Venice Film Festival's Immersive Section Showcases 69 XR Projects

The 82nd Venice Film Festival introduces Venice Immersive, a section dedicated to extended, virtual, and augmented reality, running from August 27 to September 6, 2025, on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio. The program features 69 projects from 27 countries, including 30 competition works, 34 'Best of' selections, and 5 developed through the Biennale College XR. Highlights include 'Asteroid' by Hollywood director Doug Liman, an immersive film and interactive extension for Google's Android XR platform, starring NFL player DK Metcalf; 'Blur' by Craig Quintero and Phoebe Greenberg, a poetic VR experience exploring cloning, bioengineering, and resurrection; 'Collective Body' by Sarah Silverblatt-Buser, an interactive VR installation set in a New Mexico storm that creates personalized avatars; 'Alien Perspective' by Jung Ah Suh and Cristina Rambaldi, an empathy-driven work honoring Carlo Rambaldi's centenary; and 'The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up' by Singing Chen, based on a story by Wu Ming-Yi, blending myth, literature, and personal memory. The section transforms cinema into an experiential journey, merging film, video games, and virtual reality.