The last month was a big one for impact-driven immersive storytelling, and we’re still catching our breath. At the Venice International Film Festival, three Agog-supported works made their debut in the immersive section, with two walking away with honors. The momentum carried straight into the Toronto International Film Festival, where Agog co-production Solwata made its North American premiere as one of eight works selected for TIFF’s first-ever Innovation Hub, a new section dedicated to immersive programming. The Hub’s lineup was full of purpose-driven work, with strong representation across climate, Indigenous futurism, and queer narratives.
Catch up on all of it, plus more ways to get involved, below.
VENICE IMMERSIVE 2026
Phones Down. Hats On. Hopes High.
Agog’s week at Venice Immersive was full of hands-on experimentation and in-person connection.
- At the Untethered Imagination workshop, we asked a room of participants to put their phones away for two full hours and dedicate the time to creative, absurd thinking. They did, and (happily) wore silly hats on top of it.
- Every day, our Smart Glasses Petting Zoo was filled with visitors ruminating on how these emerging tools might be used for impact—enthusiasm was high, and so was the number of smudges.
- We also facilitated the opportunity for festivalgoers to learn from experts across our field, covering everything from story stewardship to Gaussian splats, and sponsored the AR work La Laguna Parla by the Smartphone Orchestra, which brought hundreds of people together for a collective performance.
The festival culminated in well-deserved wins for two projects offering distinct approaches to climate storytelling—both supported by Agog. Out of the Ashes received the Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize, and Empire at Sea took home the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize. Read the press release →
Join us September 22 for a conversation with Venice Immersive curators about this year’s festival and what’s next for immersive. RSVP now →
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
A Visit to CETI, Plus Postcards From Our Climate-Resilient Future
Our team recently stopped by the Creative and Emergent Technology Institute (CETI) offices in Portland, OR, and left inspired by the community energy behind their work. Among the projects we got to see up close: Postcards From Our Climate Resilient Future, an augmented reality placemaking project that brings Multnomah County’s Climate Justice Plan to life through a series of interactive murals, posters, and artifacts.
Rather than presenting climate policy as an abstraction, the project translates it into imaginative, joyful, and hopeful visions of a just climate future, grounded in ideas designed by the communities most affected by environmental inequities. The result is a storyscape that makes complex policy personal and accessible to everyone who encounters it.
Learn more about the project →
OPPORTUNITIES
Join the Agog Team
Agog is hiring! We are searching for two awesome humans to join our ranks. Do you get genuinely excited when a workshop runs on time? Labs and Residencies Manager might be your thing. Do you have a sixth sense for scheduling conflicts? Executive Administrative Partner has your name on it. Both roles are remote, with a preference for LA, Bay Area, or Seattle.
Community Memory Fellowship with Kinfolk
Kinfolk Tech, an Agog grantee, uses augmented reality to surface hidden Black and Brown histories in public spaces. Their flagship Community Memory Fellowship pairs artists and researchers to build AR monuments and collect community stories rooted in local history and living memory. The 2026–2027 cohort is based in Brooklyn, NY; applications deadline extended to September 20, 2026.
RESOURCES & RESEARCH
An Early Look at a Field Guide to Immersive Practice
Created by Michael Golembewski, this prototype maps the roles, activities, methods, tools, and relationships across XR and immersive production.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Imagined Futures: A Week of Waterway Scavenger Hunts Across NYC
September 19–27 | Seven waterways across NYC
Agog grantee Holes in the Wall Collective is bringing Imagined Futures back for Climate Week NYC. Guided scavenger hunts and audio walking tours connect participants to seven New York City waterways, each in various states of human impact and community care. Move clue to clue through the eyes of community experts on the ground, finding ecological treasures, stories of past and future possibilities, and a virtual feast from the future built in augmented reality. Free and accessible on your smartphone, with in-person public activations at each site. Learn more →
Agog House Event: 10 Years of Venice Immersive
Tuesday, September 22, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT | VRChat and streaming live on YouTube
Save the date for a special Agog House conversation with Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac, curators of Venice Immersive, as they reflect on the festival’s first decade and discuss where immersive storytelling is headed next. Then join us for a world hop with Venice Immersive Worlds Gallery Producer Mike Salmon. RSVP →
XR-FOR-GOOD FROM HOME
Sands of Time | Now Wishlist-able on Steam
Set in a future Dar es Salaam ravaged by unchecked sand mining, Sands of Time sends players racing to turn back time and restore the Earth, unlocking forgotten facts and human stories along the way. The game was conceived by Peace “Dopay” Olatunji during Electric South’s New Dimensions Lab, supported by Agog, where our own Mary Matheson served as a mentor. We’re excited to support its next step as the alpha build heads toward Steam.
Wishlist on Steam →
Learn more →
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