Hainan Island International Film Festival Gathers Excellent VR Works, with “Disappeared Faces” to Premiere

The first session of Hainan Island International Film Festival will officially be held in Sanya, Hainan Province from December 9 to 16, 2018. This year’s film festival features an “Immersive VR Film Unit” exhibition which presents 7 masterpieces from home and abroad to feast the audience with a ticket. The VR documentary “Disappeared Faces” made by Chinese youth director Yi ri fan Ju ai er ti will premiere at Hainan Island International Film Festival.

Hainan Island International Film Festival Follows the Trend of Technology

As a keyword in the frontier technology field, VR (Virtual Reality Technology) has been the focus of attention worldwide in recent years. VR uses computer systems and sensor technology to generate a 3D environment, creating a new way of human-computer interaction. The audience can enter the movie scene and view the surrounding environment in 360 degrees to have an “immersive” experience.

In the field of films, this pioneering technology also provides a new perspective and space for creators. In order to accelerate the R & D and promotion of cutting – edge technology, and promote the extension and development of the whole movie industry chain, this year’s Hainan Island International Film Festival also opened an “Immersive VR Film Unit”, attracting many outstanding works from home and abroad to attend the exhibition.

In addition to “Disappeared Faces”, works attending VR unit of this film festival include domestic VR animation “Shennong: Taste of Illusion” and “Chuang”, VR documentary “Sanctuaries of Silence” and “The Wild Immersion”, VR Art Movie “Road to the Runway”, “The Caretaker” of the sacred theme. Most of these works will premier in China, some of which were released at Chinese film festivals. It will definitely bring an extraordinary VR experience to fans who like immersive viewing.

The representative producer of “Shennong: Taste of Illusion”, “Trail of Angels”’s director Kristina Buozyte and producer Vitalius Zukas will attend a series of activities at the festival, communicating with fans and colleagues.

Seven Masterpieces Bring Extraordinary Audiovisual Experiences

The Chinese youth director Yi Rifan·Ju Erti’s VR documentary “Disappeared Faces” will premiere at this year’s film festival. The audience will follow the director’s steps into the depths of Beijing’s alleyway and appreciate the art of facial makeup painting passed down from generation to generation.

“Shennong: Taste of Illusion” has been shortlisted for the VR unit of several international film festivals in Venice and Busan. Adapted from the ancient Chinese mythology, the film tells the story of the Emperor Yan (Shennong) eating poisonous Hyoscyamus niger L. accidentally, bringing him into an illusion in which Emperor Yan battles against demon monsters transformed from toxicant. The two youth directors of the film, Mi Li and Wang Zheng, are among the best in China’s VR animation creation group. The VR work “The Dream Collector”, which they collaborated to finish in 2017, was also well received at Venice International Film Festival.

Post-1985 VFX director Shao Qing brought the VR animation “Chuang” to children with autism, trying to draw more people’s attention to the inner world of disabled children through the brand new technology and art form of VR.

The viewing experience brought by VR technology has brought more possibilities to the documentary that emphasizes authenticity. The US VR documentary “Sanctuaries of Silence” will prove this. The film director Adam Loften has been focusing on documentary creation for many years and won the “Best Documentary – Short Film Award” at the British Raindance Film Festival in 2018.

In addition, the French VR documentary “The Wild Immersion”, the American VR thriller “The Caretaker”, and the VR art film “Trail of Angels” that pays tribute to the great Lithuanian artist Ciurlonis, will also be exhibited at the film festival and meet Chinese audience for the first time.