Immersive media is making its way into new spaces like festival stages and community labs, and new funding opportunities are now available for creators and organizations. This month, we’re sharing stories that reflect what we believe: XR becomes more powerful when more people get to make it. From a first-ever XR showcase at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival to a new fund supporting Indigenous US creators to Agog’s open call, this is what an expanding field looks like.
JUST ANNOUNCED
Agog’s First Open Call
Agog just launched its first open call: Climate Futures + Immersive Media—a funding initiative offering up to $1 million in grants for creators, technologists, and organizations looking to use immersive media to help people engage more deeply with climate challenges and imagine new pathways for action.
We’re inviting proposals for immersive projects—from early ideas to in-progress work—using technologies like smart glasses, augmented reality, spatial audio, mixed reality, virtual reality, and more. Grants will range from $25,000 to $200,000. Both XR creators and mission-driven organizations newer to immersive media are encouraged to apply. Join an info session on May 20 or June 3 to learn more.
Applications are open through June 12. Learn more and apply today
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
Immersive Storytelling Debuts at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
This month, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), presented by the Latino Film Institute (LFI), will present immersive films as part of its official programming for the first time. The work premiering there was made by emerging Latino filmmakers who, through the Futuro XR: 360° Video Lab, gained access to the tools, mentorship, and technical support to bring their stories into XR. Agog is proud to support LFI in building that on-ramp.
The short immersive films selected for premiere will be on view in the TCL Chinese Theatre lobby the nights of May 28–30. Agog’s own Raul Carvajal will moderate a panel with creators and industry voices on how immersive media is expanding the possibilities of storytelling on May 29. Come see the work. Meet the filmmakers. Witness some firsts.
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
This Seattle Lab is Training the Next Crop of XR Creators
This spring, young people ages 16–24 are getting the chance to dive into AR and VR creation. The Virtual Dreams Future XR Creators Program, launched by the Seattle Interactive Media-Lab (SiM) with funding from Agog, is a 12-week program that combines hands-on XR workshops, team-based project work, and mentorship from local industry professionals. The program builds toward a three-part hackathon and closes with a public showcase in June.
Follow the project on Instagram
RESOURCES AND RESEARCH
New Report: IDFA DocLab
Can immersive media help rebuild civic society? Who creates XR work and on whose terms? At the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) DocLab R&D Summit, artists and technologists gathered to explore these questions. Produced with support from Agog and authored by Kent Bye, a new report spans civic design, distribution, AI ethics, and the challenges of sustaining arts funding.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Agog Open Call Info Sessions
May 20 and June 3
Sign up for an info session on May 20 (VRChat; streaming on YouTube) or June 3 (Zoom) to discuss the Climate Futures + Immersive Media open call directly with Agog staff. Learn more about the open call
XR Exhibition at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
May 28–30 | Los Angeles, CA
Agog is proud to support the Latino Film Institute’s Futuro XR: 360° Video Lab, a five-month fellowship happening now that trains emerging storytellers in immersive 360° filmmaking. Immersive short films from the lab will premiere at this milestone festival. View the program and get tickets
ISO Immersive Fund: Applications Open Soon for US-Based Indigenous Creators
May 30–June 30 | Applications Open
The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) has launched its first-ever funding program for Indigenous XR creators in the United States—supported by Agog. Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian storytellers can apply for up to $40,000 CAD in development funding or $80,000 CAD in production funding for immersive projects. Learn more
XR-FOR-GOOD FROM HOME
The Kinfolk App | iOS and Android
What if you could reveal the hidden history of your neighborhood—its overlooked figures, its erased stories—right where it happened? The Kinfolk app uses AR to place community-built monuments in real-world public spaces, turning sidewalks and parks into living archives for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Queer communities. Free to download.
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Images: Latino Film Institute’s Futuro XR fellows, photo by Alejandro Palacios. Seattle Interactive Media-Lab (SiM) participants. Kinfolk app AR work.