IDFA DocLab Immersive Think Tank Report 2026

Every year, IDFA DocLab’s R&D Summit reflects on the state of the new media sector and where it’s headed. This year’s report focuses on XR Distribution Trends at a moment of profound transition, as a community-driven, indie XR distribution network begins to emerge and the foundations of a new phase for immersive culture are evolving in real time. In this chaotic moment, where boundaries between art, technology, exhibition, and community are dissolving, artists are helping name the realities of the present and offering vital insight into how we move forward.

Set against the context of DocLab’s 2025 theme program OFF THE INTERNET, the report traces growing resistance to Big Tech and its isolating tendencies, alongside emerging efforts to rewild the internet through embodied, face-to-face interactions.

Bringing together perspectives from artists, researchers, curators, creative technologists, and producers, the report explores urgent questions around finding new audiences for immersive work and expanding distribution beyond dominant platforms. It also takes up major questions around AI and ethics for immersive creators, exploring the growing tension between technology shaped by efficiency and control, and approaches grounded in Human Rights and human values.

This report was produced with support from Agog: The Immersive Media Institute.

Agog is a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping creators and nonprofit leaders use extended reality to imagine and build a more connected, just, and compassionate world. Agog operates as a field builder and creative partner, supporting immersive storytellers whose work addresses urgent social and environmental challenges. Learn more and sign up for Agog's email list