Fund supported immersive and short films showcased at SXSW
In the XR Experience Competition, Cycle will celebrate its world premiere. The philosophical 10-minute VR experience is directed and produced by Amit Palgi & Matunda Groenendijk and uncovers life’s hidden patterns through a blend of dance, animation and music. Cycle will have a work in progress presentation at the upcoming International Film festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in January.
Several Dutch immersive productions are included in the XR Experience Spotlight section. The Great Orator by Daniël Ernst, produced by The Shoebox Diorama, is an immersive VR experience set in a nonlinear world where a former TV medium guides participants through ever-shifting memories shaped by their own choices. The project is presented at IFFR as part of its Art Directions section, following the world premiere at Venice. SEE NL spoke with the artist just before he headed for the Lido about his work and its exploration of memory and perception. Read the interview here.
Lacuna, directed by Maartje Wegdam & Nienke Huitenga Broeren and produced by Podium Biarritz, invites audiences into a deeply personal VR documentary. The film follows Sonja, who has no memory of the crucial moment in early childhood that saved her life. The discovery of three long-lost rings sparks a journey through imagination. Lacuna world premiered in Cannes’ Immersive Competition and has been traveling the festival circuit since. SEE NL joined the directors on the ferry from Amsterdam Central Station to Eye Filmmuseum to discuss the project. Watch the ferrytale interview here.
Also screening is Lesbian Simulator by Iris van der Meule, produced by Studio Biarritz, which will have its international premiere at SXSW. The interactive artwork and video game immerses users in the experiences of a lesbian girl and serves as both an ode to love and a confrontation with the discrimination lesbians still face today. The project was previously selected for IDFA Doclab, before which SEE NL met with Van Der Meule on the ferry as well to discuss the work. Watch the interview here.
Furthermore, part of the Dutch XR selection is A Long Goodbye by Kate Voet & Victor Maes, an animated, interactive VR experience minority co-produced by Valk Productions, with sales handled by Unframed Collection. The film places the viewer in the shoes of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia, and offers a poetic reflection on love, memory and the gradual farewell between two lifelong partners. The work had its world premiere in Venice, followed by presentations at among others IDFA Doclab, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Film Fest Gent and Fipadoc.
Lastly, part of the Immersive Programme is Oryza: Healing Ground by director Tamara Shogaolu, which is presented in the XR Immersive Special Events section. The AR installation uses Afrocentric AI to reimagine colonial archives, centring Black land stewards and their relationship to land, history and healing.
Dutch shorts at SXSW
In the Narrative Short Competition, A Shot at Art by Ilke Paddenburg, produced by Studio Ruba and sales handled by Interfilm, brings sharp humour to SXSW. The short follows two seasoned volunteers at an international festival whose participation in a highly controversial art installation spirals completely out of control. The film will celebrate its world premiere in the International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
The Documentary Short Competition includes How to Catch a Butterfly by Kiriko Mechanicus, which will have its world premiere at SXSW. Produced by Docmakers, the film sees Mechanicus writing letters to a mass shooter in an attempt to uncover the roots of their mutual obsession with one another.
Source: SEE NL
Image: Cycle