Venice Immersive Lineup and Competition Announced

By Pickle August 13, 2024

The Venice Immersive section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival has announced its lineup, presenting 63 projects from 25 countries. This section, dedicated to showcasing the forefront of immersive arts and media, will take place from August 28 to September 7, 2024, on the Venice Immersive Island (island of Lazzaretto Vecchio), near Lido di Venezia.

The Venice Immersive section, launched in 2017, represents the first competition and official selection for works in Extended Reality (XR) at an A-list festival. The official program includes 26 projects in competition, featuring 19 world premieres and 7 international premieres. Additionally, 30 projects will be showcased out of competition, divided into two categories: Best of Experiences (10 projects) and Best of Worlds (20 projects created by independent artists on the VRChat platform).

Immersive will also be presented, including one produced with this year’s grant and six developed within previous international workshops.

The international Venice Immersive Jury comprises three distinguished members:

• Celine Daemen (President): A transdisciplinary art director from the Netherlands, known for her immersive experiences blending theatre, music, visual arts, and digital media.

• Marion Burger: A French production designer with acclaimed works in feature films and VR experiences.

• Adriaan Lokman: A Dutch creator of time-based, linear, interactive, and cross-media projects, awarded the Grand Prix d’Annecy in 2002.

The 2024 Venice Immersive Jury will award three prizes:

• Venice Immersive Grand Prize

• Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize

• Venice Immersive Achievement Prize

The Venice International Film Festival, renowned for its early adoption of Virtual Reality, continues to lead in showcasing innovative immersive art forms, making the Venice Immersive section a significant annual event for XR enthusiasts and creators.