Immerse: Creative discussion of emerging nonfiction storytelling
Welcome to Immerse!
How are we telling stories about the world today — and why?
User participation, mobile, social, and gaming have already unsettled the waters of documentary and journalism. With the advent of a new wave of extended reality, this is a critical moment. We need a widespread public conversation around emerging media forms from across the globe because these new modes of storytelling are poised to shape the ways that billions of people learn, communicate, and understand themselves and the world.
Launched in 2016, Immerse publishes regular features, along with responses to these pieces, plus roundups of relevant events and projects. With a curious and critical eye, we cover an array of topics: artificial intelligence, equity in tech, networked activism, nonfiction games, and more. We draw upon expertise across the field, as well as research and productions happening at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab.
We are concerned with serious questions about the ethics, impact, and implications of emerging forms. But also we want to celebrate the explosion of creativity and wild experimentation that’s happening at the moment — to have fun, surprise you, and also surprise ourselves along the way.
In the process, we take a broad look at what we mean when we say “nonfiction.” Where does “media” end and “reality” begin? Our goal is to explore many different variations — yes, journalism and documentary, but also speculative fiction based on real-world events, experiential media that sneaks up on you in familiar (and unfamiliar) places, and new concepts such as distributed storytelling.
Our editorial board is comprised of leading curators of interactive and emerging media and has included people from the MIT Open Documentary Lab, i-Docs, Sundance Institute, IDFA DocLab, POV, and Tribeca Film Institute. But while we’re soliciting input from each of these leaders, Immerse is editorially independent. We’d also like ideas from you: our vibrant network of peers, readers, and practitioners.
The spirit of this publication is collaboration, and access for all. We want to make sure that a diverse range of voices are heard and amplified and to address emerging storytelling from as many places in the world as possible.
Please subscribe to our newsletter, and get in touch if you would like to contribute, or have relevant news to share.
We are committed to exploring and showcasing media projects that push the boundaries of media and tackle issues of social justice — and rely on friends like you to sustain ourselves and grow. We hope you’ll join us by making a gift today.
Dive in…
Meet our crew
- Editor: Abby Sun (MIT Open DocLab)
- Publisher: Jessica Clark (Dot Connector Studio)
- Associate Editor: Julie Fukunaga
- Editorial Collective: Sarah Wolozin (MIT Open DocLab), Kat Cizek (MIT Open DocLab), Ingrid Kopp (Electric South)
- Producer: Claudia Romano (MIT Open DocLab)
Editorial Board:
- Zeina Abi Assy
- Mark Atkin (Crossover Labs)
- Amelia Winger-Bearskin
- Ruthie Doyle (Sundance Institute)
- Julia Scott-Stevenson (i-Docs)
- Caspar Sonnen (IDFA DocLab)
Immerse is an initiative of the MIT Open DocLab and Dot Connector Studio, and it receives funding from Just Films | Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. The Gotham Film & Media Institute is our fiscal sponsor. Join us by making a gift today.
Tribeca Film Institute was a founding partner from 2016–2017. We are grateful to The Fledgling Fund and Sheila Leddy and Diana Barrett for their early support and guidance.
Design by Hayrettin Gunc
