South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals (March 8–17, 2019) has announced the addition of Film Keynote Jessica Brillhart and a new round of Featured Speakers to the 2019 programming lineup.
Among the Featured Speakers revealed today are Clovyr co-founder Amber Baldet; singer and actor Lance Bass; Black Girls CODE founder Kimberly Bryant; musician and activist Laura Jane Grace; puppeteer, director and producer Frank Oz; Backstage Capital founder Arlan Hamilton; actor and comedian Kevin Hart; philosopher and writer Jaron Lanier; actress and producer Elisabeth Moss; The Daily Show host Trevor Noah; actress and writer Busy Philipps; GSD&M chairman and co-founder Roy Spence; and more. Additionally, best-selling author and researcher Brené Brown has been added as the SXSW 2019 Opening Speaker.
Jessica Brillhart, founder of independent studio Vrai Pictures, is an immersive director, writer, and theorist. She was the Principal Filmmaker for VR at Google where she worked with engineers to develop Google Jump, a virtual reality live-action capture ecosystem. Brillhart joins previously-announced Keynotes Joseph Lubin (Interactive), Shirley Manson and Lauren Mayberry (Music), Marti Noxon (Film), and Kevin Systrom with Josh Constine (Interactive).
“A shining star in the immersive arts community, Jessica Brillhart is an early explorer trying to define storytelling in the immersive world and she’s spearheaded early innovation in creating stories using VR, AR, and AI,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “We are excited to share her perspectives on this exciting field, as well as from our many esteemed Featured Speakers in entertainment, business and technology.”
SXSW Conference programming is organized into 25 tracks divided between Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats. Once again, SXSW is offering expanded access to events for all registrants. Attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events.
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. An essential destination for global professionals, the event features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2019 will take place March 8-17, 2019. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.
