“That’s when the image got slightly blurry. The Oculus unit had shifted slightly on my face. I was smiling too big.”

During the 18th Belfast Film Festival we will feature Virtual Reality (VR) for the first time in our pop up VR Studio! We’ve converted The Barracks theatre space into a VR studio with comfortable seating to experience the films. Virtual Reality headsets create a 360 degree viewing experience that completely immerses the user in different VR universes.

We will be showing extraordinary works over the nine days of our festival that demonstrate the current capabilities of immersive technology in the hands of pioneering designers, from films that have won Emmys, to films that have premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

We have detailed some of the films we are showing to give you a taste of what to expect, but we suggest you check out all the synopsis’ on our VR page.

Dear Angelica

 

Dear Angelica, created by former Pixar artist Saschka Unseld, is an animated short that people have described as “the most beautiful VR” they have ever seen. The story sees a girl reminiscing about her mother, an actress, who taught her to be brave in a world that seems unfair. The emotions of grief and nostalgia envelope you as the mother’s movies spring to life around you. The beauty of its distinctly fluid art style is undeniable, as the daughter’s words and memories are painted brushstroke-by-brushstroke with you at the centre. Having its premier at Sundance this year, Dear Angelica has made quite an impact, with some viewers calling it “must see”.

Miyubi

Miyubi is a retro futuristic 80’s comedy that tells the story of a gifted Japanese toy robot. Miyubi was conceived by Felix & Paul and written with the help of Funny or Die and it gives us an intimate window into a loving but troubled family. Standing at 40 minutes, it’s one of the longest VR films ever, but it’s worth every minute. The 360-degree format gives Miyubi a welcome naturalistic feel. There’s usually a single visual focus for each scene, but you’re encouraged to let your eyes wander over stray details around the room. Often, the designers use this extra set space as an opportunity to amp up the pop culture references, including nods to Battlestar Galactica, The Thing, and He-Man.

Lost

 

From the director of Pixar’s The Blue Umbrella, experience the wonder of an unexpected encounter in a magical forest in Lost. The experience features a massive robotic hand traipsing around a darkened forest in search of its body. It proves that a simple, character driven story can be told in an immersive environment.

Bryan Bishop from The Verge commented on Lost:

“We’ve been seeing VR narrative experiences for years at this point, and while they’ve been getting more and more impressive, they’ve still been iterative steps forward. Despite how much we’ve all wanted to it to happen, nothing has stood up, raised its hands, and shouted “I’m the project that proves this crazy thing could actually work.”

I just watched Lost, the first short from Story Studio. That stand up and shout moment? It’s arrived.”

Book your hour slot at our Virtual Reality Studio now!