SONA 2025
Schedule
Day 1
Thursday March 27th
Registration: 10 AM - 12:30 PM
MAP: (Tepper building Lobby)
VR FilmS: 10 AM - 4 PM
MAP: (VR Room - Cohen University Center Activities Room)
Immersive screenings: 10 AM - 5:30 PM
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Henry Aberle, Meghna Anil,
Lorendana Larionescu
Short talks: 11 AM - 12:30 PM
MAP: (Hamburg Hall Room 1002)
Eric Williams, Jordan HErron
Creator Talk: 12:30 PM - 1 PM
MAP: (Hamburg Hall Room A301)
Rod Pisa
Enterprise talk: 1 PM - 2 PM
MAP: (Swartz Center, Tepper Building)
Judi Alston, Andy Campbell
Creator talk: 2 PM - 3 PM
MAP: (Hamburg Hall Room A301)
Derek Ham
Opening Keynote: 6 PM - 7 PM
MAP: (Hamburg Hall Room A301)
Opening Gala/ DJ BigCashew:
7 PM - 9 PM
MAP: (Welcome Center)
Day 2
Friday March 28th
Registration: 10 AM - 12:30 PM
MAP: (Tepper building Lobby)
VR Films: 10 AM - 3:30 PM
MAP: (VR Room - Hunt Library
basement media lab)
Immersive screenings: 10 AM - 2 PM
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Joel Benjamin, Brad Riddell
Animators Talk: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
MAP: (Hamburg Hall Room 1002)
Ralph Vituccio, Nevine Abraham,
Michal Friedman
creator Talk: 2 PM - 3 PM
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Amber Johnson
Creator Workshop: 3 PM - 4 pm
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Johannes De Young, Annie Hui-Hsin HSieh Present The Endless Mile : 4:30 PM - 5 pm
MAP: (VR Room - Hunt Library basement media lab)
SONA 2025 Awards/ DJ Formosa:
7 PM - 9 PM
MAP: (Welcome Center)
Day 3
Saturday March 29th
VR Films: 10:30 AM - 12 PM
MAP: (VR Room - Hunt library basement media lab)
Immersive screenings: 10:30 AM - 12 PM
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Panel Discussions: 1 PM - 2 PM
Where Do We Go From Here?
MAP: (Kenner Room)
Closing 2 PM
MAP: (Kenner Room)
MAP LINKS:
Welcome Center
Kenner Room
Cohon University Center
VR Room (Activities Room)
Tepper BUiLding Lobby
Hamburg Hall
Swartz Center for entrepreneurship
Hunt library
VR Room (Media Lab)
PARKING:
East Campus Parking Garage
AWARDS
FRIDAY March 28th
Sona recognize the creativity and innovation
of immersive storytellers through a series of awards and prizes.
Audience Choice Award: $1000
Awarded to Joel Benjamin - MAXQ
Voted on by festival attendees, this award recognizes the immersive work that creates the strongest connection with its audience, whether through emotional impact, interactivity, or narrative power.
Social Impact Award: $1000
Awarded to Judi Alston & Andy Campbell - Streets of Change & The Abandoned Library
Celebrating immersive projects that address social, environmental, or humanitarian issues, this award honors works that drive awareness, spark change, and amplify underrepresented voices.
Emerging Creator Award $1000
Awarded to Amber Marie Johnson - Crafting the Unreal
Acknowledging new talent in the immersive space, this award is reserved for first-time or early-career creators who show exceptional promise, originality, and innovation in their work.
Unbound Award: $1000
Awarded to Eva Davidova - Garden for Drowning Descendent
Celebrating the most unconventional, bizarre, or boundary-pushing experience, this award is for creators whose storytelling ventures into the unknown, offering visionary, often surreal, or experimental experiences.