Virtual Reality filmmaker Jessica Brillhart has been named a film keynote speaker for the 2019 South by Southwest Conference, the festival committee announced Tuesday.
The committee also announced new featured speakers for the Austin-based festival’s 2019 edition, including “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, director and producer Frank Oz, actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and singer-actor Lance Bass.
Brillhart is the founder of independent studio Vrai Pictures, and previously served as principal VR filmmaker at Google, where she helped to develop Google Jump. She joins previously-announced keynote speakers 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 SXSW Director of Film Janet Pierson. “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.”
Registration for SXSW 2019 is currently open. Conference programming is organized into 25 tracks divided between Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats.
Founded in 1987, SXSW celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The 2019 festival takes place March 8 to March 17, 2019.