Festival of Interactive Narrative & Storytelling 2023: OPENING EVENT

Join the New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence as we officially open the inaugural Festival of Interactive Narrative and Storytelling, with presentations from special guests - Rick Stemm, Timothy Best and Zhia Zariko.

Drinks and finger food provided.

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Rick Stemm

Your Best Stories by Living Your Best Life

Rick Stemm is a Wellington-based game writer, designer, artist, and community leader originally from Madison, WI and San Antonio, TX. He is Design Manager and Narrative Director at PikPok, supporting the entire Design Department, setting standards for the new narrative team, and most importantly, helping people communicate. Rick keeps a foot in the indie art scene, as a playwright represented by Playmarket, fight choreographer, and transmedia artist doing weird art.

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Timothy Best

Choosing the Right Fork

Timothy C. Best was a game journalist for almost a decade, working on magazines including Australian PC Gamer, Hyper, and PC PowerPlay ... which he edited for two years. In 2008 he jumped from writing about games to designing them. He has worked at indie studios in Perth, Melbourne and, now, New Zealand. Timothy is on contract as Principle Narrative Designer at Wētā Workshop's game studio.

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Zhia Zariko

Between Dating and X-Rating: The Untapped Narrative Potential Of Intimacy In Games

Zhia Zariko is an academic turned educator, wanting to use her weird penchant for analysis to assist game developers to make better games. Currently an established tertiary educator in games design and media cultures, she is in the process of dipping her toes into the world of game development by diving into the deep end without water wings and making her own game about romance, intimacy, and kissing monsters.

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This event is supported by the New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE).