Raindance ramps up VR for 2017 festival
David Farnor | On 17, Aug 2017
The Raindance Film Festival returns to London this September, and alongside its indie films and web series, the event is ramping up its VR strand for its 25th year.
The largest independent film festival in Europe has long been a supporter of both UK and international talent on the indie scene, and received a record-breaking number of submissions this year from over 120 countries. Kicking off on 20th September, the festival will showcase over 200 projects, including features, shorts, web series, VR projects and music videos. Talks, panels, masterclasses and networking events will also provide an opportunity for filmmakers to meet, learn and explore new technologies.
The festival will open with the International Premiere of Atsuko Hirayanagi’s Oh Lucy! (USA), starring Josh Hartnett. The Japanese/USA co-production is a drama-comedy and tells the story of Setsuko Kawashima, a lonely, chain-smoking office lady in Tokyo who is past her prime and adopts an American alter ego. The Festival’s Closing Night film will be announced later in the month.
Other notable films in the line-up include Barrage, a family drama starring Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert and her real-life daughter, Lolita Chammah, and The Misandrists, the new film from cult “queer-punk provocateur” Bruce LaBruce, which follows a secret cell of feminist terrorists planning to overthrow the patriarchy, and usher in a new female world order. The latter is part of the festival’s Women In Film and LGBT strands, which will include a specific selection of films as well as industry panels that emphasise the contribution women and LGBT communities are making to the industry and the current challenges they face.
You Are Killing Me Susana, by Robert Sneider, stars Gael Garcia Bernal, and tells the story of a Mexican native adapting to life in the USA. Heitor Dhalia’s On Yoga The Architecture Of Peace is based on Michael O’Neill’s book of the same name, and tells the story of the 10 years the author spent photographing Yoga’s great masters. RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save The Planet? by David McIlvrid and Roger Williams, follows internationally celebrated river conservationist Mark Angelo on an around-the-world journey by river that uncovers the dark side of the fashion industry. And Tom Gustafson’s Hello Again stars Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, and is based on the popular Broadway musical, exploring 10 fleeting love affairs across 10 periods of time in New York City history.
As part of the festival, the Raindance Web Fest will celebrate web series from around the world, with UK nominees including BBC Three’s Pls Like, by Tom Kingsley, and Millennial Theory, by Hugh O’Shea, Phillip Whiteman, an Instagram series that follows to halfwits who believe themselves to be enlightenment gurus.
2017, though, sees Raindance particularly focus on its VR strand, first introduced last year. Running between 28th September and 1st October, Raindance will host a VRX Summit, VRX Market and its second VR Arcade, showcasing VR projects for creators and audiences.
Submissions for the Raindance VRX Market are currently open to independent creators seeking funding for the completion of their 360º films and VR experiences. The Market on 28th September will serve as a platform to meet funders and pitch projects in development.
It will also host the Raindance VRX Awards, which recognise pioneering virtual reality experiences in 10 categories: Best Interactive Narrative Experience, Best Mobile Interactive Experience, Best Cinematic Narrative Experience, Best Documentary Experience, Best Animation Experience, Best Music Experience, Best Branded Experience, Best Sensual Experience, Best Social Impact Experience and Best Sound Design Experience.
VRX Jury members include immersive storytelling visionaries such as Vicki Dobbs Beck of ILMxLAB, Jenna Pirog of The New York Times, Resh Sidhu of Framestore and leaders from Facebook, Samsung, Google, Pixar, Disney, ustwo games and more. You can read the full line-up of nominees below – stay tuned for more on the Raindance Web Fest in the coming weeks.
The Raindance Film Festival runs from 20th September until 1st October in London’s West End. For more information, or to book tickets and passes, visit www.raindance.org/festival.
Raindance VRX Awards: 2017 Nominees
BEST INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE VR EXPERIENCE
Life Of Us, Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, USA
Breathe fire, swim underwater, survive the Ice Age, and soar over volcanoes as you evolve through different creatures and a billion years of evolution in this action packed, multi-person VR adventure! Experience new voices, bodies, and special abilities before joining a post-singularity intergalactic dance party set to original music by Pharrell Williams. Created by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, with music by Pharrell Williams. A Within Original, produced by Chris Milk, Megan Ellison through her Annapurna Pictures, and Made with Unity.
Manifest 99, Adam Volker and Bohdon Sayre, USA, World Premiere
Created by Flight School Studio, Manifest 99 is an eerie story about finding redemption in the afterlife. Set on a mysterious train, rambling through an unknown void, you assist four travel companions on their journey to their final destination. Using character engagement as a method of movement, Manifest 99 explores scale and navigation, unlike any other interactive VR experience.
Ray, Rafael Pavón, Spain, World Premiere
Ray is a VR fairy tale created by Future Lighthouse. It combines 360º stereoscopic video, impressive visual effects and arresting soundtrack. Immerse yourself in Lucy’s room the night when Ray, a nosy beam of light, comes to play on her dreams. Ray is also an interactive experience where Ray is alive, and you can play with it using voice recognition and gestures.
Cast: Laia Manzanares
Treehugger: Wawona, Robin McNicholas, Barney Steel and Ersin Han Ersin, UK
Treehugger: Wawona, the latest virtual reality installation from Marshmallow Laser Feast, reveals the secret life of the giant sequoia and never-before-seen inner workings of the world’s largest tree. Treehugger uniquely illustrates the sequoia’s immense scale and questions our relationship with the natural world at a time of crisis and change.
BEST MOBILE INTERACTIVE VR EXPERIENCE
Horizons, Yuli Levtov, UK
Horizons is a series of interactive VR music journeys where you control the music, and the music controls the world. Make an otherworldly jungle come alive with sound, or travel at breakneck speed through colourful hyperspace. Featuring music from Bonobo, Reuben Cainer and My Panda Shall Fly.
In the Eyes of the Animal, Robin McNicholas, Barney Steel and Ersin Han Ersin, UK
In the Eyes of the Animal allows you to explore the forest through the eyes of four woodland species. It is an artistic interpretation of how animals view the world and their living environment.
The Unfinished, Balthazar Auxietre, France, International Premiere
In the museum, at night, the statues come alive. Through flashbacks, the viewer is told the love story behind the unfinished statue in the centre of the room, and gets to interact with it to finish the unfinished and free the sculptures within. This majestic ballet in VR unfolds to the score of The Planets by Gustav Holst.
Cast: Raphaelle Boitel, Pauline Journe, Tarek Aitmeddour
Virtual Virtual Reality, Samantha Gorman and Adam Veal, USA, UK Premiere
Created by Tender Claws, Virtual Virtual Reality is a meta-satire about VR in VR. Welcome to “Activitude”: Real Labor Like You’re Really There! Cater to the whims of A.I. clients, or put on VR headsets in VR to escape into Activitude’s layers of reality as Chaz, the A.I overlord, attempts to boot you out PERMANENTLY.
Cast: Ted Evans, Jared Ramirez, Skip Pippo, Alice Winslow, Hugh Kennedy
BEST CINEMATIC NARRATIVE VR EXPERIENCE
Alteration, Jérome Blanquet, France, UK Premiere
Alexandro volunteers for an experiment carried out to study dreams in this poetic trip into the future. He can’t imagine that he will be subjected to the intrusion of Elsa, a form of Artificial Intelligence who desires to digitize his subconscious in order to feed off of it.
Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Pom Klementieff, Lizzie Brocheré, Amira Casar
Broken Night, Alon Benari and Tal Zubalsky, USA, UK Premiere
A woman and her husband return home one evening to discover an intruder. As she recounts the events of that evening to a police detective, the viewer chooses which of her memories to follow. Exploring the nature of memory itself, Broken Night takes the viewer on a psychological journey to uncover the truth of what transpired.
Cast: Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Nathanson, Josh Green
The Tragic Story of Betty Corrigall, Peter Boyd Maclean, UK, European Premiere
Abandoned by her whaler lover and left pregnant, Betty Corrigall drowned herself to escape her shame in the 1770s. Gather round the smoky peat fire to hear storyteller Tom Muir recall her tragic fate as Virtual Reality meets the centuries old tradition of oral storytelling.
Cast: Betty Corrigall, Tom Muir, Barbara Scollay, Willy Sinclair, James Watson
UTURN, Nathalie Mathe and Ryan Lynch, USA, European Premiere
What happens when a young female coder joins a male-dominated floundering startup that’s deep in an identity crisis? UTURN is an immersive live-action VR comedy where viewers get to experience both sides of the gender divide.
Cast: Sophia DiPaola, Steve Goldbloom, Marc Fong Jr., Wynton Odd, Shruti Tewari
BEST DOCUMENTARY VR EXPERIENCE
First Impressions, Francesca Panetta and Nicole Jackson, UK
Created by the Guardian VR team using the latest research in neural development and colour vision in infants, this 360º film allows you to experience and interact with the world from the point of view of a baby. It’s a period that none of us remember but is the most crucial stage of our development.
Cast: Chetna Pandya, Natascha McElhone
Iranian Kurdish Female Fighters, Namak Khoshnaw, Iraq, UK, World Premiere
17-year-old Aso Saqzi ran away from home in Iran to join the battle against the Islamic State. She is not alone. Hundreds of Iranian Kurds, many of them young women, have volunteered to defeat IS – and to fight for a Kurdish homeland.
Songs of Vine, Maira Clancy and Blake Montgomery, USA, Peru, European Premiere
Songs of the Vine’ focuses on the healing modalities and medicine songs of the Shipibo, an indigenous group well-known for its tradition of plant-spirit shamanism and mastery of the visionary ayahuasca medicine. Through the immersion of VR, the film illustrates an ancient but increasingly relevant dynamic between humans and nature.
Cast: Ynes Sanchez Gonzalez, Jose Lopez Sanchez, Lila Lopez Sanchez, Laura Lopez Sanchez, Damian Pacaya Rodriguez
¡Viva La Evolución!, Fifer Garbesi, Cuba, UK Premiere
As American culture streams into Cuba for the first time in 50 years, DJ Joyvan Guevara struggles between the new opportunity for global success and a responsibility to the culture he helped build in the face of commercialization.
Cast: Joyvan Guevara
BEST ANIMATION VR EXPERIENCE
Arden’s Wake, Eugene Chung, USA, UK Premiere
A young woman lives with her father in a lighthouse perched atop an Endless Sea. When he goes missing, she must descend deep into the post-apocalyptic waters previously forbidden to her, embarking on a thrilling journey of family history and self-discovery. From the creators of the magnificent Allumette, Arden’s Wake continues the elegant evolution of storytelling from Penrose Studios.
Dear Angelica, Wesley Allsbrook and Saschka Unseld, USA, UK Premiere
From Emmy Award winning Oculus Story Studio comes Dear Angelica, a journey through the magical and dreamlike ways we remember our loved ones. Entirely painted by hand inside of VR by artist Wesley Allsbrook, Dear Angelica plays out in a series of memories that unfold around you. An immersive, illustrative short story starring Geena Davis and Mae Whitman.
Cast: Geena Davis, Mae Whitman
Rain or Shine, Felix Massie, UK
Rain or Shine is Nexus’ interactive 360° mobile VR short film made for Google Spotlight Stories. Directed by Felix Massie, Rain or Shine follows Ella, a charismatic young girl who loves being outside in the sunshine, but whenever she puts her sunglasses on all loveliness disappears – her very own raincloud appears above her head.
Song of the Sea, Jerrica Cleland and Tomm Moore, Ireland, UK, Denmark, International Premiere
The Song of the Sea Virtual Reality experience is inspired by our Oscar-nominated hand-drawn animated feature film Song of the Sea by Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
Cast: Jon Kenny
BEST MUSIC VR EXPERIENCE
Beethoven’s Fifth, Jessica Brillhart, USA
A journey into interstellar space with a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, First Movement by the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Cast: Esa-Pekka Salonen
Mind Enterprises: Chapita, Eran Amir, UK
Chapita is brought to life in this VR experience combining an ambitious 360º storytelling experience with cinemagraphs and clonemotion technology. The result is an immersive narrative in which the dancer leads us into a multi-coloured world of choreographed dance loops, set against a backdrop of stark contrast that lends a sense of infinite space.
Cast: Mimi Jeong
Peroration Six, Fabien Coupez, USA, World Premiere
Get blown away by the force of elements inside this stunning VR experience! Set in the middle of the iconic Utah desert, this mesmerizing live performance will take you on an incredible journey that will unleash the natural and supernatural elements.
Cast: Sam Shepherd, David Okumu, Alex Reeve, Leo Taylor, Phillip Granell, Paloma Deike, Anisa Arslanagic, Magda Pietraszewska
Reeps One: Does Not Exist, John Hendicott and Gawain Liddiard, UK, USA, UK Premiere
Does Not Exist drops you into the centre of Reeps One’s first virtual reality beatbox performance – exploring the latest technology for VR and head-tracked 3D spatial audio. Working in 360º from the ground up, the track was composed to fully utilise the 360º sonic and visual space, creating a totally new style of music video.
Cast: Reeps One
BEST BRANDED VR EXPERIENCE
Manchester City – Match Day, Adam May, UK, World Premiere
Get closer to the match day action at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in a new 360º fan experience. From the tunnel to the player, changing rooms to the grass being cut, experience a behind the scenes view of Etihad Stadium in full matchday action. A can’t-miss for football and sports fans across the world.
Snatch VR Heist Experience, Rafael Pavón and Nicolás Alcalá, Spain, USA, UK Premiere
Inspired by a real-life heist in London, Crackle’s new series, Snatch, centres on a group of twenty-something, up-and-coming hustlers who are suddenly thrust into the high-stakes world of organized crime.
Cast: Rupert Grint, Phoebe Dynevor, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount
The Chainsmokers Paris VR, Brynley Gibson and Russell Harding, UK, European Premiere
Go on an epic journey with Grammy-winning DJ Duo and The Chainsmokers as you travel through dreamlike environments. Influence new remixes of the hit song Paris based on the choices you make. Choose a new path each time you enter the experience, let the music engulf you as you lean into it, or simply lean back and enjoy the daydream.
Cast: Drew Taggart, Alex Pall
Welcome To Laphroaig, Darren Emerson, UK, World Premiere
Created by VR City, this 360º film takes you on an epic journey into the heart of the historic Laphroaig whiskey distillery on the beautiful island of Islay.
BEST SENSUAL VR EXPERIENCE
Come! (Viens!), Michel Reilhac, France
Three women and four men, all naked, appear out of nowhere in the white, sunny space of a bright room outside of time. They meet, touch, share their energy, and are transformed spiritually, letting themselves become one with the world.
Cast: Amador Jojo, Ayoti, Christophe De La Pointe, De La Fouquette, Flozif, Yumie Volupté, Fox
In My Shoes: Intimacy, Jane Gauntlett and Andrew Somerville, UK
In My Shoes: Intimacy is a 360º experience which explores the power of human connection. Put aside your inhibitions, let these strangers guide you through their impromptu, unconventional and intense moments of intimacy. Intimacy is a first-person documentary designed for two people to experience three encounters from six very different perspectives.
Cast: Sarah Cowan, George Collie, Daniel James, Ellie Stamp, Neil Connolly,
Stella Taylor
Second Date, Jennifer Lyon Bell, Netherlands, USA, World Premiere
Set on an Amsterdam houseboat, Second Date is a lighthearted, unscripted Virtual Reality portrait of two young people fumbling towards ecstasy. Trying to find common ground, their conversation veers from clumsy to joyous and back again – until they finally start connecting for real.
Cast: Anne De Winter, Bishop Black
Through You, Saschka Unseld and Lily Baldwin, USA
Using dance to inhabit a common mortal story of love born, lived, lost, burned and seemingly gone forever, Through You is a live-action VR richly infused with an atmosphere of raw passion.
Cast: Joanna Kotze, Amari Cheatom, Marni Thomas Wood
BEST SOCIAL IMPACT VR EXPERIENCE
42 Days, Animal Equality, USA, Spain
Imagine you’ve just been born, but you have no mother to keep you warm. You are afraid. Just one chick among billions. And your life will only last until you’re big enough to slaughter. This is the stark reality for billions of young chickens around the world.
Cast: Amanda Abbington
Aftershock: Nepal’s Untold Water Story, Catherine Feltham, UK
Two earthquakes. One lifeline. One man’s remarkable journey. This VR film follows Krishna, the only plumber in his district, as he works tirelessly to help repair his community’s vital water system which was damaged during the 2015 Nepal earthquakes.
Cast: Krishna Sunuwar
Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon, James Manisty and Grace Boyle, UK, Brazil
Combining cutting-edge Virtual Reality filmmaking and multisensory storytelling, Munduruku opens a window into the lives, stories and struggle of the Munduruku Indigenous People in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
You Are There. On the Road to Ending Polio, Peter Collis and Vanessa Moussa, UK, USA, France, Switzerland
You Are There takes us to a Kenyan village to meet a nine-year-old boy, Job, infected with polio and Sabina, a dedicated vaccinator, on her travels to do whatever it takes to spare other children his fate.
Cast: Ewan McGregor
BEST SOUND DESIGN VR EXPERIENCE
Life Of Us, Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, USA
Breathe fire, swim underwater, survive the Ice Age, and soar over volcanoes as you evolve through different creatures and a billion years of evolution in this action packed, multi-person VR adventure! Experience new voices, bodies, and special abilities before joining a post-singularity intergalactic dance party set to original music by Pharrell Williams. Created by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, with music by Pharrell Williams. A Within Original, produced by Chris Milk, Megan Ellison through her Annapurna Pictures, and Made with Unity.
Reeps One: Does Not Exist, John Hendicott and Gawain Liddiard, UK, USA, UK Premiere
Does Not Exist drops you into the centre of Reeps One’s first virtual reality beatbox performance – exploring the latest technology for VR and head-tracked 3D spatial audio. Working in 360º from the ground up, the track was composed to fully utilise the 360º sonic and visual space, creating a totally new style of music video.
Cast: Reeps One
The Resistance of Honey, Peter Boyd Maclean, UK, UK Premiere
Step inside the world of Bioni Samp, an urban beekeeper who makes honey–and music–from his bees. A fascinating, mind-expanding glimpse into the extraordinary world inside the beehive.
Cast: Bioni Samp
The Tragic Story of Betty Corrigall, Peter Boyd Maclean, UK, European Premiere
Abandoned by her whaler lover and left pregnant, Betty Corrigall drowned herself to escape her shame in the 1770s. Gather round the smoky peat fire to hear storyteller Tom Muir recall her tragic fate as Virtual Reality meets the centuries old tradition of oral storytelling.
Cast: Betty Corrigall, Tom Muir, Barbara Scollay, Willy Sinclair, James Watson