Arizona State University Narrative and Emerging Media Presents: "Out of the Ashes"

Arizona State University's Narrative and Emerging Media (NEM) Program will host a special industry mixer at the Venice Biennale Immersive celebrating Out of the Ashes, an immersive documentary by Nonny de la Peña and Rory Mitchell. The project shares deeply personal stories of loss, resilience, and rebuilding in the aftermath of the devastating January 2025 Los Angeles firestorm, when hurricane-force winds exceeding 100 miles per hour fueled one of the region's most destructive wildfire events. Through immersive storytelling and emerging media technologies, Out of the Ashes invites audiences to witness the lived experiences of individuals and communities navigating displacement, recovery, and hope. The event will highlight NEM's commitment to socially engaged storytelling while bringing together international artists, curators, technologists, and industry leaders to explore how immersive media can foster empathy, preserve community memory, and inspire conversations about climate resilience and the future of documentary practice.

HOSTED BY ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY'S NARRATIVE AND EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM

Arizona State University’s Center for Narrative and Emerging Media (NEM) in Los Angeles is a best-in-class research, teaching and gathering venue, with a focus on diversifying the demographics of who gets to create and distribute narratives using emerging media technologies in the areas of arts, culture and nonfiction. The MA’s mission is to be an inclusive, affordable professional program and a center of excellence, bringing together pioneers from diverse communities, pushing technology with underrepresented narratives, and using innovative techniques for practice and policy, all strongly anchored in ASU’s larger purpose of inclusion. NEM trains and supports storytellers, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs and engineers who are building the stories, technologies and policies of the future as leaders in the emerging media landscape. In fall 2022, we launched our flagship MA Narrative and Emerging Media, centered around the development of a creative practice and critical understanding of emerging storytelling and immersive experience content creation in augmented, virtual and extended reality, and short-form digital, streaming and virtual production. Students engage in professional networking and for-credit portfolio development, and emerge prepared to take on roles in film, content development, media production and project management, or become entrepreneurial storytellers ready to seek funding for their own projects. Our team is composed of dedicated and diverse professionals spanning fields of journalism, film and VFX effects, and art and technology.