Baltimore daily roundup: Film fest spotlights cinema’s immersive frontier; over $1M for a wellness startup; $2B to rebuild the Key Bridge

Maryland Film Fest opens with tech program

My latest delves into the fusion of traditional cinema and new tech innovations at the Maryland Film Festival’s CineTech sidebar, showcasing innovations like projection mapping and VR. The program, which launched with the festival yesterday, caters to champions of the medium’s future.

➡️ Explore the intersection of film and tech in my new report.

DMV Money Moves, from PG County to NoVa

My colleague Kaela Roeder’s new edition of our recurring series highlights recent funding activities throughout the DMV region, including Bethesda-based wellness support startup Keep Company’s recently closed $1.4 million round.

In addition, Prince George’s County is offering grants to local small and medium-sized businesses, and a Big Tech giant put $1 billion toward its Virginia data centers.

➡️ Find out more about these and other DC Money Moves here.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The Supreme Court’s decision in Lindke v. Freed underscores the importance of clear guidelines for public officials’ social media usage, balancing free speech rights with the need for respectful interaction. [Smart Cities Dive]

•  Maryland siblings Tatiyana, Danyelle and Jyniah Smith might be the state’s youngest CEOs ever. Their company, TLW Solutions, focuses on STEM education and aims to inspire other young entrepreneurs, particularly from underrepresented communities. [Black Business]

•  At Johns Hopkins, one of many US universities where students and allies set up encampments to protest their schools’ ties with Israel amid that country’s deadly bombardment of Gaza, the JHU Palestine Solidarity Encampment demanded an end to the college’s Applied Physics Lab’s “weapons engineering and development through contracts with the defense industry.” [Baltimore Banner]

•  State transportation leadership said that rebuilding the Key Bridge might take at least another four years — and almost $2 billion. [Baltimore Sun]

• In Philadelphia, an after-school esports program combines gaming with homework completion, providing Port Richmond kids an engaging way to enhance their STEM knowledge. Learn more from my colleague Sarah Huffman. [Technical.ly]

• “Collective Action: Labor Activism in 21st Century Baltimore” explores the city’s labor movement through the ages. [Baltimore Museum of Industry]

🗓️ On the Calendar