VR Museum 

By opening the curation of its program to Kurzfilmtage, GIFF aims to provide festivalgoers with the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of the best short film curators in Switzerland. Hence, it will be possible to discover a handpicked selection of short films from the Kurzfilmtage’s program at GIFF, between 2 and 10 November.

In parallel, Kurzfilmtage will once again call upon GIFF’s digital curators to prepare a selection of virtual reality works that will be unveiled at Winterthur’s Virtual Reality Cinema from 6 to 11 November.

“We are delighted with this national-scale partnership,” Kurzfilmtage Artistic Director John Canciani and GIFF General and Artistic Director Emmanuel Cuénod jointly declared. “This collaboration between two festivals in Switzerland who have managed to pool their programs and work closely together delights us in so much as it increases exposure for them both, while also providing an opportunity for audiences in Eastern and Western Switzerland to discover the selection of a festival that has aroused their curiosity and which they may not always be able to attend. This coming together of two festivals which both showcase innovation and unique perspectives seems like a positive sign for authors in Switzerland and beyond.”

ELASTIC TIME

LIMBIC CHAIR VR

SXSW: The Swiss Presence in Austin

Dear Angelica, Saschka Unseld, USA, 2017


An dozen of Swiss films selected through the Call for Swiss Fulldome Films were screened at the Boston HUBweek under the swissnex Dome (a geodesic dome for viewing immersive 360 ° films). The winner was Apoptose by Sophie Le Meillour and Fabrice Starzinskas, with sound design by Juan Pablo Espinoza and Hervé Moire. From October 12th to 15th, the dome welcomed more than 3,400 visitors who were immersed in the world of Fulldome films by Swiss, American and Canadian artists

Apoptose, Sophie Le Meillour, Fabrice Starzinskas, Switzerland, France, 2017

Moreover, the swissnex Dome hosted digital performances, cosmic yoga sessions, panel discussions, and workshops. Among them was “Exploring Digital Utopia,” an event which gathered together artists, technicians, and industry experts around the Swiss Touch table to discuss some of the cutting-edge uses of the Dome-as-viewing platform, immersive realities, nand the exploration of the notion of digital utopia. The panelists included: Paola Gazzani Marinelli, head of Digital and Professional Programs at the Geneva International Film Festival and board member of Le D.I.X, a new exhibition space dedicated to digital art in Geneva. As well as François Moncarey, multidisciplinary artist and cofounder of MySquare, artists Sophie Le Meillour, and Fabrice Starzinskas, and Patrick Pomerleau, co-owner and project manager at NEST Immersion.

*HUBweek is the “festival for the future,” bringing together tens of thousands of people for discussions, presentations, workshops, and entertainment. It was founded in 2014 by The Boston Globe, Harvard University, MIT, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Du 2 au 12 août, de 18h à 22h @LaRotonda 2017 – Le Village du Locarno Festival.

Ashes to Ashes

Ingejan Ligthart Schenk, Jamille van Wijngaarden, Steye Hallema, Submarine Channel, Pays-Bas, 2017, 11 min, v.o en

Ashes to Ashes est une tragicomédie surréaliste en réalité virtuelle portant sur la façon dont une famille dysfonctionnelle réagit face au souhait de leur grand-père moribond. Vu à travers les « yeux » du défunt, ce court film en réalité virtuelle offre un point de vue unique dans ce contexte étrange que sont ces relations familiales sur le point d’imploser. Abandonnant tous faux-semblants, les membres de la famille révèleront au spectateur l’ampleur de leur malhonnêteté.

Iceman VR

Jan Krüger & Eric Benz, Headtrip & Port au Prince, Arte, Allemagne, 2017, 6 min, v.o en

Contre-champs du long métrage homonyme présenté sur la Piazza Grande, Iceman VR est une expérience en réalité virtuelle qui nous conduit dans la maison de l’Homme de glace, alias Ötzi la momie, en partant du Musée d’Archéologie de Bolzano, jusqu’à son village il y a 5300 ans, jusqu’au glacier du Similau, et retour…

Jours de tournage

Isabelle Huppert, Fouzi Louahem, Arte Geie, Les éditions du bout des doigts, France, 2017, 13 min. v.o fr

Jours de tournage est une collection documentaire en réalité virtuelle, qui explore l’univers des plateaux de tournage de certaines coproductions d’ARTE Cinéma. Son deuxième épisode est consacré à Isabelle Huppert sur le tournage du film Madame Hyde de Serge Bozon.

Kinoscope

Philippe A. Collin & Clément Léotard, EX Nihilo/Novelab, France, 2016, 10 min, v.o en

Kinoscope est une expérience en réalité virtuelle invitant le spectateur à s’immerger dans un univers vivant et coloré à la découverte de l’histoire du cinéma. Le spectateur est mené par la voix du légendaire chef-opérateur hollywoodien Dean Tavoularis, qui a notamment travailler sur des films comme Le Parrain, Apocalypse Now, Coup de coeur ou encore Bonnie & Clyde.

Hors-cadre, L’Île des Morts

Martin Charrière, RTS, Suisse, 2017, 6 min, v.o fr

Ce court métrage emmène le spectateur au cœur du mythique tableau du peintre bâlois Arnold Böcklin. Mettez vos lunettes et embarquez! Votre passeur vous guide pour un aller simple vers l’Île des Morts. Une nouvelle manière de découvrir cette œuvre qui a inspiré cinéastes, artistes et auteurs de bande dessinée à travers les années.

No Borders

Haider Rashid, Omar Rashid, Elio Germano, Italie, 2016, 15 min, v.o ita

No Borders explore la crise des migrants en Italie, en documentant l’expérience des bénévoles qui travaillent dans les centres d’accueil auto-gérés. Un regard cru sur le contraste entre la façon dont les institutions gèrent le flux de migrants et celle dont les militants les soutiennent.

Planete ∞

Momoko Seto, Barberousse Films, Arte France, Awkeye, France, 2017, 7 min, sans dialogue

Dans un temps peut-être pas si lointain, la Terre est le champ de bataille d’une nature devenue folle: les hommes ont disparu, mais les insectes, les champignons et de curieuses créatures marines se livrent à des ballets étranges et menaçants. Univers de science-fiction ou une vision prophétique ? Vous ne regarderez plus jamais les animaux et les plantes de la même façon.

Sergent James

Alexandre Perez, Floréal Films, France, 2017, 7 min, v.o fr

©Artfact fotolabz

Il est l’heure de se coucher pour Léo. Alors que sa maman éteint la lumière, le petit garçon pense qu’il y a quelque chose sous son lit. Ce court métrage de fiction, pouvant être adapté pour les (grands) enfants,n joue avec l’angoisse que nous avons tous connu un jour: découvrir un monstre caché dans notre chambre.

The Future of Music

Greg Barth, Blink Ink, Royaume-Uni, 2016, 3 min, v.o en

Entrez dans l’univers de Carré Bleu, artiste et compositeur qui parvient à créer la musique de demain en voyageant à travers l’espace et le temps. Un mockumentaire VR pop, surréaliste et frénétique, fruit de la collaboration délirante entre Greg Barth et Polar Youth.

What do we care 4

Steye Hallema, WildVreemd, Steye and The Bizonkid (musique), Pays-Bas, 2014, 5 min sans dialogue

Dans ce vidéoclip en réalité virtuelle, vous allez rencontrer des astronautes qui vont bouleverser votre monde à coups de hula-hoops magiques, vous encerclant de miroirs introspectifs jusqu’à ce que vous vous mettiez à danser avec une tribu amérindienne. Pendant ce temps, le groupe jouera des mix énergiques de funk, rock et musique pop sur des instruments en carton.

In the context of the ‘Rencontres’ (‘Meetings’) organised by the Parisian festival, Festival Tous Ecrans’ Head of Digital and Professional Programmes Paola Gazzani Marinelli will host the round-table discussion ‘Why Virtual Reality?’, a dialogue between Burmese photographer Minzayar Oo and Iranian artist Ali Eslami.

Minzayar Oo (A New Reality, Along My River) and Ali Eslami (Death Tolls) have turned to virtual reality, the former to show the daily life of a population, the latter to raise awareness toworldwide conflicts.

Click here for the full programme.

With the support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, the third edition of Beyond Cinema : the Swiss Digital Showcase programme provides an opportunity for professionals attending the festival  to be immersed in the off beat adventures of an improvised magician, with Break a Leg (apelab), and to experience afterlife guided by an Aztec shaman with Ximoan (HEAD-Genève).

Both VR works together with the work of Kenzan Sudios, an award-winning VR Swiss company, are showcased on Saturday 20 May, from noon to 1pm, at the conference room of the NEXT Pavilion.

For the second time, and thanks to the support of Engagement Migros, a Match-Making session complements the Beyond Cinema programme to help Swiss creators present at Cannes to meet with potential investors.

The programme in short
Beyond Cinema: the Swiss Digital Showcase at the NEXT Pavilion

Exhibition, from 17 May to 21 May / from 9am to 6pm
Showcase Saturday 20 May / from 12pm to 1pm
Match-Making, from 19 May to 21 May (by appointment*)

*Break a Leg, Ximoan and Kenzan Studios – To set up a meeting contact Marie Mayoly: mm@tous-ecrans.com

For more information, please contact: Paola Gazzani Marinelli, Head of Digital and Professional Programmes of the Festival, paola.gazzani@tous-ecrans.com

Overview of the works

Break a Leg (apelab)

Break a Leg is an interactive installation and experience getting its inspiration from the magic shows of the 19th Century such as Houdini and Kellar. Built to entertain the crowds based on tricking the mind through misdirection and routine, the conjurers obeyed drastic rules to fool the mind of the audience. Break a Leg immerses you in the offbeat adventures of an improvised magician who will have to go through multiple stages of a conjurer’s performance without missing a beat. Break a Leg is a VR work of the Geneva start-up apelab.

Ximoan (HEAD-Genève)

©HEAD_MichelGiesbrecht

Ximoan is a collaborative experience based on the Aztec mythology. It invites an player to lie down and experience his travel in the afterlife, while the other embodies a shaman. Stuck in hell, the deceased explores a virtual world to get to heaven. His virtual trip will depend entirely on the skill of the shaman who, unlike the deceased, is in the real world. He must play an ancient Aztec instrument and depending on how well he follows the indicated rhythm, the expe- rience of the deceased will change.

Kenzan Studios
Kenzan Studios is an award-winning Geneva based company focused on creative content aimed at delighting consumers and helping businesses grow their customer base. Their expertise has earned Kenzan Studios awards at Los Angeles’ SIGGRAPH 2015, the VR Hollywood Summit in 2016 and a recent grant from Epic Games, for “outstanding work”. Kenzan delivers complete original virtual reality environments and characters, along with animations, visual effects and dedicated user interfaces.

Schedule

Exhibition : VR works and experiences // 10am – 9pm

Workshop on Virtual Reality and Immersive Film by Focal // 10am – 5pm

Panel : “Past, present and future of financing Swiss digital creation” // 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Speakers :

Doris Fiala, Member of the Swiss National Council FDP/PLR, Zurich

Sami Kanaan, Administrative Councillor of the City of Geneva, in charge of Culture and Sports

Gérard Ruey, Secretary-General, Cinéforom

Sven Waelti, Head of coproductions, SRG SSR

Daniel Wasser, Secretary-General, Zürcher Filmstiftung

Happy hour and party starting at 7:30pm

This exhibition and panel are organised by the Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans, together with its partners Pro Helvetia, ZHdK Cast and Audio-Visual Media, Swiss Digital Alliance, Swiss Fiction Movement, Zurich für den Film.

Exhibition programme

A 360° look at the Swiss music prize

Jonathan Droz, Federal Office of culture, Switzerland, 2017, 5min

An 360° virtual-reality film has been produced, showcasing the Swiss Music Prize in all its musical diversity. Join 11 winners from the last three years on a virtual journey through this prestigious award.

Angst360

Eloy Martinez, ZHdK, Switzerland, 2017

ANGST360 is an immersive experience about fear. The visitor dives into the topic through different transmedial chapters. Text and video present facts and protagonists who discuss their fears. The highlight of the experience are the 360° videos, through which the visitor’s senses are directly confronted with fear.

A proximal visit

Nicolas Büschi, Switzerland / Hong-Kong, 2017

During our visit to Hong Kong in July 2016, a collaboration with Melissa Cate Christ, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong and Nicolas Büchi of the Cast / Audiovisual Media program at ZHdK emerged. As a first proof of concept, several 360° videos were produced on different stairs in Hong Kong. As Melissa has interesting and specialised input to contribute to each stair video, a collaboration and VR extension to the exhibition is envisioned, and outlined below.

Allumette

Penrose, United States,  2016, 15 min, o.v. en

Allumette tells the story of a young orphan girl who lives in a fantastical city in then clouds. After enduring tragedy, she grasps at hope for her future. Loosely inspired by “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen, Allumette is an account of the love a mother and daughter have for one another, and the sacrifices they make for the greater good.

Ashes to Ashes

Ingejan Ligthart Schenk, Jamille van Wijngaarden, Steye Hallema, Netherlands, 2017, 11 min, o.v. en

Ashes to Ashes is a surreal, tragicomedy in virtual reality about how a dysfunctional family handles the dying wish of their grandfather. Seen through the ‘eyes’ of the deceased –the urn containing the ashes– this short VR film gives a unique point of view on a bizarre set of family relationships nthat are ready to blow up. We witness how each family member drops theirn pretences to reveal the full extent of their dishonesty. Ultimately, Ashes to Ashes is about choosing your own reality, your imagination, your world.

DMZ: Memories of a No Man’s Land

Hayoun Kwon, France, 2015, 11 min, o.v. en

DMZ: Memories of a No Man’s Land takes the viewer to a place where they are forbidden to go: The Korean Demilitarized Zone, a strip of land about 248 km long and 4 km wide thatn separates North and South Korea. In this revealing VR documentary you will discover the zone through the memory of a former soldier.

Dernière Mission Avant Départ

Julien Bittner, France, 2016, 7 min, o.v. fr

Dernière Mission Avant Départ is a VR spin-off of award-winning TV series Le Bureau des Légendes. Featuring Mathieu Kassovitz, the 360 film has been shot from a first-person POV and puts the user in the shoes of an aspiring counter-terrorism agent about to go on a final test mission. Through his eyes, you will be hitting the streets of Paris, escaping surveillance and placing a bug in a room of a Parisian palace.

Drawing Room

Jan Rothuizen, Sara Kolster, Juul Spee, Harm van de Ven, Netherlands, 2015, 7 min, o.v. en

Artist and illustrator Jan Rothuizen is invited by a big Dutch department store. He is offered a room at the top of the building, overlooking the city. From this real-life situation, Rothuizen creates a unique autobiographical VR experience.

Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel

Oscar Raby,  Australia, 2016, 13 min, o.v. en

Willien McNeive was 19 in 1916, when he took part in the Easter Rising, a bloody event in Irish history of which he left an oral testimony. Immerse yourselves in the rebel’s memories thanks to this fascinatingly beautiful piece of work.

EWA, Out Of Body

Johan Knattrup Jensen, Mads Damsbo, Denmark, 2016, 8 min, o.v. en

Reliven a traumatic event in the life of Ewa, a teenager bullied by her mother. First through her own eyes, then out of her body. After the fascinating Doghouse, Makropol returns with a project that demonstrates the whole narrative potential of VR. Striking.

Firebird – La Péri 

Balthazar Auxietre, France, 2016, 15 min, o.v. en

Pioneer of French VR, Balthazar Auxietre immerses us in a work where music, dance and cinema converge to shape a new entertainment experience, both nethereal and sensual. Enter the magic world of La Péri.

Gotthard 360 

Dominik  Born, Hanna  Wick, Matthias  Taugwalder, Sylke  Gruhnwald, Switzerland, 2016, 8 min, o.v. en

Then Gotthard is a 57-kilometer long train tunnel of cables and concrete that dives deep into the mountain. A mesmerising and addictive experience, this VR film by Swiss-German TV immerses us in a 360° perspective on this passage through the Alps.

I, Philip

Pierre Zandrowicz, France, 2016, 14 min, o.v. en

Twenty-threen years after Philip K. Dick’s death in 2005, David Hanson unveils his first humanoid android. Experience the memories of what might have been the writer’s final love story. ARTE makes its grand entrance into VR production.

Longing for Wilderness 

Marc  Zimmermann, Germany, 2016, 3 min, no dialogue

An fast-paced journey from the dirty pavements of a noisy city to idyllic natural landscapes before cooling off. Express meditation about life and death, which incidentally is also a counter-cultural green VR project.

Notes on Blindness : Into Darkness

Arnaud Colinart, Amaury La Burthe, Peter Middleton, James Spinney, France/Great Britain, 2016, 20-25 min, o.v. en

Notes on Blindness – Into Darkness is an interactive virtual reality project based on the audio diaries of writer and academic John Hull, who- after decades of steady deterioration – became totally blind in 1983. It offers a sensory and psychological journey into “a world beyond sight”.

SENS VR

Charles Ayats, Armand  Lemarchand, Marc-Antoine Mathieu, France, 2016, 30 min, no dialogue

SENS VRn is a poetic journey into the world of graphic novel author Marc-Antoinen Mathieu. A combination of video game and classic comic book, animation nfilm and waking dream, his work combines genres and stands at the ncrossroads of the past and the future.

Sequenced 

apelab, Swizterland, 2014-2015, 10 min, o.v. en

Inn a world where there is only one city left on Earth, recons are sent outn to find lost populations. Sam, one such recon, meets Raven, a 13 nyear-old orphan who’s grown up in nature and whose DNA predestins her ton become humanity’s Guardian. Their journey together will reveal many nsecrets about Raven’s origins as she discovers the true colors of nEarth’s safest place.Sequenced is the first animated interactive nseries on 360° for virtual reality headsets. The story adapts in real ntime to the user’s focus: the characters and environment react to the nuser’s presence in each scene.

Sonar

Philipp Maas, Dominik Stockhausen, Alexander Maas, Germany, 2016, 6 min, no dialogue

An drone discovers an unknown asteroid. On its journey over the rocky nsurface it receives a strange signal. To locate its source the drone nventures deep into an ancient labyrinth. A place that holds a secret neven darker than space itself.

The Invisible Man

Hugo Keijzer, Netherlands, 2016, 10 min, o.v. en

Nickn and Kid have half a million euros in heroine stashed in an upstate nbarn. But they also have a debt to pay – to Frank. When Frank suddenly nshows up at their’ hideout, they have no choice but to oblige in a nsadistic game of Russian Roulette. Each click of the chamber reveals a nlittle bit more about each character in the room.

The Roop – Not Too Late

The Roop, Wide Wings, Lithuania, 2015, 5 min, o.v. en

Whatn would happen if virtual reality and character animation were combined? nIn this dreamy 360° music video, set in wilderness of Lithuanian coast, nthe viewer goes back to the childhood. A hide and seek, whistling a nsong, absolute freedom – all the memories become vivid again and nenriched by sea creatures. To be a child is not too late.

Transition

Joost Jordens, Mike von Rotz, Netherlands, 2016, 8 min, no dialogue

Whenn two students from the Utrecht School of the Arts meet ambient musiciansn Kettel & Secede, the result is a meditative journey into a world nthat evokes the metaphysical inclinations of Jodorowsky and Moebius. nMesmerising.

VR Noir : A Day Before the Night

Nathan Anderson, Martin Taylor, Mike Jones, Australia, 2016, 10 minutes, o.v. en

VR Noir: A Day Before The Nightn is an interactive crime thriller. Audiences are invited to play the nrole of detective Veronica Coltrane, a burnt out private detective with nmounting debts and a dark past. Throughout the investigation, audiences nare caught up in a high stakes drama, compelled to engage with local ncharacters and virtual environments, forced to make difficult choices, nsolve puzzles and use their powers of observation to propel the nstoryline forward.

Watchout!

apelab, Switzerland, 2016, 1 min, o.v. en

Thisn clever virtual reality game designed by apelab’s talents is a spin-off nof Cannes sensation and Swiss nominee for the Oscars, My Life as a Zucchini. The aim? To stop the film’s characters from destroying the set!