In 2018 the VR Storytelling competition is going for round two! After a very successful first edition in 2017, we’re organizing for the second time an exciting VR program, once again with an international competition at its core, as well as the presentation of the finalist’s works to an audience in a theatre like experience and a one-day accompanying event with panels, lectures and workshops.
Starting now, the call for submissions is open and will run until February 2nd 2018.
Our main interest lies in narrative and documentary VR content, on new forms of narration in the virtual world. Thus, the competition is aimed at all those who are approaching VR with regard to the content. Fictional and non-fictional VR experiences either rendered or filmed in real-time can be submitted as long as they are compatible with mobile HMDs (Gear VR or similar devices).
An independent jury will determine the five finalists from all the entries. The works will be presented to the audience in public screenings during the festival and the winner will be honoured in a special presentation and awarded with a CASHPRIZE OF 1.000,00 EURO.
In case your film is not finished by this date or if you want to send the viewing copy on DVD (or BluRay/USB-Stick) to the address stated below. Please contact us, we kindly ask you to register it anyways and to contact us in order to coordinate further steps.
The address: LICHTER Filmkultur e.V.
Leipziger Str. 9
60487 Frankfurt am Main GERMANY
About
Virtual Reality (VR), Cinematic VR and 360°-video are visual presentations that stimulate people's imagination not just since the recent euphoric wave. Stereoscopy, that means threedimensional image representations, is a process as old as photography itself. Without a doubt, the technique which through a mixture of stereoscopy and movement detection dupes the viewer's brain and creates the impression of a real, persistent environment, will continue to develop decisively in the next few years.
VR stands in a long series of narrative traditions and yet, is something completely new. As the first medium in history, it lifts the boundary between narrator and audience, between the screen and the viewer, and relocates the viewer directly and immediately in other places. Literature, film and theatre can only serve as templates for virtual narration, however, a distinct form is not yet available. VR has the chance to become an entirely new media category, provided that it is possible to create content which goes beyond the mere spectacle which VR is currently still leaning towards.
THELICHTER VR STORYTELLINGCOMPETITION
In the last year, the jury consisting of five experts in the field of virtual reality [Ralph Benz (3sat), Astrid Kahmke (Bayerisches Filmzentrum), Kay Meseberg (arte), Eckart Köberich (ZDF Digital) and Marco Heutink viewed over 50 submitted works. The works of the five finalists – Linara Bagautdinova (RUS), Uwe Flade (D), Alexandre Perez (F), Henry Stuart (IRL) and Ali Weinstein (CAN) – were presented in several screenings during the 10th LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International. The winner, Alexandre Perez (F), was awarded with a cash prize of 1.000,00 EURO for his VR production „Sergeant James“.
Additionally, a large accompanying program consisting of a market, panels and roundtable discussions, and organized in collaboration with ZDF Digital and ZDF enterprises, offered a platform to both a specialized audience as well as to those interested in VR content, in order to address the developments and possibilities in the field of virtual reality more extensively.
Once again we would like to express our gratitude and sincere appreciation to our sponsors and partners experimente digital and Samsung.
