Cannes film festival – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

June 30, 2020

Don’t Miss Cannes XR, Free This Week In Museum Of Other Realities

The Museum of Other Realities is free to visit until Friday this week as part of the Cannes XR festival, which features a huge selection of artworks and pieces of XR content created across several mediums.

If you’ve never visited the Museum of Other Realities (commonly referred to as the MOR) before, then there’s never been a better time to pay it a visit. Not only is the museum free until this Friday, but there’s a huge display of different XR artworks as part of the Cannes XR festival. The festival itself ran from June 24 to June 26, with some live events taking place. However, the pieces of art selected for the festival are on display until this Friday.

When you enter the museum, you’ll be greeted by a red carpet and some big Cannes XR graphics to mark the event. Heading inside, you’ll find immersive movies, explorable environments, artworks created in Tilt Brush, and much more. With many of the 3D artworks, the Museum lets you teleport inside them and explore them at the intended scale, which is a neat feature.

I spent some time walking around and exploring earlier today, and found some really interesting and creative pieces that could only work in virtual reality. If you’re interested in groundbreaking new forms of art, you’ll want to take a look for yourself.

Be aware though — some of the Cannes XR artworks are additional downloads separate from the base museum, available as DLC on the Steam page. When you add them all up, the download size can be as large as 60GB. If you’ve got a slow connection, you might want to put aside some time to download all the content in full.

The Cannes XR festival is available to view for free in the Museum of Other Realities on Steam until July 3. You can read more about the selected artworks on the Cannes XR site.

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June 18, 2020

Museum Of Other Realities To Present 55 XR Works For Cannes Festival Program

As previously reported, the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes’ XR program takes place next week from June 24 to 26 and now we have even more details about the events. 55 pieces will be available for viewing in the Museum of Other Realities for free, alongside other events and programs.

After the Cannes Film Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers have instead decided to run an online event for their XR program, which starts next week. Everything takes place inside the Museum of Other Realities (MOR), which VR headset owners will be able to access for free during the event between June 24 to June 26. Everything will also be available for replay until July 3, if you miss the events live.

The program will see 55 XR pieces displayed in the Museum of Other Realities, selected by the Tribeca Film Festival, VeeR VR and Positron. A panel of professionals will judge the work and two prizes will be awarded at 9pm on June 26. The Tribeca Virtual Arcade will also be hosted within MOR, featuring 12 VR and MR experiences and 2 panel discussions. The Cannes XR Development Showcase will also take place, which will highlight 23 in-development projects from 14 different countries, including 6DoF and 360 video projects, augmented reality projects and real time installations.

If you’re unable to attend the events in VR, industry professionals who were registered before June 14 will be able to access a 2D stream that will be broadcast on the Marché du Film website.

All in all, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on. If you want a proper breakdown of the program and scheduling, head over to the Marché du Film website.

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June 11, 2020

Cannes XR Virtual Will Showcase 55 Immersive Works

Cannes XR - Marche du Film Festival de Cannes

In a couple of weeks the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes’ will be holding its online, five-day event. As part it will be Cannes XR Virtual, a three-day celebration of the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) industry. Today, Marché du Film has announced that 55 works will be showcased.

MOR 1 Photo courtesy of Museum of Other Realities

As previously announced last month, Cannes XR Virtual will take place within the Museum of Other Realities in a dedicated area, teaming up with the Tribeca Film Festival, Kaleidoscope, Positron and VeeR VR to help present works as well as several awards.

For example, the Tribeca Virtual Arcade will present a lineup of 12 VR and MR experiences, 5 of which are world, international or European premieres. While Kaleidoscope has teamed up with Cannes XR to promote 23 projects from 14 countries in development, covering genres such as Documentary, Games, Animation and Arts installation.

“During this very peculiar time, the Marché du Film is more than determined to highlight the XR industry and to foster links between artists and potential investors to support creation in all its richness and diversity. We are very proud to partner with these leading partners in the XR sector,” said Jérôme Paillard, Executive director of the Marché du Film in a statement.

To be part of the Cannes XR experience you’ll need to download the Museum of Other Realities app which can be found on Steam, Viveport, or Oculus stores. The app retails for around £15 GBP but the actual event itself offers free and live access. If you don’t have a VR headset then Cannes XR Virtual will provide a 2D live video stream via Marché du Film Online platform as well as Kaleidoscope and Tribeca Film Festival websites.

Most big events like to have an opening night and Cannes XR Virtual is no different. Miro Shot in collaboration with Overview Ark and New-York DJ, Neil Armstrong will present a virtual concert allowing visitors to meet, network and simply enjoy the virtual experience.

The Cannes XR Virtual event takes place between 24th – 26th June 2020, with all the content available to watch until 3rd July. For further updates on the latest online events using VR, keep reading VRFocus.

May 13, 2020

Museum Of Other Realities To Host Cannes XR Virtual Program In June

Announced this morning, the Museum of Other Realities will co-host the Cannes XR Virtual festival next month. Originally planned as a physical event as part of the Cannes Film Market (the business counterpart to the Cannes Film Festival), all of the program will now be moved to an online setting.

The Cannes Film Festival is the latest in a string of events that have been canceled or moved to an online format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the festival was planning to launch a new immersive and augmented reality program. However, the new program will now pivot to take place entirely online, in a collaboration with the Museum of Other Realities.

Titled Cannes XR 2020, the event will run across June 22-26 and feature a variety of different panels, presentations and events, made available online through 2D live video streams. There will also be a showcase of XR and VR projects on offer, which will be selected by the Tribecca Film Festival and available to experience for three days.

“After having prepared for a promising edition in Cannes, where for the first time we would have expanded the VR to the Palm Beach, we had to reinvent Cannes XR and find a way to put it online,” said Cannes Film Market Executive Director Jérôme Paillard to Variety. “It has been possible to build a totally new concept where we will be able to show worldwide, and with optimal quality, the VR experiences that we were expecting to show in Cannes.”

The Cannes XR Festival has some prominent figures confirmed for events, including Todd Shaiman, Head of Immersive Arts at Google, Colum Slevin, Head of Media, ARVR Experiences at Facebook, Ishita Kapur, Director, Mixed Reality Content and Partnerships at Microsoft and more.

More information and the full line-up is available on the Cannes Film Maret (Marcé du Film) website.

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May 12, 2020

Cannes XR Virtual to Hold June Event in Museum of Other Realities

In a move that has become commonplace over the last few months, the Cannes XR 2020 event which was to be held alongside the Cannes Film Festival is moving online. Now called Cannes XR Virtual, the digital festival will be host by the Museum of Other Realities in June.

Remaining committed to its support of the XR community, the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes wants to remain a place where professionals from across the industry can remotely come together to help shape its future.

Cannes XR Virtual will be made available across a variety of platforms. Anyone with a virtual reality (VR) headset can step into the Museum of Other Realities (MOR) from 24th June to 3rd July, the app supporting VR headsets on Steam, Viveport, or Oculus.

There will also be a 2D live video stream shot inside MOR featuring conferences, pitching sessions and project presentations. A selection of 360 cinematic experiences will be showcased on the VeeR platform plus those without a headset will be able to go to select locations in several major cities across the US, China and France.

“It is a very special edition. After having prepared for a promising edition in Cannes, where for the first time we would have expanded the VR to the Palm Beach, we had to reinvent Cannes XR and find a way to put it online,” said Jérôme Paillard, Executive Director of the Marché du Film in a statement. “I’m very impressed to see how fast, with our spectacular team and our wonderful partners, it has been possible to build a totally new concept where we will be able to show worldwide, and with optimal quality, the VR experiences that we were expecting to show in Cannes”.

“The MOR is a perfect place to host an ambitious and stylistically challenging event like Cannes XR,” adds Robin Stethem, Co-founder of the Museum of Other Realities. “Creating a virtual venue that can host numerous showcases, VR arcades, 360 cinemas and networking spaces where some of the finest global digital players can meet and interact is what we love to do. The MOR is a place to connect, share, and experience virtual reality art with others, and so we hope everyone who is interested in XR creation will join us for the virtual edition of Cannes XR.”

To create a diverse programme Cannes XR Virtual has collaborated with Tribeca Film Festival and Kaleidoscope who will be curating their own showcases.

The professional side of Cannes XR Virtual will only be open to those registered with the Marché du Film Online. Accreditations open 12th May at an early bird rate of €95 EUR until 29th May and €195 thereafter.

For further updates on Cannes XR Virtual, keep reading VRFocus.

February 22, 2020

Cannes XR 2020 Expands in Partnership With Positron, New Venue and Award Announced

The Cannes Film Festival is open of the most prestigious in the industry calendar, made up of several other events including The Marché du Film. Last year The Marché du Film held the inaugural Cannes XR, a growth accelerator for the XR entertainment ecosystem. Cannes XR is returning for 2020, adding a second venue and new awards to celebrate creators.

Cannes XR 2019 had a dedicated 700 sq. meter space in the Palais des Festivals and that will return for 2020. Additionally, because of interest and industry growth, the festival will also include a 1,600 sq. meter waterfront venue at the former Palm Beach Casino; offering views of the Lérins Islands and Cannes Bay.

The Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes has also partnered with Brogent Technologies Inc. and Positron for a new award. Called the Positron Visionary Award for Best Cinematic XR, finalists will be able to screen their work in the Positron XR Cinema at the new Palm Beach venue in Voyager VR chairs.

“At Cannes XR, we believe that the connection between the film industry and the XR industry is essential,” said Marché du Film Executive Director Jérôme Paillard in a statement. “This year, Cannes continues to pioneer in the XR cinema space by providing storytellers with an opportunity to showcase their work to international audiences. We’re thrilled to team up with Positron to continue our mission of celebrating the creativity and technical genius of the finest artists and developers in the world.”

“Positron is honoured to partner with Cannes XR and Brogent Technologies Inc. to showcase fresh, compelling, and imaginative work that demonstrates the power of storytelling in the VR medium,” said Jeffrey Travis, founder and CEO of Positron. “We believe in elevating immersive storytelling and bringing the best work of creators to all audiences. Through our turnkey XR Cinema package, we can offer an unrivalled premium experience for VR films, with a proven business model for location-based entertainment venues.”

Submissions for the Positron Visionary Award can be made here until midnight PST on 20th March 2020. The winner will be awarded a Voyager VR chair and complete Voyager package worth $60,000 USD.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from 12th – 23rd May with Cannes XR event held between 12th – 17th May. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

May 21, 2018

Nuzzle a panda, kiss a lioness: Jane Goodall takes us on her wildest adventure yet

The wildlife legend wants to take the whole world on safari. As her stunning new VR film series launches, she talks about firing up David Attenborough – and explains why Andy Serkis was ‘fantastic’ as an ape

‘Amazing!” gasps Jane Goodall, as she tilts her head in all directions, oblivious to the outside world. Goodall is the primatologist who changed our understanding of nature by recording chimpanzees using tools, a skill previously thought to separate humans from animals. But today Goodall is the one mastering a new tool: the 84-year-old is sitting spellbound on a sofa, wearing a VR headset and a wry smile.

She’s watching a film from The Wild Immersion, a project intended to raise awareness of – and perhaps even save – the natural world, via 360-degree virtual reality wildlife documentaries. Introduced by Goodall, they really are immersive: you’re practically nuzzling into the pandas’ fur, flying with the flamingos over an African lake. Then a lioness comes up and sniffs your face, before a giraffe walks right over you, its vast legs splayed above you like pillars. So that’s what a giraffe’s underneath looks like. Turn your head and the savannah stretches to the horizon in every direction.

May 9, 2018

Positron’s Voyager VR Chair Coming to Europe via mk2 Distribution Deal

During the Cannes Film Festival this week LA-based virtual reality (VR) studio Positron announced that its Voyager VR chair will be coming to Europe thanks to a new distribution deal with location-based VR company mk2.

The deal will allow Positron to offer premium cinematic VR experiences to European audiences through its Voyager full-motion VR chair and Voyager Network distribution platform. mk2 has become the first official distributor of Voyager and will represent the territories of France and Spain exclusively.

“Our exciting partnership with mk2 marks a major step forward for location-based entertainment and demonstrates Positron’s blueprint for bringing a premium, seated VR solution to global audiences through our Voyager distribution network of motion-synchronized theaters,” said Jeffrey Travis, CEO, Positron, in a statement.

Positron debuted Voyager during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival as part of its New Frontier programme. For public, location-based use multiple chairs can be configured as a VR cinema, with synchronized or separate content screenings. While the Voyager Network allows for premium VR content to be delivered to Voyagers anywhere in the world, and has been used by studios such as Universal Pictures (The Mummy Zero Gravity VR Experience), and Warner Bros. (Save Every Breath: The Dunkirk VR Experience).

Positron Voyager

“We’re thrilled to partner with Positron to deliver the future of cinematic VR to European audiences,” said Elisha Karmitz, CEO at mk2. “In Voyager, we’ve discovered an unprecedented motion and distribution platform that offers creators a deeper level of immersion that cinematic VR experiences, and their audiences, deserve. We’re delighted to add Voyager to our diverse suite of turnkey VR solutions.”

Over the past year or so mk2 has expanded its operations, opening a dedicated VR facility at its Paris multiplex, mk2 Bibliothèque in 2016 with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR headsets on offer. Much more recently the company unveiled a VR plug-and-play solution for VR out-of-home centres called the Mk2 VR Pod. This is designed for use in places such as cinemas, museums, institutions and other locations, offering twelve VR pod configurations using HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. For further details on Positron and mk2, keep reading VRFocus.

May 23, 2017

Virtual Ritual To Be Screened At Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is traditionally a place where the unique and experimental projects in the world of filmmaking get a fair viewing. Virtual reality (VR) production studio Immerex has teamed up with director Gianluigi Perrone to showcase a unique short film titled ‘The 7th Night of Thelema: A Virtual Ritual’ at the festival.

The short film aims to draw upon the practices of a relatively obscure set of spiritual and religious practices codified by famed occultist Aleister Crowley, which from the basis of a religion called Thelema. Using VR technology to recreate the ambience and atmosphere of the origin of Thelema to create what the director hopes to be an immersive, spiritual and artistic experience.

“The main idea was to make a real ritual — something that could be an act, through virtual reality media, to heal the soul of the viewer,” said Director Gianluigi Perrone. “I actively looked for a top-notch VR studio that can produce VR content to the highest industrial standard and ultimately chose Immers Studio after exploring several options.” This is one of Perrone’s first two films shot in virtual reality and screened at Cannes.

The Cannes Festival has embraced showing VR films lately, with the Marche Du Film NEXT VR program forming part of the overall festival since 2016. This year, the portion of the festival that involved VR was expanded into a five-day program which included short films like the satire story Extravaganza: “The rarity of quality VR content inspires filmmakers to adapt this emerging technology, and Immers Studio has dedicated the last three years to creating original VR content, which can be viewed exclusively via our head-mounted display,” commented Kirin Lee, CEO of Immerex.

VRFocus will bring you further information on VR film projects as it becomes available.

May 22, 2017

Carne y Arena review – dazzling virtual reality exhibit offers a fresh look at the refugee crisis

Birdman director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest project is an innovative and immersive account of the horrors faced at the Mexico-US border

So – the envelope is pushed a little further, the limits of cinema questioned a little harder, the rectangular perimeter fence of the movie screen challenged a little bit more confidently.