Venice Film Festival introduces VR competition section

The 74th Venice International Film Festival has introduced a dedicated competition section for virtual reality films and shorts, marking a significant step for the medium. The Venice Virtual Reality section, housed on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, featured 31 works, including eight out of competition. Viewing options included rotating VR stations in the VR Theater, immersive installations, and stand-up interactive experiences. Notable works included Laurie Anderson and Huang Hsin-Chien's 'La camera insabbiata,' which allows users to fly through a space of words and sounds, and Gina Kim's 'Bloodless,' a realistic Korean VR piece. Other highlights were 'Free whale' by Zhang Peibin, exploring empathy with AI, and 'Groenland melting' by Catherine Upin, Julia Cort, Nonny de la Peña, and Raney Aronson-Rath. Categories for awards included Best VR, Best VR Experience, and Best VR Story. The international jury consisted of Ricky Tognazzi, Céline Sciamma, and John Landis. The article questions whether VR represents the future of cinema or a new 'post-cinema' era.