The Belfast XR Festival, supported by Future Screens NI and NI Screen, announces the complete lineup for its inaugural programme, showcasing the best of local and international immersive technology content. The Belfast XR Festival takes place for one day on Wednesday, 9th November 2022 at The Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast. Belfast XR is part of the Belfast Film Festival running from 3 to 13 November 2022. Our ambition is to create an unmissable annual gathering for XR that inspires storytelling.
Programmed by Deepa Mann-Kler, Belfast XR Festival Director, this year’s programme showcases a rich selection of works from creators working at the forefront of emerging technologies, including interactive virtual reality and screen-based installations.
“We are thrilled to present the inaugural Belfast XR Festival, featuring projects by creators from all over the world and a strong presence of excellent Northern Irish talent. Belfast XR Festival highlights the enormous diversity and vibrancy of the ever-growing international immersive and expanded realities scene, from high-profile international filmmakers who are experimenting with new technologies, to new works from some of the most exciting emerging talent in the field. This year’s programme considers pertinent issues of our time from a hugely diverse range of perspectives and art forms.”
Deepa Mann-Kler, Belfast XR Festival Director
Belfast XR Festival 2022 brings together 10 projects from countries across the world (Ireland, Canada, Poland, UK, Germany, Switzerland). 3 works are from Northern Ireland, and 8 projects have lead artists that identify as women or with mixed gender production teams. This year’s programme also shines a light on some of the most urgent social and political issues of our time, with works exploring vital topics such as the climate emergency, loneliness and estrangement during lockdown. The Belfast XR Festival is proud to be showcasing work by the BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Antonin Niclass, who is a Swiss and French animation director. In “Midnight Story” narrated by Miriam Margolyes, an old lady is waiting for the last coach in a sad station. Looking for distraction, she starts observing the lonely travellers. Suddenly the pigeons manage to create a connection between them all. Waiting for a bus will never quite be the same again. Also being presented is Genesis, where 4.7 billion years of evolution are condensed into a 24-hour journey to experience the dramatic milestones in the evolution of earth and mankind with a previously unknown intensity. Chaos, rebirth and catastrophes mark the history of Earth, yet mankind exists. Genesis is brought to us by German filmmakers Maria and Joerg Courtial.