Galaxy of Films: The 15th Beijing International Film Festival “Boundless ∞ Immersive Section” Call for Entries
With iterative upgrades to various personal entertainment devices such as VR and AR, as well as the ongoing emergence of large-scale offline interactive content, a new XR era is on the horizon, constantly revolutionizing how we watch films and stories. This innovative field has always been a focus of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), which launched the VR section in 2018 and upgraded to the XR section in 2023. And in 2025, it will develop into the "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section". The BJIFF will continue to explore and delve deeply, creating a virtuous cycle between film fans, the market, and immersive art experiences.
Since the first beam of light from the film reached the audience, the art of cinema has existed for 130 years. From the past to the future, the screen's dizziness and thrills are presented to us in a dazzling array of forms, and with the help of cutting-edge technological changes, the film provides the audience with a more embodied experience. Films have ventured beyond the screen through countless experiments, from the "black box" to the "white cube," from "expanded cinema" to "future cinema". The 15th Beijing International Film Festival's "XR Section" will be upgraded to the "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" in 2025. This will allow for more forward-thinking, media-rich, and immersive video works with a wider perspective, encourage communication and interaction between creators, audiences, and researchers in this field, and reach future audiences with a wider range of expressions, giving them a more realistic spatial and interactive immersive art experience.
In the era of immersion, space and interaction have opened up more narrative possibilities, activating the narrative of future films. In the era of immersion, we can all play the lead roles in stories, with the audience acting as actual participants. We are no longer isolated individuals in the era of immersion, as we share immersive experiences that go beyond wireless head-mounted displays (HMDs). The constantly enhanced immersive audiovisual experience brought by technological development also enhances our experience and resonance with stories and meanings.
In the future, this section will focus on the latest technological frontiers, screening selected excellent works from various countries and regions related to HMDs for VR, AR, and MR, and immersive spaces such as panoramic screens, three-fold/multi-fold screens, the cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) system, and immersive video art installations. At the same time, a special thematic creation event for college students will be added to commemorate the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema Through work recommendations, thematic salons, audience choices, and other sessions, we hope to explore the relationship between film, technology, and art; expand the channels for professional audiences and student groups to participate; and create an experimental field that integrates film, art, education, and industry.
Call for Entries for Boundless ∞ Immersive Section
The narrative form of film has already changed, and immersive video art is changing film viewing habits. Francesco Casetti, a film theorist, believes that the Big Bang of cinema is coming, and cinema will form new galaxies. The 15th BJIFF "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" invites you to join this journey into the future.
▍Work Forms
(1) HMD-based 360 VR (3DoF), interactive VR (6DoF), AR, and MR works.
(2) Multi-viewer immersive space-based video works, including panoramic screens, three-fold/multi-fold screens, the cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) system, and immersive art installations, which may have interactive attributes.
Please contact the "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" coordinator for works in other formats.
▍Supported Devices
(1) Mainstream VR/AR/MR HMDs, including but not limited to HTC series devices, Meta series devices, PICO series devices, Sony PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro, XREAL series devices, and Rokid series devices.
(2) Projection + reflective screens, self-luminous screens such as LEDs, interactive devices (optional), etc.
▍Running Time
No limitations.
▍Production Time
Produced after January 1, 2024.
▍Application Time
From the date of announcement until February 28, 2025.
▍Contact Information
BJIFF "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" Email: immersive@bjiff.com
▍Contact
HE Cynthia +86-10-82296174
The Boundless ∞ Immersive Section College and University Thematic Creation
The section has added a themed creation event for students from domestic and international colleges and universities to broaden the channels for student participation, stimulate the student group's creative vitality, and discover new forces in immersive video art creation.
The thematic creation expects to receive works that start from the theme of "the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema". By using various technologies to review the past of cinema and envision its future development, the works allow the audience to transcend the flat surface and break the fourth wall, deeply engaging in future narratives from more immersive and diverse perspectives. The works attempt to depict the future of film art from different dimensions such as form, technology, and experience. Furthermore, it is preferable if the works can transcend traditional narrative structures, concepts, and languages, innovate storytelling methods, go beyond visual spectacle displays, and include in-depth reflections and personal expressions on video technology, interactive methods, and technological introspection.
▍Target Participants
Current students of art/film and television/comprehensive colleges and universities at home and abroad.
▍Work Forms
Multi-viewer immersive space-based video works, including panoramic screens and three-fold screens, which may have interactive attributes. Specifications are as follows:
(1) A panoramic screen: composed of a 180° curved panoramic screen, corresponding to a single panoramic screen video.
(2) A three-fold screen: composed of a left screen, front screen, and right screen with a 90° angle, corresponding to a three-screen video.
▍Supported Devices
Projection + reflective screens, self-luminous screens such as LEDs, interactive devices (optional), and so on.
▍Running Time
3-30 minutes.
▍Application Method
Please download and complete the application form, then send the Baidu Cloud link of the application materials to the email address provided below. The subject line of the email should be "Work Format-Author-School Name-Work Name", for example, "Three-Fold Screen-Zhang San-XX University-Work Name".
The materials for submission include:
(1) A fully filled-out electronic application form.
(2) A full preview video of the effect of the work, along with the original video for the panoramic or three-fold screen.
Note: Please submit a video in MP4/MOV format, encoded in H.264/H.265, with a resolution of at least 1920×1080, a frame rate of at least 24 FPS, and a duration that meets the entry requirements.
(3) Work-related materials that should reflect the final presentation terminal's form, size, viewing angle, interaction form, and other specifications. The material categories include but are not limited to work descriptions, work posters, technical documents, design drafts, application scenarios, applicable platforms, and interactive programs.
▍Application Time
From the date of announcement until February 28, 2025.
▍Contact Information
Email for Call for Entries for BJIFF "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" College and University Thematic Creation
immersive_edu@bjiff.com
▍Contact:
WANG Songke +86-13716965904
With its new look, the upgraded 15th BJIFF "Boundless ∞ Immersive Section" will embrace advanced technology and attract a diverse audience to explore the possibilities of future film, jointly entering the era of immersion.