Chelsey Romano
Special to the Valley News
Spring is here, and the biggest digital media festival in Southern California is too. DigiFest Temecula 2023 is Friday through Sunday, April 21-23. This multimedia creative festival honors short films and videos, web series, animation, gaming, graphic design, music videos, digital art, photography and more. It’s also where competition submissions from all digital-art mediums are acknowledged and awarded. The community can join JDS Creative Academy and DigiFest as they celebrate content creators from all around the world.
The festival showcases three days of industry professionals, Hollywood talent, directors, producers, composers, podcasters, certified trainers and educators offering hands-on elite workshops in artificial intelligence, music, editing and how-to tips for creating their own show. Attendees will also experience delicious foods and beverages from local vendors, breweries and wineries, as well as amazing entertainment from comedy to music. But the best part of DigiFest is the opportunity to network, collaborate, connect and party with others in the business.
Festival attendees have the opportunity to purchase any of three different ticket options. The first ticket option is a single entry to one or two of the events of choice; the second option is an all-access ticket where attendees can attend all three days and all five events of DigiFest, and the third option is a virtual ticket where you can attend and interact with the live-streamed festival online from the comfort of your home. All is included in the virtual option except Saturday night’s screenings. Tickets can also be purchased in person during the event.
Who should attend DigiFest 2023? This festival is for actors, voice-over talent, directors, writers, animators, musicians and digital content creators. Any artist hungry for inspiration and looking to acquire tips and knowledge from industry professionals to help level up their careers should be at DigiFest 2023. DigiFest is for podcasters and influencers looking to learn more about their craft, build connections and network and who want to grow their platforms and knowledge. The festival is also for anyone in the community who appreciates the arts and enjoys meeting inspirational creative artists because they are fans or want to move their career forward. In other words, anyone and everyone who wants to immerse themselves in the celebration of the digital arts should attend this event.
Whether you want to surround yourself with Hollywood talent, improve your music composition, video, television or podcast production skills or even just absorb and be in the presence of global talent.
Speaking of Hollywood talent, some of the star-studded DigiFest 2023 speakers appearing during the weekend include ABC’s “Big Sky’s” Ryan O’Nan; “Criminal Minds” actress and advocate Eileen Grubba; Bob Bergen, who voices Porky Pig; and Candi Milo, who famously voices Dexter from “Dexter’s Laboratory.” Besides the on-screen talent, DigiFest features award-winning directors and cinematographers Rachel Nee-Hall, Alex Bram, Pryde Pierce, and Chris Nolan, all of whom will be present for a panel discussion and Q&A.
The festival will also present hands-on workshops. They include educator Krystal Fielstra, presenting on artificial intelligence in the creative space; Adobe Certified Trainer David Creamer, who will share all the inside tips of the Premiere editing platform; award-winning composer Bryon Fry hosting a music arrangement workshop and Diane Forster from the acclaimed award-winning show, “I Have Today,” facilitating a podcast/television show production workshop.
Entertainment for the weekend will be provided by local comedian Donna Maine and musician Sammie Listoe. This entertainment lineup is exactly what you need to level up your creativity and have some fun.
Besides featuring a star-studded lineup, DigiFest 2023 also has a competition component that includes students, amateurs and professionals who enter domestically and globally. Submissions closed in early March and were critiqued by industry-professional judges; the winners will be awarded a Digi Award, an Honorable Mention and/or a Peoples’ Choice Award. These awards will be handed out at the Temecula Conference Center at the culmination of the festival, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 23.
DigiFest Temecula has been held in the region for seven years, founded with passion by Diane Strand, co-founder and executive director of JDS Creative Academy. JDS Creative Academy, the host of DigiFest Temecula is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) providing a place to learn about industry advancements, how to pursue a career in the industry and how to incorporate digital arts into the economic culture.
Purchase tickets before they are sold out at https://www.DigiFestTemecula.org. For more information on all things #JDSFamily check out https://jdscreativeacademy.org/ or call 951-296-6715.
