Normally, film festivals tend to spread themselves out over the course of spring and summer to gain maximum exposure and attendance. What with the current situation regarding live events most have turned to a digital format to reach audiences. This has led to three major shows, Cannes XR, Tribeca Immersive and NewImages Festival combining efforts this week to showcase their immersive content across one hybrid event, XR3.
To make this happen all three VR selections have been made available through the Museum of Other Realities (MOR), a virtual exhibition space that has previously been used for a number of events over the past year. Usually, these types of events aren’t always freely accessible or cheap but XR3 provides the best opportunity yet to view a varied selection of immersive works. To start with, MOR is currently free until 21st June 2021 – rather than the usual price of £15.49 GBP – via Steam and Viveport so it’s well worth adding to your library at any rate.
Each of the individual festivals are then paid DLC, all priced at £11.39 ($15 USD), so there’s not one giant entry fee if you want to see one particular selection. You can also gain entry into the festivals if you’ve bought one of their own passes or received accreditation. It’s worth noting that the DLC will only be available for a limited time, in two parts. Part one is open now until 20th June, after which the XR3 showcase will be closed until July. It’ll then reopen between 6th – 17th July.
If you’re into VR and how creators are blending storytelling with immersive filmmaking then XR3 has a lot to offer. Between all three selections there are over 50 works to explore, showcasing the amazing breadth of talent currently pursuing immersive arts. Due to the sheer amount of content you’ll need to ensure your computer has plenty of space as the DLC are download-heavy files, ranging between 30-50GB each.
Works include 2021 premieres as well as previously released content like Paper Birds from last year. New projects exhibiting at XR3 include Madrid Noir, a 45-minute animated caper; Jailbirds, a tale about the prison system and freedom; Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome, an immersive docufiction sharing the confessions of people who witnessed a kayak-rower drown, and Unity for Humanity Showcase which houses five works inside the Unity Garden.
Plus, if you happen to be in New York City, the Tribeca Film Festival is also hosting live, in-person events for all the works being shown. That includes the VR content at special locations. There’s also works such as the Inside Goliath – an account of one man’s experience of living with schizophrenia and psychosis – VR installation which can only be viewed in person.
The trend for virtual events looks set to stay as festivals can reach a much broader audience, so VRFocus will continue to cover these exciting developments.