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Free VR Films Heading To YouTube Courtesy Of Tribeca Film Institute

Five immersive films centered around “The 5 Elements of Nature.”

The Tribeca Film Institute is releasing five immersive 360-degree VR films selected as part of their “5 Elements of Nature” interactive program, beginning with Dreams of Jaguar’s Daughter, available now via YouTube.

After holding an open call and receiving submissions from hundreds of filmmakers, Tribeca whittled the selection down to five incredible projects created by a handful of talented story-tellers: Alfredo Salazar-Caro, Milica Zec, Winslow Porter, Jaehee Cho, Sarabeth BoakBracey Smith, Lilian Mehrel, and Mary Evangelista.   

RAINFOREST

By Milica Zec & Winslow Porter

Rainforest is a mixed reality experience where you explore the wonders and threats that forests face. The goal is to have real-world impact on climate change by raising awareness, educating users and involving leaders who are working in this field.

DREAMS OF JAGUAR’S DAUGHTER

By Alfredo Salazar-Caro

Dreams Of The Jaguar’s Daughter is a surreal VR documentary where Achik’, the spirit of a young Maya immigrant, guides the viewer through her memories of an arduous journey north. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.

WATER MELTS

By Lilian Mehrel & Mary Evangelista

A blue-hearted rom-com about people who are going to lose someone they love. Nobody knows what to say, so they bicker, laugh/cry, get married. It’s a romantic comedy, after all. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.

ARMONIA

By Bracey Smith

Armonia takes the ride of the dynamic original piano concerto “Armonia Degli Uccelli,” and marries it to a universally accessible animation, to produce a uniquely layered spectacle of spatial storytelling. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.

HAENYEO

By Jaehee Cho & Sarabeth Boak

Experience the incredible world of the Jeju Haenyeo in VR. Take in the elements from the Haenyeo perspective, and dive with them as they harvest the sea. Listen to the youngest Haenyeo as she describes her work, community, and identity as one of Korea’s amazing Sea Women, a culture battling to define its place in modern Korea.

“This was a one year program, largely because the Department at Google changed and became part of YouTube VR and their shift changed in terms of their patterns and the filmmakers they’re going to be working with,” said Zeina Abi Assy, Director of Interactive Programs, during an interview with Forbes.

“So in 2018, the focus of the lab was the “5 Elements of Nature.” We chose that topic because we wanted to select five teams, and that was a natural fit, but also we wanted to be thinking about technology and its relation to nature in that way. We also wanted it to be a space where filmmakers can explore many other things like politics or futurism or the like. It can be beautiful and fantastical to explore nature through virtual reality. So it was exciting to see the different directions that filmmakers took this topic.”

“It’s [Virtual Reality] not the only future. I don’t think it will completely replace film, I think it will just sit side by side it. The way I view it is that it’s just a new palette for writers and storytellers to use. If it is of service to their story, then it makes sense, but sometimes it’s not. Of course, at the moment, it is being looked at as the future of storytelling. It is a future for sure, but it can be one of many.”

Dreams of Jaguar’s Daughter is available to stream now via Tribeca’s official YouTube channel. The additional four VR films will be made available throughout the rest of the summer.

Featured Image Credit: Tribeca Film Institute

About the Scout

Former Writer (Kyle Melnick)

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