Annual DC Web Fest to Showcase Best in Online Filmmaking

1. Annual DC Web Fest to Showcase Best in Online Filmmaking The Fifth Annual DC Web Fest will take place Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Navy Memorial Museum, located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. Washington, DC, July 22, 2016 - The Fifth Annual DC Web Festwill take place Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Navy Memorial Museum, located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington,DC. Founded in 2013 by DC filmmaker and author Otessa Ghadar, the DC Web Festkicks off at 6 p.m. on April 1, and highlights the intersection of entertainment and technology, featuring the best in online content, video games, digital media, short films and apps. Presented by 20/20 Productions, the mission of the one-day festival is to entertain, educate and promote these new and innovative forms of modern art. “We have positioned DC as the flashpoint for New Media, exposing the District to new and ever expanding web platforms. By introducing Washingtonians to this web content, some of it produced in their own backyard, they will hopefully be inspired to become more engaged in this inventive art form which bolsters the local creative economy,” saysGhadar. This year’s festival has broadened its scope to include all forms of digital storytelling and technology, from gaming to AI, to online publishing and more. It will also include a gathering of special guests and presenters who represent thought leaders in theindustry. The event is ideal for media specialists and technology enthusiasts, artists, filmmakers, bloggers, story tellers, and entrepreneurs who are interested in this transforming the world of entertainment, says Ghadar. As the event founder, Ghadar literally wrote the book on the topic. In 2016, she authored the digital media industry’s first textbook, The Wild West of Film, a guide for creative professionals and teaches novices and experts alike how to create, market and manage in the digitalage. As one of the web series medium’s earliest adopters, Ghadar is a true forerunner of digital media. She launched the webshow, Orange Juice in the Bishops Garden (OJBG), which became the longest continually running show online. With an international audience in over 145 countries, OJBG has been recognized not only by a loyal global following, but also by industry heavy hitters. OJBG is a six-time Telly Awards Winner, a four-time LA Web Fest Winner, a three-time Webby Awards Official Honoree, among others.

2. She is also the founder and president of DC-based digital media company 20/20 Productions. With its content, the company has become the destination for non-geoblocked, globally availableprogramming. Past presenters of the annual event have included: and Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Emmy nominated for New Approaches in a Documentary; Catherine Carnovale of Sullivan Entertainment in Canada; Justin Aitel, head of Dow Jones Cyber Security and Special Projects; Ryan Holladay, TED Fellow, Apsen Ideas Scholar and Artist in Residence at Stanford University; Philippa Hughs, Pink Line Project; Dan Vely, Comedian and Writer, HBO’s Enlightened and Comedy Central Presents; Stephani DeLuca, Production Coordinator, “Gossip Girl” and “The Amazing Spider Man 2”; Morgan Hungerford West of “aCreative DC”; and Clint Gaige, filmmaker of “ShotgunMythos.” Sponsorship opportunities are available. For additional information on the festival, email info@dcwebfest.org , call (202) 588-5891 or go online at www.dcwebfest.org. --20/20 Productions-- Contact: StevenInfanti SMI Communications Alexandria,VA 717-982-3772 SMICommunications@Earthlink.net http://www.dcwebfest.org