Thursday
November 13th
8:00 AM | Breakfast
Breakfast tacos will served at the pool bar.
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Camp IMI
Expect a full day of creative activities.
3:00 PM | Hotel Check In
Check in for East Austin Hotel starts (unless you're already here for Camp IMI).
7:00 - 9:00 PM | Creator Welcome Party
Join your fellow creators at The Rooftop at the East Austin Hotel. We'll have an open bar and a range of passed appetizers!
Friday
November 14th
8:30 AM | Shuttle Departs
The shuttle will leave from the Lobby of East Austin Hotel at 8:30 AM sharp for Baker Center. We'll have a shuttle looping back and forth between locations all day in case you need to return to the hotel.
9:00 - 10:00 AM | Breakfast
Breakfast tacos will be provided in the Cafetorium of the Baker Center.
10:00 - 11:00 AM | Field Day
This is your chance to explore the creative community within our building! Choose an activity based on your interests and meet likeminded creators. Check out those here or in the Discord.
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Session One
These unconference sessions are designed to spark organic, dynamic discussions around topics that matter most. These are meant to be private, uncensored conversations with your peers. Check out the topics here or in the Discord.
12:30 - 1:30 PM | Lunch
Gather back in the Cafetorium for a casual lunch with your new friends.
1:30 - 2:45 PM | Session Two
Check out the topics here or in the Discord.
3:00 - 4:30 PM | Session Three
Check out the topics here or in the Discord.
5:00 PM | Shuttle Return
Head back to East Austin Hotel to rest and relax.
6:30 PM | Creator Dinner
Enjoy a group dinner with your fellow creators at Assembly Hall.
10:00 PM | After Hours
Explore Austin spots like The White Horse and Whisler's. The Rooftop at the East Austin Hotel is also open for a casual drink.
Saturday
November 15th
10:00 AM | Doors Open
The Festival kicks off with our Creator Studio! We'll also have a taco truck and bar open. Distribution Hall is an 8 minute walk from East Austin Hotel.
11:00 AM | Show Me Your Algorithm Lounge Opens
Come hang in the SMYA lounge and share what’s shaping your feed. Bring a friend to peek at what they’re watching or enter in secret to confess your guilty pleasures.
11:00 AM | IMI Award Winner's Panel
Celebrate the voices shaping the future of independent media. A panel that features our 2025 award winners in conversation with each other featuring Gawx, Yowei Shaw, Evan Ratliff, Practical Engineering, and Joel Haver.
12:00 PM | Inventing Tomorrow: Stories from the Frontier
Every science and engineering story is also a story about the future, with new discoveries—from space exploration to AI—expanding what’s possible and challenging creators to make those frontiers understandable. Inventing Tomorrow: Stories from the Frontier brings together a filmmaker, an engineer, and an educator to explore how scientific discovery becomes public imagination and how storytelling shapes what we choose to build next. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this panel features Joe Posner, Dr. Karen Wilcox, and Logan Smalley.
1:00 PM | IMI Presents: A Special Announcement
We’ve got a big project planned for next year! Be the first to hear about our new model for a decentralized public media, and an ambitious effort to change the conversation around science in America. If you care about public engagement with science, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get involved.
1:30 PM | Joel Haver & Friends Creator Roundtable
How do independent filmmakers turn collaboration into art? Joel Haver sits down with Eric Bernhagen, Dax Flame, and Trent Lenkarski to discuss creativity, community, and leadership behind the camera.
2:30 PM | Debate LIVE: When Entertainment Leads, Education Loses
Sabrina Cruz (Answer in Progress) and Destin Sandlin (Smarter Every Day) face off in a live, structured debate. Audiences will vote live to decide whether “hiding the vegetables” helps or hurts learning!
3:30 PM | Local x Global Premiere
Practical Engineering and Radiolab are premiering new videos at IMI Fest AND on their YouTube channels!
6:30 - 9:00 PM | Award Ceremony + Dinner
Join us for dinner and the presentation of the Sloan Science Prizes for YouTube and IMI Awards.
9:00 PM | After Party
Sunday
November 16th
11:00 AM | Hotel Check Out
Check out for East Austin Hotel by this time. Drop your bags at reception if you're going to the Screenings or Farewell Hang.
12:00 PM | Joel Haver & Friends Screening
Sunday programming begins at Hyperreal Film Club which is a short walk from East Austin Hotel. From improvised comedy to intimate drama, this screening spotlights the inventive, collaborative world of Joel Haver and his longtime collaborators Eric Bernhagen, Dax Flame, and Trent Lenkarski.
1:00 PM | IMI Selected Works Screening
IMI screening featuring selected works from Alex Robinson, Anna Maria Luisa, Shaffer Nickel, Hussain Khan, and Mark Pagán.
2:00 PM | Festival Hang Begins
Enjoy a farewell hang with your fellow creators at Zilker Brewing. Drink tickets will be provided.
2:30 PM | Austin Independents Screening
A selection of new work from Austin’s independent creators. A celebration of the city’s creative scene and the artists shaping its next chapter featuring William Reed, Mia Vannoy, and Meghan Ross.
4:00 PM | Festival Ends
Thank you for coming to IMI Fest!
Wednesday
November 12th
3:00 PM | Camp IMI Check In
Camp IMI attendees and mentors can check into their hotel rooms at East Austin Hotel. Check if you are Camp IMI here.
7:00 - 9:00 PM | Camp IMI Dinner
Second Bar + Kitchen at East Austin Hotel will have a tab open for food and drinks. Make sure to wear your badge to access the tab.
IMI Fest
Schedules
Camp IMI campers and mentors can check into their hotel rooms 11/13!
Camp IMI starts with breakfast in The Den at the East Austin Hotel at 9 am. Expect a full day of creative activities.
Check in for your hotel room at the East Austin Hotel opens (unless you're already here for Camp IMI).
Come meet your fellow creators at The Rooftop at the East Austin Hotel. We'll have an open bar and a range of passed appetizers!
The shuttle will leave East Austin Hotel at 8:30 AM Sharp for Baker Center. We'll have a shuttle looping back and forth between locations all day in case you need to return to the hotel.
An important Austin cultural experience: breakfast tacos!
This is your chance to explore the creative community within our building! Choose an activity based on your interests and meet likeminded creators. More information on these activities to come.
These sessions are designed to spark organic, dynamic discussions around topics that matter most. These are meant to be private, uncensored conversations with your peers. Session 1 topics are:
Research and inspiration in the Cafetorium: How do you find the video, audio, books, articles, papers, music, etc. that inspires and informs your work?
Who do you create for in the IMI Office: Yourself or others? Who is “your audience”? How do you handle the post-posting blues? What happens when a beloved project flops?
Building and managing teams in Rocket Conference: Often the hard stuff is the people stuff! When is it time to grow your team? How do you find the right people? How do you manage them?
I'm optimistic about... in the Courtyard: Being an independent creator is tough. But what are you excited about? What’s the future media industry you want to build?
Gather back in the Cafetorium for a casual lunch with your new friends.
Session 2 topics are:
The Steps in the Cafetorium: Strategies and gameplans for getting your work to the next level. What steps have you taken to advance your career or your work?
Fake it til you make it in the IMI Office: How do you create without formal training? Independent creators have to wear every hat: how do you figure it out?
Becoming multiplatform in Rocket Conference: Thinking of starting a podcast, YouTube channel, or newsletter? How do you grow without losing your voice or your mind?
Show and tell in the Rosette Theater: Share your work in a low-stakes environment! Everything from published clips to half-baked ideas are welcome. You can share via a laptop, drive, or direct streaming.
Session 3 topics are:
Pivoting in the Cafetorium: How do you use your platform to create new opportunities? Maybe you want to off-ramp or on-ramp to something new. How do you pivot?
Lost in the edit in the IMI Office: How do you stay sane and maintain your voice during a big project? Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? How did you make it out?
Negotiation in Rocket Conference: How do you negotiate deals with sponsors, networks, co-creators, or other partners? What happens when a deal goes off the rails?
Show and tell in the Rosette Theater: Share your work in a low-stakes environment! Everything from published clips to half-baked ideas are welcome. You can share via a laptop, drive, or direct streaming.
Head back to the East Austin Hotel to rest and relax.
Enjoy a group dinner with your fellow creators at Tamale House East!
Explore Austin spots like The White Horse and Whisler's. The Rooftop at the East Austin Hotel is also open for a casual drink.
The Festival kicks off with live music and our Maker's Fair! We'll also have a taco truck and bar open. Distribution Hall is an 8 minute walk from the East Austin Hotel.
Hear from the 2024 IMI Award Winners about what they're they're excited about, what they're worried about, and what challenges they're facing.
A panel discussion about knowing vs. understanding in science communication.
Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
A live show of Joss Fong and Adam Cole's new "how do they know" show Howtown!
The live multimedia story of Gotham, a documentary film by Joe Posner.
Audio and video premieres from your fellow creators of upcoming work.
Live music from Austin Americana band Restos concludes the Day part of IMI Fest.
Join us for dinner and the presentation of the Sloan Science Prizes for YouTube and IMI Awards.
End the night with Austin duo Jane Leo!
Thank you for coming to IMI Fest! Checkout is the morning of 11/17.
The shuttle will leave East Austin Hotel at 8:30 AM Sharp for Baker Center. We'll have a shuttle looping back and forth between locations all day in case you need to return to the hotel.
An important Austin cultural experience: breakfast tacos!
This is your chance to explore the creative community within our building! Choose an activity based on your interests and meet likeminded creators. More information on these activities to come.
These sessions are designed to spark organic, dynamic discussions around topics that matter most. These are meant to be private, uncensored conversations with your peers. Session 1 topics are:
Research and inspiration in the Cafetorium: How do you find the video, audio, books, articles, papers, music, etc. that inspires and informs your work?
Who do you create for in the IMI Office: Yourself or others? Who is “your audience”? How do you handle the post-posting blues? What happens when a beloved project flops?
Building and managing teams in Rocket Conference: Often the hard stuff is the people stuff! When is it time to grow your team? How do you find the right people? How do you manage them?
I'm optimistic about... in the Courtyard: Being an independent creator is tough. But what are you excited about? What’s the future media industry you want to build?
Gather back in the Cafetorium for a casual lunch with your new friends.
Session 2 topics are:
The Steps in the Cafetorium: Strategies and gameplans for getting your work to the next level. What steps have you taken to advance your career or your work?
Fake it til you make it in the IMI Office: How do you create without formal training? Independent creators have to wear every hat: how do you figure it out?
Becoming multiplatform in Rocket Conference: Thinking of starting a podcast, YouTube channel, or newsletter? How do you grow without losing your voice or your mind?
Show and tell in the Rosette Theater: Share your work in a low-stakes environment! Everything from published clips to half-baked ideas are welcome. You can share via a laptop, drive, or direct streaming.
Session 3 topics are:
Pivoting in the Cafetorium: How do you use your platform to create new opportunities? Maybe you want to off-ramp or on-ramp to something new. How do you pivot?
Lost in the edit in the IMI Office: How do you stay sane and maintain your voice during a big project? Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? How did you make it out?
Negotiation in Rocket Conference: How do you negotiate deals with sponsors, networks, co-creators, or other partners? What happens when a deal goes off the rails?
Show and tell in the Rosette Theater: Share your work in a low-stakes environment! Everything from published clips to half-baked ideas are welcome. You can share via a laptop, drive, or direct streaming.
Head back to the East Austin Hotel to rest and relax.
Enjoy a group dinner with your fellow creators at Tamale House East!
Explore Austin spots like The White Horse and Whisler's. The Rooftop at the East Austin Hotel is also open for a casual drink.
Saturday
The Festival kicks off with live music and our Maker's Fair! We'll also have a taco truck and bar open. Distribution Hall is an 8 minute walk from the East Austin Hotel.
Hear from the 2024 IMI Award Winners about what they're they're excited about, what they're worried about, and what challenges they're facing.
A panel discussion about knowing vs. understanding in science communication.
Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
A live show of Joss Fong and Adam Cole's new "how do they know" show Howtown!
The live multimedia story of Gotham, a documentary film by Joe Posner.
Audio and video premieres from your fellow creators of upcoming work.
Live music from Austin Americana band Restos concludes the Day part of IMI Fest.
Join us for dinner and the presentation of the Sloan Science Prizes for YouTube and IMI Awards.
End the night with Austin duo Jane Leo!
Thank you for coming to IMI Fest! Checkout is the morning of 11/17.