters 2&3,” a VR project about reproductive rights; “Honey Fungus,” a VR project about ecological steward and mutual care between humanity and non-human life; “Shelter,” a VR documentary about the war in Ukraine; and “Ways of Knowing: A Navajo Nuclear History,”a VR piece about Navajo resilience after years of uranium mining by the U.S. government.
Since its founding in March 2024, Agog has supported more than two dozen grantee partners, funding groundbreaking XR experiences, creator-engagement programs, and impact campaigns that extend the reach of immersive media. The organization plans to announce its next round of grants this spring.
ABOUT AGOG: THE IMMERSIVE MEDIA INSTITUTE
Agog: The Immersive Media Institute is a philanthropic organization founded by Chip Giller and Wendy Schmidt that helps people use extended reality (XR) to create human connection, cultivate empathy, and inspire action toward a more just and sustainable future. Agog brings together nonprofit leaders, thinkers, and creators to harness the power of emerging media like virtual and augmented reality to develop new ways to communicate, learn, inspire, and collaborate. Agog’s initial areas of focus include social justice and equity; high-impact storytelling and world-building; policy and ethics; education and outreach; and research. To learn more, visit agog.org.
ABOUT SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of opportunities to meet and connect with people. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and individuals come together.
SXSW 2025 Driven by Rivian. The SXSW 2025 Film & TV Festival is sponsored by Epidemic Sound, Redbreast, DIRECTV, and The Austin Chronicle. Learn more at sxsw.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
AGOG
Paige Lazarus
Email: bg_agog@brysongillette.com
m: 630.430.1513