By Travis Johnson
The Gold Coast Film Festival have announced that they have formed a partnership with Byron Bay Film Festival to showcase five Virtual Reality experiences at this year’s festival, including the Australian premiere of social VR experience Chorus, which was recently exhibited at Sundance and SXSW.
Created by virtual reality pioneers Tyler Hurd and Chris Milk, Chorus is a cutting-edge music video for the song ‘Chorus’ by French electronic music duo Justice. Up to six people are transformed into fantastical female warriors from different corners of the world to battle evil with dance lasers and crystals in an epic 1980s fantasy movie journey of empowerment.
Also on the bill is Gold Coast VR production The Peeler, directed by Harrison Norris and Guy Norris (co-directors of the Suicide Squad VR experience), and produced by Emily Tate. It’s described as “…a VR thriller that takes viewers on a dark journey into a murderous psychopath’s warehouse.” and is “Filled with blood and gore…”.
“It is fantastic to see Gold Coast Film Festival showcasing virtual reality for the first time as we need creators to be inspired by VR and to start experimenting because that is when the magic happens,” Norris said.“Virtual reality has the ability to completely immerse you and the real power of the medium is that it can make you forget where you are.
It is very forward thinking of the festival to include virtual reality in their program line-up and I am excited for festival-goers to not only see The Peeler but to experience VR for themselves.”
Other VR experiences on the program include Rone, A Thin Black Line, and Inside Manus, with all five being held at the Gold Coast Film Festival’s base of HOTA, Home of the Arts.
For more information about the festivals full selection of virtual reality, viewing times and booking details, visit the GCFF site.
