Director, producer and screenwriter Rose Troche (The L Word, Go Fish, Concussion) will present at the 360 Vision lab intensive being held during Vivid Sydney.
Initiated by Screen NSW with the ABC, Screen Australia and Event Cinemas will also partner on the 360 Vision event, Australia’s first Virtual Reality development initiative.
The initiative kicks off with an intensive one-day invitation-only lab at Carriageworks to be held June 7, at which Troche will present alongside other international and Australian leaders in VR.
Troche is best known as the co executive producer, writer and director of the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word.
She has also directed episodes of Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Law & Order, and first came to prominence in 1994 when her directorial debut Go Fish premiered at Sundance.
“I am honored to be a part of the Screen NSW Virtual Reality event – 360 Vision. The line up is incredible and I can’t wait to fill my head with inspiration and share all I know,” Rose said.
Other international guests at the lab include Ana Serano, Chief Digital Officer at the Canadian Film Centre and Founder of CFC Media Lab, Gabo Arora, Senior Advisor and Filmmaker at the United Nations (UN) and Barry Pousman, Co-Founder, CEO of Variable Labs and a Chief Digital Strategist at the UN.
Three of Serano's VR projects will screen at 360 Vision including Body/Mind/Change/Redux, starring David Cronenberg, Skate 360 and Qualia: Eagle Island.
Arora is a senior advisor at the UN where he uses his filmmaking and VR skills for social advocacy.
A VR specialist, his most recent work was a VR film on Syrian refugees made with Pousman and digital artist Chris Milk. Clouds Over Sidra was commissioned for the World Economic Forum in Davos and immersed global leaders and CEOs in the life of a 12-year-old Syrian girl in a refugee camp.
Pousman is co-founder and CEO of Variable Labs, an immersive media company, as well as a chief digital strategist at the UN.
Clouds Over Sidra will screen at 360 Vision as well as two further collaborations between Gabo and Barry, Waves of Grace and My Mother's Wing.
Australia’s Lynette Wallworth, the first artist ever selected for the Sundance Institute New Frontier/Jaunt VR Residency Program, is the 360 Vision mentor.
Wallworth's project Collisions premiered in January at the World Economic Forum, Davos, and at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be screened at the lab.
Deputy Premier and Arts Minister Troy Grant said: “Screen technology is moving at an incredibly rapid pace and Virtual Reality is a concept capturing the imagination of global audiences and screen professionals, including the world renowned performer Bjork who is bringing her Virtual Reality show to Vivid Sydney.
“360 Vision, with its development day located at one of our most exciting cultural venues, Carriageworks, is a fantastic pathway for NSW creatives to move into immersive storytelling and be amongst the very best in the world in this thrilling new space.”
CEO of Screen NSW Courtney Gibson said: “Our line-up of presenters provides an extraordinary opportunity for NSW screen content creators. They are the global pioneers in the field of VR and what we can learn from them is exponential.”
ABC Director of Television Richard Finlayson said: “ABC TV is proud be creating an opportunity for content makers to experiment with the power and possibilities of Virtual Reality. As the home of Australian conversations, culture and stories, this collaboration is an exciting investment in the future of immersive storytelling.”
Head of Production at Screen Australia Sally Caplan said: “Virtual Reality is the new frontier for audiences to experience stories for the screen. Through artists like Lynette Wallworth, Australia has been at the forefront of this exciting technology. Screen Australia looks forward to the evolution of this space and the experience it provides for the audiences.”
Following the lab, submissions will be sought for Virtual Reality content across all genres, with up to six projects selected for further development under the banner of 360 Vision.
According to a statement, Screen NSW is working closely with Triggar VR as they develop a Virtual Reality platform for iOS, Android, Gear VR and the web, to be launched May 31. Audiences will be able download the Screen NSW 360 Vision app to experience VR.