Is Australia missing the immersive experience revolution?

Why is Australia lagging the rest of the world when it comes to immersive experiences, and how do we create real change?

Some of our cultural institutions are starting to embrace the possibilities and applications of creative technology alongside traditional storytelling to create brilliant immersive experiences. And there are a few commercial examples, but very few. Despite the talent and demand for such experiences, we are falling behind. How can we set higher ambitions and provide the supportive structure to enable world class experiences in Australia?

This discussion will be kick-started by Zareh Nalbandian, co-founder and CEO of Animal Logic. Zareh’s leadership has created seminal feature animations and VFX for over 30 years. What can creative entrepreneurs and enterprises learn from Zareh to achieve successful collaborations and maintaining longevity?

We will also look at some best-in-class work from overseas, and discuss how we can create the right environment for stimulating great creative experiences, including funding, the role of government and business, and more.

We want this to be more than a chat. This discussion needs to set the foundations for real change and stimulus, so that we can all get behind the tremendous potential for immersive experiences in Australia.

Visiting Entrepreneur

• Zareh Nalbandian Producer, CEO and Co-Founder, Animal Logic

Panel

• Dorothy di Stefano – Thought Leader, Immersive Art

• Peter Tullin – Co-Founder, REMIX Summits

• James Boyce – Founder and CEO, Grumpy Sailor Creative

Program

• 5.30 – 6pm Meet and greet at the Powerhouse Late Bar

• 6 – 7.15pm Event discussion in the Theatrette

• 7.15pm – 9pm Drinks at the bar and music

This event will also be live-streamed. Please select 'Livestream Online - General Admission' from the ticket options and you will be provided with the relevant link closer to the date.

About Zareh Nalbandian

Zareh Nalbandian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Animal Logic. Under his leadership, Animal Logic has created seminal feature animation and VFX for over 30 years, collaborating with visionary filmmakers and major studio partners around the world. Zareh was most notably Producer of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, and Executive Producer on Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, Walking With Dinosaurs 3D, The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Movie 2, The LEGO Batman Movie. Zareh is a board member of the Sydney Film Festival and a member of AACTA, the PGA, VES, and AMPAS. In 2017, Zareh was named Australian National Cinema Pioneer of the Year, cementing his lifetime of work as a leader in animation, VFX, film development and production. Having served as deputy chair of Ausfilm for almost a decade, most recently, Zareh was appointed to the Federal Government’s Australian Broadband Advisory Council.

The Visiting Entrepreneur Program is produced by the City of Sydney with partner organisations from the local startup ecosystem. The 2022 edition is kindly supported by Tech Central and the Greater Cities Commission.