Category: People

Categories
About Audiences Data Visceralisation Events Festival Interactive Media News Partnership People UX

From Hong Kong to Glasgow: Our Journey Through Global Media

Over the past eight months, the Interactive Filmmaking Lab® has been featured across a spectrum of outlets – from international press to local media. It all began with coverage of our project This Place Has Its Own Air, which was showcased at the SPARK Festival 2024 in Hong Kong, in partnership with the Clean Air Network and the British Council Hong Kong, and culminating most recently with a feature in the Business & Intellectual Property (BIPC) Centre Glasgow March 2025 newsletter.

Sparking Creativity in Hong Kong

In early September, The Standard highlighted This Place Has Its Own Air as a ‘key event’ at the SPARK Festival 2024 in Hong Kong. The article shone a light on ‘the potential that interactivity and data can give us to transform the way we understand the world and communicate, but also to achieve change’, and how we aim ‘to make air pollution more tangible’ by ‘helping people to get to know the environment better and encouraging them to reflect on environmental issues.’

Read the full article on The Standard.

_____
Image: Dang, D. (2024) ‘Wellness fest to spark creativity’. Interview with Polina Zioga and Catherine M. Weir. Interviewed by Disu Dang for The Standard, 3 September.

Making Invisible Pollution Visible

HK01 published an in-depth article on Hong Kong’s air quality and our collaboration with the Clean Air Network for the British Council’s SPARK Festival 2024, showcasing This Place Has Its Own Air. The feature highlighted how our interdisciplinary work combines art, science, and technology to create a data-driven video-installation, enabling audiences to have a glimpse of the air they breathe, and increase their awareness of the need for reducing environmental pollution.

Explore the HK01 story (in Chinese).

_____
Image: Guolong, H. (2024) ‘Large-scale interactive art reveals Hong Kong’s air quality problems, making invisible pollution visible’. Interview with Polina Zioga and Catherine M. Weir. Interviewed by He Guolong for HK01, 17 October 2024. (in Chinese).

Spotlight by BIPC Glasgow

In March 2025, the Business & IP Centre Glasgow newsletter featured an interview with our founder, Dr Polina Zioga, highlighting our achievements and long-term vision for the interactive media and communications sector. The profile reaffirms our commitment to pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling while creating a positive impact on society and the environment through projects and campaigns that make a difference.

Read the full BIPC newsletter.

_____
Image: Zioga, P. (2025) ‘Spotlight: Interactive Filmmaking Lab’. Interview with Polina Zioga. Interviewed by BIPC for BIPC newsletter, March 2025.

Thank you to our collaborators, supporters, audiences, and the media outlets who have shared our story. This string of features illustrates the breadth and depth of our work – and we are just getting started. Stay tuned here for deeper dives into each project and for news on what’s coming next.

Want to stay in the loop?

  • Subscribe to our blog for project updates and behind-the-scenes insights.
  • Follow us on social media for the latest announcements.

Categories
Awards Events Interactive Advertising Interactive Filmmaking Interactive Media News People

The Interactive Filmmaking Lab shortlisted for Scotland Start-Up Awards 2025!

We are thrilled to announce that the Interactive Filmmaking Lab® has been named a finalist ahead of the Scotland final of the UK StartUp Awards – and not in one, but two categories: Creative StartUp of the Year in Scotland and Media & Entertainment StartUp of the Year in Scotland!

The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene, which has accelerated over the last few years with over 848,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2024. By joining over 750 businesses that have collectively created more than 4,600 new jobs and generated annual sales of £200 million, we are proud to contribute to the vibrancy of the UK’s start-up scene.

Dr Polina Zioga, founder of the Interactive Filmmaking Lab®, said:

I am incredibly proud of our journey. Being shortlisted is a tremendous honour that recognises our commitment to pushing the boundaries of interactive media and cutting-edge technologies for interactive storytelling, data visualisation, and audience research.

This nomination validates our unique approach – blending cognitive sciences, emerging technologies and over 15 years of creative professional experience – to deliver innovative solutions that engage audiences and drive impactful results.

It marks a significant milestone in our journey to redefine interactive storytelling and audience research across the industry.

Celebrating its fourth year, the UK StartUp Awards, created in collaboration with the team behind the acclaimed Great British Entrepreneur Awards, continues to highlight the success of innovative new ventures.

As Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, highlights:

This year’s finalists embody the very best of entrepreneurial spirit – spotting opportunities and, through dedication, skill, and resilience, turning them into thriving ventures that are making a tangible difference in their industries.

We are honoured to be recognised by an awards programme supported by Airwallex, Ideas Fest, Join Talent, and V Rum – a testament to the vibrant ecosystem fuelling innovation across the UK.

This year’s regional UK StartUp Awards finalists can be found online at https://startupawards.uk/regional-finalists-2025.

Categories
Audiences Data Visceralisation Events Festival Interactive Media News Partnership People Research UX

‘This Place Has Its Own Air’: Parallel Events at SPARK 2024 & Happy Holidays!

  • ‘Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air’. [Talk]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 19 October 2024. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Patrick Fung, Dr Polina Zioga, Dr Catherine M. Weir, and Dr Tony Ip at ‘Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air’. [Talk]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 19 October 2024. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Patrick Fung, Dr Polina Zioga, Dr Catherine M. Weir, and Dr Tony Ip at ‘Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air’. [Talk]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 19 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Dr Polina Zioga, Kyle Chung, Patrick Fung, and Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Interview]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Interview]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Dr Polina Zioga, Kyle Chung, and Patrick Fung at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Interview]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Interview]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Data-driven video-installation]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.
  • Dr Polina Zioga, Patrick Fung, Kyle Chung, and Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Data-driven video-installation]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart for British Council Hong Kong. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.

Following the premiere of This Place Has Its Own Air data-driven video-installation at the SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’ in Hong Kong, we had the privilege of engaging with the community through a series of parallel events that fostered meaningful conversations about air quality, art, and our shared environment.

Interactive Sessions with Future Storytellers

One of the highlights of these events was an engaging session with 35 primary school pupils and 4 student reporters from Pui Ching Primary School. Their curiosity and enthusiasm during the interview highlighted the importance of raising environmental awareness across all ages.

They also had the opportunity to explore the installation during an exclusive tour, where they learned more about the creative process and inspiration behind the work.

_____
Image: Pui Ching Primary School pupils at ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’. [Data-driven video-installation]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 18 October 2024. Photo: Christiaan Hart. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.

Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air

We had the pleasure of participating in the panel talk titled ‘Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air’, organised with our partner, the Clean Air Network (CAN), and moderated by Patrick Fung. The event featured discussions with Dr Polina Zioga and Dr Catherine M. Weir of the Interactive Filmmaking Lab®, and Dr Tony Ip, of the Tony Ip Green Architects.

Together, we discussed how the intersection of art, architecture, and environmental science, and interdisciplinary projects like This Place Has Its Own Air, can address critical societal issues like air quality.

_____
Image: Patrick Fung (left), Dr Polina Zioga (centre), Dr Catherine M. Weir (centre top), and Dr Tony Ip (right) at ‘Breathing Cities: Art, Architecture, and Air’. [Talk]. In: SPARK Festival 2024 ‘Healthy Futures’. AIRSIDE, Hong Kong, 19 October 2024. ©2024 Interactive Filmmaking Lab®.

Wishing You a Joyful Holiday Season!

As the Holiday Season is upon us, we look back with immense gratitude for the opportunities, collaborations, and support that made this year unforgettable. From the premiere of This Place Has Its Own Air in Hong Kong to the meaningful discussions and events it inspired, we are filled with optimism for the future.

We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Peaceful New Year full of inspiration, creativity, and impactful storytelling! Let’s continue breathing life into new ideas and making positive changes in the world together.

Categories
Audiences Brain-Computer Interfaces Interactive Media Live Brain-Computer Cinema Methods Participants People Publications Research UX

Celebrating Pioneering Women in Interactive Arts & Neurotechnologies

Today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the pioneering women who have opened new horizons in the fields of interactive arts and neurotechnologies! As a woman- and diverse-led team, we pay tribute to the women that have shaped the landscape of brain-computer interaction and neuroscience in interactive storytelling and the arts, and have inspired our own work.

Nina Sobell and Jaqueline Humbert are early pioneering artists, and amongst the first to design Brain-Computer Interaction applications. Sobell’s Brainwave Drawings (1972) – probably the first work of moving image with the use of a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), and Humbert’s Alpha Garden installation (1973) and Brainwave Etch-a-Sketch drawing game (1974), are seminal works, laying the groundwork for future explorations in the field. Read more…

In more recent years, advancements in neuroscience and technology have enabled artists to create works that express their inner experiences and the feeling of being connected with their audience. Claudia Robles-Angel is an audio-visual and new media artist pushing the boundaries of audience interaction in multimedia performances. Her INsideOUT (2009) audio-visual performance used her own brain-activity to generate images and sound. Read more…

Mariko Mori has used the simultaneous interaction of more than one participant with the use of BCIs in the Wave UFO immersive video installation (2023). While the iconic performance artist Marina Abramovic collaborated with neuroscientist Dr Suzanne Dikker in projects like Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze (2011), The Compatibility Racer (2012) and The Mutual Wave Machine (2013), demonstrating the power of multi-brain BCIs in facilitating simultaneous interaction between participants. Read more…

As we celebrate the contributions of these remarkable women, and their dedication to pushing the boundaries of art, science, and technology, let’s continue to honour and amplify the voices of women in interactive media and beyond!

Categories
News People

Remembering Professor Patricia Zimmermann

It is with great sadness and shock that we have been informed of the passing, earlier this month, of Patty Zimmermann, Longtime Professor of Screen Studies at Ithaca College.

Professor Zimmermann was the epitome of the teacher-scholar, with numerous honours and distinctions; and named in 2021 as the Charles A. Dana Professor of Screen Studies, in recognition of her significant contributions.

For the Interactive Film and Media Journal Board, and us here at the Interactive Filmmaking Lab, Patty has long been a source of knowledge, inspiration, and generous support. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her husband Stewart and son Sean.

The announcement in full by the Ithaca College can be found here.

Categories
Audiences Conference Data Visceralisation Interactive Filmmaking Interactive Media News People Publications Research

‘DCAC 2023′

The hybrid 5th International Conference on Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges (DCAC 2023), hosted by the Department of Audio & Visual Arts (Ionian University), is taking place in Corfu (Greece) and online, this week, 12-13 May 2023. The aim of DCAC 2023 is to bring together technology, art and culture in the Digital Era; provide a forum on current research and applications; and deepen cooperation, exchange experiences, and good practices.

As part of the conference, Dr Polina Zioga and Dr Catherine M. Weir will present our new work-in-progress project ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’: A Proof of Concept for Urban Air Quality Data Visceralisation, in Session 2: Digital Culture and Technologies, 12 May 2023, 11:30-12:45 EEST.

How can interactive video and real-time data visceralisation help audiences connect with their shared environment, and promote the reduction of urban air pollution?
‘This Place Has Its Own Air’ proof of concept (Zioga and Weir 2023).

[…] This paper presents ‘This Place Has Its Own Air’, a data-driven video-installation and proof of concept for urban air quality data visceralisation. Its title is based on the seminal memoir The Living Mountain (1977) by Nan Shepherd, and is concerned with the effect of the city’s air (man-made polluted environment) on the body. The video-installation uses the real-time air quality data of the city where it is presented, to create an evocative visceralisation of the bodily experience; enabling viewers to have a real-time glimpse of the air they breathe and reflect on the need for reducing the pollution of their environment. […]

(Zioga and Weir 2023)

You can find here: the schedule and the full list of speakers.

Categories
Interactive Filmmaking Museums News People Publications Research

‘Interactive Film and Media 2022’

The #IFM2022 Virtual Conference is taking place online, from the 8th to the 10th of June 2022. This year’s conference reunites academics and practitioners to explore the definitions, terms, practices and conditions of interaction and interactivity in three strands: epistemology, listening, and ecomedia. Apart from the paper presentations, the conference also includes several exhibitions of interactive films.

The Full Conference Program & Registration (Free Admission) are now available: https://journals.library.ryerson.ca/index.php/InteractiveFilmMedia/program. While, the new issue of the #IFM Journal features all the video presentations: https://journals.library.ryerson.ca/index.php/InteractiveFilmMedia/issue/view/133.

As part of the conference, Victoria Wetzel and Dr Polina Zioga will present their research on ‘Paintings Alive: Interactive Films and Video Installations for Young Museum Visitors’, in Panel V ‘Hybrid & Augmented – Extended Experiences in Space’, 9 June 2022, 8:00-9:20 AM (Dallas) / 9:00-10:20 AM (Toronto) / 2:00-3:20 PM (Leeds) / 3:00-4:20 PM (Bayreuth).

[…] our research focuses on the use of interactive video technologies, and factors that can lead into the design of engaging and user-friendly museum experiences for children. To achieve this, a museum was chosen as a case study and a survey was conducted. The results […] led to the production of Paintings Alive, an interactive film for children, based on the museum’s art gallery, and accessible on the visitors’ mobile devices. Our paper also discusses the findings of the project, alongside the challenges and limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers recommendations for future work. […]

You can find here: the conference program, the full list of video presentations, together with the free registration.

Categories
Art Exhibition Brain-Computer Interfaces Live Brain-Computer Cinema News People Research

‘Digital Art and Neurosciences’

Dr Polina Zioga was invited to speak about ‘Digital Art and Neurosciences’, at The European Centre/Contemporary Space Athens (74 Mitropoleos Street, Historical Centre of Athens, Greece), on the 20th of May 2022, and presented the ‘Live Brain-Computer Cinema’ research project and her work on ‘Enheduanna: A Manifesto of Falling’ Live Brain-Computer Cinema Performance.

The invited talk was part of the ‘Digital Art, A New World’ art exhibition, presented by the Chicago Athenaeum: Μuseum of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, and the Project 2 Athens.

Zioga, P. (2022) ‘Digital Art and Neurosciences’. [Talk]. The European Centre/ Contemporary Space Athens, 20 May 2022.
Categories
Brain-Computer Interfaces Interactive Filmmaking Live Brain-Computer Cinema Live Cinema News People Performance Publications Research

‘Was Enheduanna the World’s First Author?’ AramcoWorld Magazine

The ‘Live Brain-Computer Cinema’ research project was featured in the AramcoWorld magazine’s March / April 2022 issue. Dr Polina Zioga was interviewed by Lee Lawrence for her work on  ‘Enheduanna: A Manifesto of Falling’ Live Brain-Computer Cinema Performance, the ‘50-minute mixed-media event [that] broke technological ground’.

In producing Enheduanna: A Manifesto of Falling, which premiered in 2015, Zioga intercut verses from “The Exaltation” with words by Maya Angelou, Virginia Woolf, Theodore Adorno, Pavlina Pamboudi, Marguerite Yourcenar and other writers. The 50-minute mixed-media event broke technological ground […]: As video projections filled a screen, the show’s solo performer and audience members […] wore […] headsets that intermittently picked up brain activity and colored the stage in real time accordingly to the results. […] It was the premiere of a live, brain-computer interface performance, and in it the world’s first author seemed right at home. “The Exaltation,” says Zioga, “is one of these works that is safe to describe as universal and timeless, and therefore contemporary.”

Enheduanna – A Manifesto of Falling’ Live Brain-Computer Cinema Performance featuring Anastasia Katsinavaki at CCA Glasgow, July 2015. Photography: Catherine M. Weir. ©2015 Polina Zioga and Catherine M. Weir.

You can read the full article here.

Categories
Interactive Filmmaking Interactive Scriptwriting News People Publications Research

New Year New Publications!

Here at the Interactive Filmmaking Lab, we have started the New Year with new publications! Hot off the press:

Clarke, A. and Zioga, P. (2022) Scriptwriting for Interactive Crime Films: the Case of Scapegoat. Interactive Film And Media Conference 2021: New Narratives, Racialization, Global Crises, And Social Engagement, Online. Interactive Film and Media Journal, 2(1): 106-121. doi: 10.32920/ifmj.v2i1.1524.

In recent years, the increasing number of interactive films being released, has highlighted the need for further development of methods and criteria that can guide the earlier stages of development, such as the scriptwriting process. Following the framework of interactive storytelling as a spectrum, it is acknowledged that writing a script for an interactive narrative that involves branching path options, or multiple endings, is becoming more common and presents its own challenges. […]

The article is published as part of the Proceedings of the ‘III Interactive Film and Media Conference (#IFM 2021)’ that took place in August 2021. You can read here: the full article and the editorial.

Clarke, A. and Zioga, P. (2021) ‘Celtx Gem split screen view of Scapegoat script’​.​

Also, in press:

Zioga, P. and Vélez-Serna, M.A. (2021 In Press) ‘Interaction Design for Audiences: A Proposition for Building Resilience and Recovery for COVID-safe Independent Cinemas’. In: Proceedings of Audiences Beyond the Multiplex: Understanding the Value of a Diverse Film Culture. Studies in the Digital Humanities. Sheffield: The Digital Humanities Institute.

[…] interaction design and technologies can help independent cinemas to engage and galvanise new audiences to patronise COVID-safe venues. From low-end online platforms to high-end immersive experiences, new technologies are transforming connectivity across society, and have the potential to support access for D/deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled audiences, but adoption by exhibitors is so far limited. We outline the research needs and priorities in this field. These include identifying facilitators and obstacles to industry adoption of interactive forms, and mapping experiences and attitudes across the sector. Together with directions for immediate practical solutions, it is crucial to gather critical data for future research use, in order to pave the way for long-term solutions and design innovation, so that the sector can build resilience, recover and reach underserved audiences.

The article will be published as part of the Proceedings of the Conference ‘Audiences beyond the multiplex: understanding the value of a diverse film culture’ that took place in March 2021. You can read the full article here.