May 24, 2019 – The Vancouver VR/AR Association, the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) and the Government of British Columbia European Office have announced a Vancouver VR Day at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market in June.
Annecy is a festival for animation, film and entertainment, and its business marketplace MIFA attracts over 10,000 industry professionals each year. The film and animation festival runs from June 10–15, with Vancouver VR Day activating on Wednesday, June 12.
This year, Annecy will welcome a Vancouver delegation of five companies comprised of Pansensory Interactive, Arcana Studios, Shape Immersive, Paper Oni Productions and Volumetric Camera Systems. The new initiative provides an opportunity for delegates to demonstrate their products and experiences and explore potential cross-industry partnerships at the festival. The studios will have access to other studio executives, new markets and audiences from around the globe.
Among the programming surrounding Vancouver’s VR Day is a curated panel discussion moderated by VEC’s Nancy Basi on the topic of Immersive Realities: Prepare New Talents and Business for Tomorrow’s Challenges. The panel discussion on the industry’s benefits, best practices and challenges features members of Magic Leap, Wacom, Association France Immersive and the president of the Vancouver VRARA chapter, Dan Burgar.
Sponsored by Telefilm Canada, the collaboration comes as Annecy announces changes to its 2019 edition, including a new Virtual Reality section to the feature film competition and increased representation by women on selection committees.
“After supporting the Vancouver animation industry at Annecy MIFA for the past four years, VEC is proud and excited to host a Vancouver VR Day in partnership with industry and other levels of government,” said Nancy Basi, Executive Director of Media and Entertainment at Vancouver Economic Commission. “Now is the time to show what VR can do in the animation space – whether it’s a supplemental piece to attract new audiences or stand-alone IP that keeps viewers coming back for more.”
Initiatives such as this are aimed at bringing awareness to extended reality (XR) companies within BC, while also providing opportunities for further collaboration and expansion overseas.
Dan Burgar, President of VRARA Vancouver commented: “The Vancouver ecosystem is something that we’re all very proud of. We want to keep providing these experiences for delegates to enable our innovative and inspiring community — and its technology — to thrive.” He added, “Annecy provides us with a great gateway to those opportunities, and we’re excited to continue this partnership long into the future.”
Image credit: Vancouver Economic Commission/Pansensory Interactive
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About the author
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.