Originally described as the ‘ultimate empathy machine’, Virtual Reality (VR) is now used across multiple industries ranging from biosciences to construction. However, it is artists that have embraced the technology as a storytelling tool and we are proud to present three outstanding works by local and international artists. The VR Program contains
- The world premieres of two Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund’s VR works, Thin Ice and Square Circles made by local South Australians. There are multiple sessions to be held at Queens Theatre. They are presented in partnership with Illuminate, with Square Circles (16-24 July) presented prior to AFF Youth.
- Industry Session with the makers of Thin Ice (see info below).
- We are also excited to present in partnership with the Australian Space Discovery Centre, Space Explorers: The ISS Experience – Episode 1 “Adapt”
More details on each including where to book are below.
VR pricing is modest – $10/$8 with a complimentary ticket for teachers when booking 10 or more tickets.
- Square Circles VR
Square Circles VR is an immersive virtual reality work that draws upon William Barton’s Country, culture and dreaming. It uses emergent digital storytelling to create breathtaking visual landscapes, featuring Barton’s visceral music, along with friend and collaborator violist Stephen King and the Australian String Quartet (ASQ).
Set to a score performed and recorded by Barton and the ASQ on Peramangk Country at Ukaria Cultural Centre, this stunning blend of music and visual artistry from Go Patterson Films and Jumpgate VR offers a rare fusion of culture and technology.
To book please visit Illuminate Adelaide
- Thin Ice VR
107 years ago, Sir Ernest Shackleton set out on one of the era’s most ambitious and harrowing journeys: to cross Antarctica coast-to-coast. Over a century on, environmental scientist Tim Jarvis AM has recreated Shackleton’s epic, tragic feat of endurance in an immersive virtual reality experience created by Monkeystack. As we join Jarvis in following Shackleton’s footsteps, we too bear witness to another new and heartbreaking narrative: the icy environment that Shackleton and his peers once explored has now been transformed by the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Equal parts catastrophic and transcendent, Thin Ice VR presents a uniquely affecting account of how humanity asserts its will over the extremes of nature — often in unforeseen ways.
To book please visit Illuminate Adelaide. - Space Explorers: The ISS Experience – Episode 1 “Adapt”
As space comes to South Australia, AFF Youth is excited to partner with the Australian Space Discovery Centre to bring you episode one of totally immersive VR work. You are in the middle of the International Space Station with astronauts as they adapt to their life-changing mission – to be part of, as well as undertaking, the experiments required for humans to live in space. The session involves a talk from the Australian Space Discovery Centre on the many and varied careers making up the space industry. Space Explorers: The ISS Experience is the biggest production to ever take place in space.
For session times and ticketing information, see HERE.
Please Note: Not recommended for sufferers of claustrophobia, seizures, epilepsy or extreme vertigo.
Industry Session: The Making of VR Work Thin Ice VR
The immersive juxtaposition of the Antarctica of the past (using footage of polar explorer Shackleton’s catastrophic 1914 mission) and the contemporary retracing of his journey by environmental scientist Tim Jarvis allows Thin Ice’s VR’s audience to develop a unique understanding of the impact of climate change on this wondrous region. The makers of this VR work will discuss its making including shooting in Antarctica, working with new and old footage in a VR setting, capturing 3-dimensional imagery and the deep insights VR can bring to the big questions of our time.
Presenters: James Calvert, Director, Tim Jarvis Executive Producer, Justin Wight, Executive Producer
Location: The Launch Pad, Stone & Chalk, Lot Fourteen
Date & Time: Tue 27 July, 11.55am to 12.55pm
To purchase Schools, Teachers or Equity Pricing tickets, schools can either call AFF Box Office on 0416 761 036 or email: [email protected]
(A limited number of tickets for the general public may be available closer to the festival.)