Cannes Film Festival Introduces Immersive Competition Section for 77th Edition
Cannes Film Festival is embracing the multiverse for its 77th edition in May by launching a new competition section dedicated to immersive storytelling. The Immersive Competition will showcase eight works that utilize virtual reality, augmented reality, and other cutting-edge technologies to transport audiences to different worlds, narratives, and eras.
An international jury of experts from the film and immersive art worlds will award the Best Immersive Work prize in this competition section. Additionally, Cannes will present a curated selection of non-competitive immersive works during the festival.
According to Cannes organizers, the new competition aims to highlight the next generation of international artists who are redefining storytelling and creating new narrative-driven experiences. The section is being supported by the French national film board, CNC, with French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre serving as the official patron of the event.
While Venice has been a leader in immersive cinema with its Venice Immersive section since 2017, Cannes made history by presenting a VR film in its official selection in 2017, showcasing Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Carne y Arena (Virtually Present, Physically Invisible)”.
The immersive works will be displayed at an exhibition space at the Cannes Cineum complex and the campus of Cannes’s Georges Méliès University. The City of Cannes aims to position itself as a global hub for immersive creations and the emerging artistic domain of artificial intelligence (AI).
The immersive sidebar will take place from May 15-24 during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 14-25. Cannes is stepping into the future of storytelling and cinematic experiences with this innovative addition to its prestigious film festival.
