September 10, 2021 – Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has this week announced the complete 2021 lineup for VIFF Immersed, a showcase of the power of XR technology as a dynamic vehicle for storytelling. VIFF will include the Immersed International Competition and Exhibition (October 1-11), the Immersed XR Market (October 4-5), and VIFF AMP, an exploration of the essential role of music in film (October 8-10).
VIFF Immersed content will be available for free across Canada and internationally via online XR platforms, with panel sessions presented on YouTube; VIFF AMP will offer a hybrid of online and in-person events this year, providing access to music supervisors, composers, musicians and filmmakers around the globe.
The VIFF Immersed Exhibition will be accessible on six platforms: VeeR, Oculus TV, rad., YouTube360, Facebook 360, Kreis Immersive, and Museum of Other Realities. A total of 32 works will be featured across the Immersed Exhibition and XR Market, including five world premieres, four North American premieres, five Canadian premieres, and two British Columbia (BC) premieres in the Exhibition. Also included in the exhibition are the finalists from the International VIFF Immersed Competition as well as a showcase of content produced in BC, which is home to the second largest XR ecosystem in the world.
“VIFF is not only about celebrating the greatest in contemporary cinema, it is about looking at the innovations that lie ahead for the art form,” said Kinga Binkowska, Creative Engagement Producer. “And there is perhaps no more exciting opportunity for storytelling than XR. As adoption of this technology grows at a rapid pace, with nearly 18 percent of the US population now utilizing VR headsets monthly, we are thrilled to continue our annual showcase of artistic visionaries at the cutting edge of the form.”
Furthermore, the VIFF Immersed XR Market will help to connect top XR creators and industry leaders with colleagues from around the globe; the aim is to foster production, financing, and distribution of story-driven immersive content. Hosted at the Museum of Other Realities, the Market features a showcase of live-action, documentary, and animated VR/AR content from the next wave of XR creators. Selected artists are given the opportunity to pitch their projects in front of investors, distributors, producers, and curators, as well as compete for the VIFF Immersed Grant.
Finally, there is the VIFF AMP side of the Immersed exhibition, which will explore the art and business of music in film from all facets of the production process.
Single tickets for the festival start at CAD $10 and festival passes start at CAD $80, all of which are available at viff.org. To explore the complete programming for VIFF Immersed 2021, click here.
Image credit: Vancouver International Film Festival
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.