About – Signals

Welcome to Signals 2024, where art and technology converge to expand the boundaries of storytelling, creativity, and human experience. In a time when creativity and technology are often seen in tension, this year’s theme, Re-imagining Creativity with AI, aims to spark conversations on how disruptive technologies can amplify human expression rather than replace it.

At the heart of this year’s expo are the questions: How can AI empower us as storytellers, makers, and dreamers? We invite visitors to ponder the ethical, emotional, and creative implications of AI, as well as its impact on film, gaming, and beyond.

This year’s lineup is especially significant, featuring a diverse range of creatives—from world-class video game developers to experimental film-makers and Indigenous artists who are using technology to revitalize and reimagine cultural narratives.

Additionally, many curated projects use relatively accessible tools to create profound immersive experiences. By focusing on practical yet innovative technologies, Signals fosters a platform where creators, regardless of scale, can leverage tech to tell transformative stories without needing the resources of large studios.

All of these works challenge us to think critically about the future of art and technology, while offering glimpses of what is possible when innovation is deeply intertwined with cultural wisdom and storytelling.

We look forward to sharing this immersive journey with you, and hope that Signals 2024 leaves you inspired, challenged, and connected to the evolving landscape of creative technology.

Sincerely,
Loretta Todd, Debi Wong, Loc Dao

Loretta Sarah Todd is a renowned filmmaker and the creative director of an Indigenous XR lab, IM4 Lab. Known for her innovative approach, she leverages her extensive experience in crafting narratives and exploring the intersection of technology and Indigenous cultural expression. Her first dramatic feature, Monkey Beach, based on the iconic novel by Eden Robinson, was screened at TIFF and has won over 25 awards including all 6 drama awards at the American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco). Ms. Todd also creates games, apps and children’s programming including Coyote Science, a series about Indigenous science and technology.

Debi Wong is an award-winning XR producer, creative director, and multidisciplinary artist. She is the Founding Artistic Director of re-Opera in Vancouver and co-executive producer of Signals Creative Technology Expo at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Her notable projects include The Dark (CIMA Bold Award Winner, SXSW XR Selection) and Live From The Underworld (Aurea XR Award). Recently, she performed at TED 2023 as the Solar Ambassador in K Allado McDowell’s AI opera. Wong was named one of the world’s 100 most influential experiential designers by XP Land’s XLIST.

Loc Dao is the Executive Director of DigiBC – the Creative Technology Association of BC representing the video game, animation, VFX, XR/immersive sectors. Loc was the first Chief Digital Officer for the NFB and has advised the Government of Canada on digital policy, the Canada Media Fund on digital media strategies, and the Province of BC most recently leading the first sectoral talent and growth strategy for Creative Technology in BC. Previously, Loc co-founded digital studios at CBC and the National Film Board, pioneering interactive and immersive storytelling recognized globally.

Are you part of the creative industries in the Greater Vancouver area and ready to export, or new to exporting and looking to break into international markets?

A warehouse in False Creek flats is being transformed from an industrial blank slate to a portal to a digital future rich in imagination and possibility. And it’s all to set the stage for Signals: Vancouver’s annual creative tech expo.

See you at Signals 2024!

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