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Expert Game Designer Lorne Lanning and Director Spencer Halpin Join New Media Film Festival

Video game creator Lorne Lanning (Oddworld Series including Oddworld: ABE’S ODDYSEE), and director/filmmaker Spencer Halpin of the controversial violence in videogaming documentary Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat, will be joining founder/director Susan Johnston for the 2nd Annual New Media Film Festival, to be held May 20-21, 2011. Showcasing the best in new media and featuring award-nominated and winning filmmakers from all over the world, the New Media Film Festival is dedicated to the creation, development, and distribution of new media content in all forms and across all platforms, honoring stories worth telling. 

With a decision forthcoming from The Supreme Court of the United States (Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association), SPENCER HALPIN’S MORAL KOMBAT is a timely and polarizing look at video games, containing interviews with experts on both sides of the matter:

Joseph Lieberman - Connecticut Senator and former Vice Presidential Candidate

Dean Takahashi - author and lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat

Dr. Henry Jenkins – Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts, a joint professorship at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and USC School of Cinematic Arts, formerly of MIT Media Lab

Lorne Lanning - OddMobb; Former Co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants

Douglas Lowenstein - co-founder, former President of the Entertainment Software Association (previously IDSA)

Vince Broady - founder, Gamespot

Dr. David Walsh - President and founder of the National Institute on Media & the Family

Jack Thompson - activist and former Florida attorney

Marie Sylla - Vice President of Federal Government Relations at Verizon

Richard Oh - NPD Group

Some believe that violent games should be banned. Others support their protection under the First Amendment. With the help of Ramy Katrib of Digital Film Tree LLC, Spencer Halpin shot the film entirely in high-definition video, making extensive use of green screen technology to blend the subject matter being discussed (games, characters, archival news footage) in the background, while keeping the interviewee actively in the shot. Game and content creator Lorne Lanning had served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. He was the co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants, which has sold over 6 million games and won more than 100 industry awards, and, most recently, he co-founded new company OddMobb, Inc. based in Emeryville, CA. Both Spencer Halpin and Lorne Lanning will be attending a May 21 Q&A to discuss their work, as well as its relation to violence in video games, which has become especially pertinent due to the Supreme Court's pending decision.

The 2nd Annual New Media Film Festival, sponsored in part by Go Digital, Final Draft, Blue Angel Vodka, and Showbiz Software will be taking place at Los Angeles Film School May 20th – 21st , 2011 (6363 Sunset Boulevard, CA 90028).

Tickets are on sale now and submissions are being accepted until May 10th.

For Registration information, complete agenda, and additional details are available at http://www.NewMediaFilmFestival.com

Contact:

Jay Randy Gordon, New Media Film Festival 2011 - Brand Manager

randy@jayrandygordon.com

650-346-8127

Dates 
Friday, May 20, 2011 - 3:07pm to Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 3:07pm
Location 
Los Angeles
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