Who is writing my story? Could it be technology companies, world leaders, politicians, or someone else entirely?
Every June in Tbilisi, Georgia, there's a gathering where you can search for answers. Imagine spending three days walking from one room to another, attending discussions free from propaganda, meeting people who authentically share their life stories.
Welcome to the ZEG Storytelling Festival, where you'll ponder, "Who creates stories?" In today's reality, it's challenging to pinpoint a single creator behind everything happening around us.
That's why the ZEG team is bringing together over 100 storytellers from different countries and cultures to Tbilisi to share their experiences, emotions, and stories. What topics can you find here? During the festival, you can start your day with walking tours covering various themes: "Tbilisi Soviet Occupation Tour," "Georgia Contemporary Art Tour," or if you prefer to travel into the past through literature, you might choose "On Brilka's Trail: A Literary Tour." You can attend discussions about art, current propaganda, AI, culinary arts, and even watch films.
Discussions feature 108 speakers, including Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Gary Steyngart, novelist and The New York Times bestselling author; Bao Nguyen, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker known for documentaries about Bruce Lee and the world-famous hit "We Are the World"; Johnny Harris, multiple Emmy-winning journalists, contributor to The New York Times, Molly Crabapple, an artist whose animated films have been nominated for three Emmys; Joe Sabia, creator of Vogue's iconic 73 Questions; Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld.org; Adam Pincus, Emmy, Webby, and Cannes Lion Award-winning film producer and creative director; and many other leading professionals from the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
When the festival ends, and you once again ask yourself, "Who is writing my story?" the answer becomes clearer: it's YOU, it's all of us, together. Every beat, every cheer, every shared moment of joy and connection is like a chapter in the amazing story we're all creating. We are the authors of our destinies, the dreamers who turn visions into reality. This festival once again reminded us that we create unforgettable memories and endless possibilities.
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