Nonprofit’s immersive digital media event for students goes digital, expands reach

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – September 21, 2020 – The Mosaic Film Experience today announced its ninth annual Mosaic Event will be held virtually due to COVID-19. The 2020 Mosaic Event will be broadcast globally live from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on November 4 from Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids, Michigan. International professionals from MUV, a transmedia company headquartered in Mexico City, are currently the headlining presenter. Fifth Third Bank is the presenting sponsor.While the virtual nature of this year’s event provides new logistical and planning challenges, event organizers look at it as an opportunity.“The safety of our young people, guest presenters and team members is always at the forefront of our priorities,” Skot Welch, founder of the Mosaic Film Experience, said. “We’re excited to leverage the digital event format to broaden our reach and connect with even more students, not only in Michigan but across the country and even internationally.”Since 2011, the annual Mosaic Event has engaged more than 4,000 students from across Michigan in immersive workshops and interactive presentations. Presenters have included West Michigan creative professionals and nationally renowned guests ranging from HBO and Spotify executives and Netflix producers to an industry-leading costume concept artist and a YouTube star. The full lineup of 2020 Mosaic Event speakers will be announced soon.The Mosaic Event serves as an educational opportunity and a bridge to careers.“Each year, our students walk away thinking about media differently,” Bill Wolbrink, Careerline Tech Center instructor, said. “They think more critically about digital content and have a better understanding of different career paths to career opportunities they may never have considered.”In addition to the guest speakers, the Mosaic Event also serves as the culmination of the annual Mosaic Mobile contest, a mobile film competition for high school students in which films are shot, edited and entered on mobile devices. Each year, the top 10 Mosaic Mobile finalist films are shown and awards are presented at the Mosaic Event.“By creating short films on phones and tablets, Mosaic Mobile is leveling the content creation playing field and challenging the conventions of storytelling,” Welch said. “Throughout the creative process, students are flexing their critical thinking, creativity and collaboration muscles, which are skills that are critical in whatever career they pursue.”Each Mosaic Mobile film requires the use of a theme, prop, and saying. The three requirements are intentionally open-ended to encourage interpretation and creativity. The Mosaic Mobile 2020 theme is, “possibilities,” the prop is “keys,” and the saying “I am…” must be spoken or featured in the film. Mosaic Mobile 2020 will award more than $2,000 in cash prizes to winning student filmmakers. Students can submit films between September 28 and October 11, 2020.