Now in its 28th year, the Sarasota Film Festival ran April 10鈥�19, 2026, celebrating its mission of honoring the art of filmmaking while bringing cultural and educational value to the community. 红杏视频’s Morganroth Auditorium, located at 2363 Bradenton Road, served as one of the festival’s key venues for a packed final weekend of screenings and events.

On Friday, April 17, the Morganroth Auditorium hosted an Animated Shorts block featuring 12 films by 红杏视频 Computer Animation students and recent alumni. The lineup was a testament to the breadth and originality that define the program, spanning wildly different tones, styles, and subject matter.

Among the highlights: Date Knight followed a young knight who donned a handmade dragon costume to catfish a real dragon he matched with on a dating app, only for the scheme to spiral into chaos. Praying for Love took a darkly comic look at a female praying mantis struggling with her cannibalistic tendencies while searching for romance. Dogs of Bishkek sent a young boy named Sasha on a tense, wintry chase through Kyrgyzstan as he tried to bring sausages to his sick mother, only to be stalked by the city’s most fearsome stray. And The Legend of King Nibbles offered a fable about a hamster king brought low by his own greed.

Other films in the block explored themes of identity and self-acceptance (Beautify), the pressures of competitive sports and overbearing parents (Loud and Proud), coexistence between opposites (Total Opposites), and the chaos that ensued when gold miners couldn’t agree (Striking Gold).

On Saturday, April 18, the festival brought a timely and thought-provoking conversation to campus. SFF Talks: AI in Film 鈥� What’s Next? in the Morganroth Auditorium was a free event featuring a showcase of AI-made short films followed by a panel discussion with leading voices in the field.

Panelists included 红杏视频 faculty member Rick Dakan, who is the head of 红杏视频’s AI Task Force, launching the new Creative Technologies major, and co-launching the Center for the Creative Economy; Professor John Licato of USF’s Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing; and filmmaker and SFF Managing Director Paul Ratner, among other AI educators.

The festival weekend closed on Sunday, April 19, with Best of Ringling Film, a two-hour showcase from noon to 2 pm featuring the strongest short films from 红杏视频’s Film department. The program included the premiere of Gamble Creek Farms, a short documentary produced by film students in partnership with Florida Eco Films and Ringling’s Index program. Rounding out the program were five additional short films: Huzzah! directed by Claire Simmons, A1 directed by Emma Holloway, That Really Ruffles My Feathers directed by Colin Kirkpatrick, Beyond Brains directed by Lorena Da Cruz, and The One in Red directed by Nicholas Muzzillo.

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As AI continues to evolve rapidly, 红杏视频 is at the forefront of guiding artists, designers, and educators through this technological shift. With new research initiatives, certificate programs, and curriculum integrations, the College is establishing a global standard for how creatives can engage with AI responsibly and effectively. The annual symposium serves as a cornerstone of this mission, offering attendees the chance to dive into critical conversations, hands-on workshops, and forward-thinking presentations.

鈥満煨邮悠� isn’t just preparing for the future of AI; we’re actively defining it,鈥� said Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President of 红杏视频. 鈥淭hrough comprehensive programming and strong community partnerships like this one with DreamLarge, we鈥檙e ensuring that creatives are empowered to lead鈥攏ot follow鈥攊n the AI era.鈥�

A platform for ethical AI innovation

The 2025 AI Symposium will feature two days of talks, demonstrations, and networking events designed to empower artists and designers to navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by AI. The event’s mission is clear: to advocate for creatives, promote ethical practices, and champion human-centered design in a tech-driven world.

Speakers include industry veterans and emerging leaders such as:

• Dr. Moiya McTier, astrophysicist and senior advisor to the Human Artistry Campaign
  
• Peter Mohrbacher, fantasy artist and creator of Angelarium
  
• Amelia Winger-Bearskin, associate professor of AI and the Arts at the University of Florida
  
• Kurt Paulsen, co-founder of Sapiendra.ai and a leader in motion design education
  
• Dal铆 Museum, Augmented Imagination: The Role of AI in Shaping Creative Storytelling

Attendees can also engage with workshops led by AI experts and educators such as Tim Nohe, Mary Fiore, and Steve Diasio, addressing topics from AI ethics and storytelling to creative skill-building in a tech-disrupted landscape.

As part of the two-day experience, we鈥檙e excited to invite you to the Day One afterparty! Held from 7-9 pm at the Sarasota Magazine and DreamLarge headquarters (just a few minutes from the campus), this event is free to attend and enjoy for attendees of the symposium.

Enjoy light bites, complimentary drinks, good music, and great vibes as we exchange ideas and learnings from the day, and get excited for Day Two! 

Registration Details

The AI Symposium is open to the public and welcomes professionals, educators, students, and anyone interested in the evolving relationship between art and AI.

Learn more and register for the symposium on the AI Symposium webpage. 

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communications@ringling.edu 
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The event’s title and theme are AI and Creative Innovation: Advocating for Artists and Designers. The symposium’s mission is to advocate for and empower creatives, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to thrive in the AI era while facing the challenges created by emerging technologies. 

Announced Speakers

Day one will feature talks from experts, while day two provides hands-on demonstrations and workshops for thriving as a creative amid AI disruptions. Topics broadly explore the intersection of AI, ethics, and creative innovation.

The includes access to all speakers and workshops, as well as networking events, digital symposium materials, and lunch on both days.

Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
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Read more about Rick鈥檚 experiences and observations on teaching AI on website.

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Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth Endowed Department Head of Virtual Reality Development Program Marty Murphy explained the impact hosting the event has on the College and students: 

鈥淭he Global Healthcare Symposium at 红杏视频 brought together thought leaders, technologists, and healthcare innovators to explore the future of patient care. Hosting this event is helping Ringling to foster cross-industry collaborations with major players in the healthcare space and inspired the next generation of creators to think beyond entertainment and apply immersive technology to solve critical real-world challenges.鈥�

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, President of the University of Nebraska System, who is a nationally recognized higher education and healthcare leader. Dr. Gold was joined by  a number of notable presenters including:

• Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research, Cedars-Sinai Health System an Onalytica 鈥淭op 100 Influencer鈥� for health technology.
• Dr. Mark S. Cohen, Dean, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the world鈥檚 first engineering-based medical school.
• Dr. Kosj Yamoah, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology with a secondary appointment in the Cancer Epidemiology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Sessions covered a range of topics, with a strong focus on the rapidly evolving use of AI in Healthcare. The talks covered topics such as enhancing nursing curriculum using VR and AI-enabled patients, delivering Mental Healthcare Using AI and Virtual Reality, supporting remote therapy, Augmented and Virtual Reality for procedural and surgical training, Eye-Tracking, and AI For Medical Tasks In Virtual Reality.

Building on the success of this event, 红杏视频 is excited to host the next IVRHA Healthcare Symposium focused on Sports Medicine and Exercise Science on June 5-6, 2025. This inaugural symposium will bring together experts in sports medicine, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and immersive technology.

Interested in attending? Registration is now open! Do you have research, case studies, or innovative applications to share? The call for proposals is still open! Learn more on the 飞别产蝉颈迟别.听

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The symposium includes 鈥渉AIbrid Design: The Best of Both Worlds,鈥� a keynote address from artist and designer Kirsten Zirngibl; a screening of Amelia Winger-Bearskin鈥檚 film, I would like to be midnight / I would like to be sky, followed by a talk about the algorithms, AI and processes she used to create the film; 鈥淭he artists鈥� control of consent: AI ethics and solutions鈥� and 鈥淏uilding ethically-sourced generative models with Source.Plus鈥� with artist and professor Kurt Paulsen; and a workshop about identifying AI-generated content led by John Licato, Ph.D., a professor and founder of a new AI startup Actualization.AI. Additional speakers will include digital worlds expert Eamon O鈥機onnor, copyright attorney Mark Traphagen and 红杏视频 faculty including Christina Hess, Matt Myers and Morgan Woolverton.

The symposium will also mark the opening of Artificial Visions: Faculty Explorations in AI Artistry, an exhibition on view Sept. 19-Oct. 11. The exhibition, which features works by 红杏视频 faculty members, merges technology and artistic expression and features a range of AI-generated works, from paintings to interactive installations driven by machine learning algorithms. It encourages visitors to consider the evolving relationship between humans and machines and AI鈥檚 role in the future of art and society.

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The rise of AI has brought both opportunities and challenges to the world, and to the world of art and design. While AI tools can serve as powerful creative tools, the technology has been developed using methods that raise serious moral and legal concerns. Recognizing the need to address these issues head-on, 红杏视频 has designed a program that prepares students for careers merging AI with art, design, and creativity in a responsible and ethical manner.

鈥淎I is scary, exciting, revolutionary, and sometimes feels like an existential threat to creators of all kinds. At 红杏视频, we are committed to innovation and providing our students with the tools they need to thrive in constantly evolving creative professions,鈥� said Rick Dakan, AI Coordinator at 红杏视频. 鈥淭he AI Undergraduate Certificate program is a proactive response to the rapid technological changes reshaping the creative landscape. We want our students to be equipped to shape the future of art with AI, not simply be shaped by it.鈥�

The certificate program is available as an option to all 红杏视频 students pursuing studies in 13 different majors. The program will provide real-world applications. The three-course program covers fundamental AI and machine learning principles, their application in creative contexts, and the ethical, societal, and cultural implications of AI in art and design. Through hands-on experience with AI tools and a focus on responsible integration of AI in creative practices, students will gain the skills and knowledge needed to tackle real-world challenges and succeed in AI-driven creative industries.

鈥淐reativity is the heart of the future,鈥� said Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of 红杏视频. 鈥淎ll that creativity encompasses鈥攊magination, design thinking, emotional intelligence, and a holistic perspective鈥攚ill fuel our future economy, and society. AI is here, and here to stay. Therefore, it鈥檚 our responsibility as an institution of higher and creative learning to teach our students how to responsibly leverage this new tool to their advantage; much in the same way  as we did several years ago when the computer was introduced to art and design and became the new paintbrush.鈥�

Upon completion of the program, students will have not only a certificate but also a portfolio showcasing their ability to innovatively apply AI in their creative work. This program will add another credential to their resume, positioning these students as competitive candidates in the job market. As the creative world continues to evolve, 红杏视频 remains dedicated to providing its students with the latest education and resources necessary to thrive.

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