In light of contemporary creative works that are expanding the parameters of narrative, the 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes will feature a brand-new category called the "Immersive Competition."
The upcoming 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes is excited to announce the launch of a new Immersive Competition, in keeping with the Marché du Film's mission to explore new technologies and art forms through its innovative programming, which marks seven years since the festival's first immersive selection. Highlighting the upcoming generation of global artists who are reinventing storytelling and creating fresh, narrative-driven experiences that transcend the conventional two-dimensional movie screen is the competition's main goal.
The competition, which has the backing of the CNC (National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image), will showcase immersive, collaborative, and interactive works that use augmented reality, virtual reality, and other cutting-edge technologies to go beyond traditional storytelling and take viewers to new worlds, stories, and eras.
Eight immersive works in competition will be chosen for the first edition by a committee made up of representatives from the Festival de Cannes and industry specialists, with oversight from the General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes. The program will also be enhanced by a carefully chosen collection of non-competitive works that highlight the relationship between immersive experiences and film.
Attendees of the Marché du Film and Festival de Cannes will have access to the chosen works from May 15 to May 24. The pieces will be on show in a 1300 square meter exhibition area at the Georges Méliès Campus, a university devoted to film and creative writing, as well as the Cannes Cineum, the Cannes La Bocca movie complex. The Best Immersive Work award will be given to the works that are in competition. The prize will be given out at a unique closing event honoring the inventiveness and originality of immersive artists by an international jury made up of well-known personalities from the film and immersive art industries.
Through a schedule of seminars, expert panels, demos, and professional networking events, the Marché du Film will continue to study the technical and commercial sides of the immersive industry in addition to the Immersive Competition.
The City of Cannes is also scheduled to announce the debut of Cannes Immersive, which is supported by the CNC and artist Jean-Michel Jarre, in what seems to be an already historic year. With the launch of this new program, Cannes hopes to establish itself as a global center for immersive art and the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence (AI). In order to establish Cannes as a leading location for immersive cultural experiences, new events will be introduced as part of Cannes Immersive. These events will be smoothly incorporated into current and upcoming Cannes events. In addition, it will create a permanent immersive location in Cannes that will act as a gallery showcasing the best immersive works, whether they are AI-generated or assisted.