Sundance ‘biodigital’ film festival will try to bridge the gap between VR and reality

Next year Sundance Film Festival will feature a return to Park City, Utah, later personal celebrations were abolished last year. But Sundance does not stop at the digital platforms that they use to advertise movies and bring cinephiles to the VR social hub January is over. As part of its New Frontier show, Sundance is planning to expand The Spaceship, a virtual reality venue that can interact with VR and create real-time animation.

In an effort to connect Sundance attendees with audiences around the world, the Party will re-establish the “Biodigital Bridge” in Park City. Shari Frilot, a Senior Programmer for Sundance and Chief Curator of New Frontier, describes it as a human screen where physical and digital interactions can interact. Made together with Deep Active Theory Studio, the bridge will provide first aid for the chat, but mainly a route to Sundance to see how some of the attendees enjoy the event.

Frilot says New Frontier has been pushing for the idea of ​​biodigital experiences several years now, especially through exploring how technology can connect to our lives. Consider how a program like Uber, or Google Maps, has also changed the way we navigate. But now that the epidemic has forced us to rely on our expertise more than ever – Sundance would not have been possible without last year, after all – the phrase seems to be familiar. It’s not just talk: Frilot says he is interested in exploring the most helpful human technology, or Team Human, as journalist Douglas Rushkoff said.

Last year, I found out Sundance online last year being a fun way to watch the festival and connect with the fans. At the center of the scene is the aforementioned Spaceship, which allows computer users and VR headsets to interact with each other. On a laptop or computer, it is similar to the Second Life brand. You navigate around like simple avatars, and if you want, you can also put it on your webcam, which fills the head of your avatar with a live video. Since the Sundance platform was built on WebXR, a way to deliver real-world online content, you can enter the same VR site by tapping on any subject and visiting the Sundance page.

Compared to SXSW VR software, which looked beautiful but mostly looked like a ruin, it was clear that Sundance had found something last year. After dedicating myself to most of 2020, being able to see many of my cinephile friends in VR made last year’s Sundance special. So next year, Frilot says, the festival continues. The spaceship will also be upgraded with the new Cinema House, where visitors to computers and VR headsets can view live events from Park City, as well as live chat rooms.

Downstairs, Sundance will also have a new venue called The Craft, which will allow attendees to tour New Frontier exhibitions, artist interviews and panels. There will also be VR headphones to use, though the festival also encourages people to bring their own devices if they have them. Sundance has not completed the list of New Frontier shows here, but Frilot tells me that most professionals are preparing for the Oculus Wants 2, so travelers can see their work without a PC connection. But there will still be pieces that require a larger VR rig. The well-known Sundance drama in Egypt will also feature other New Frontier performances, which will take place on the ground and in the Spaceship.