The first of its kind, the annual Machinima Interactive Film Festival (MIFF, for short) saw the marriage of online video with a physical space, connecting the community in a personal, experiential way – something previously considered impossible in the wake of social media atrophy. iam8bit co-developed the series with Machinima, one of YouTube’s most dominant YouTube channels – and right out of the gates, it was a success, racking in over 10 million+ views. However, it’s the offline experience that made the festival unique. Massive, 10-foot-tall Buckminster Fuller-inspired domes were erected, each playing host to a different category of short film. Rather than demand your undivided attention like in a movie theatre, attendees explored the content leisurely, as if walking through the internet. This ultimately spurred conversations amongst complete strangers, a decidedly awesome change of pace from igniting comment wars on YouTube. MIFF is slated to return in November 2013.