Raindance Film Festival Introduces VRX Awards

The Raindance Film Festival announced yesterday that it will be adding a new award this year specifically for VR, called the VRX. The new awards will celebrate pioneering VR experiences by independent creators from around the world. There will be 10 categories in which winners are selected from around the world.

The 10 categories are as followed:

1. Best Interactive Narrative Experience
2. Best Mobile Interactive Experience
3. Best Cinematic Narrative Experience
4. Best Documentary Experience
5. Best Music Experience
6. Best Animation Experience
7. Best Branded Experience
8. Best Sensual Experience
9. Best Social Impact Experience
10. Best Sound Design Experience

Raindance ‘Indie’ Film Fest takes place in the UK annually; this year it is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It will be held in London on September 20th – October 1st, and this year’s event will feature a VR arcade and boast more events to take part in. Raindance is looking to help spread knowledge of VR content creation with a series of masterclasses taking place in London in the coming weeks and months.

The offerings include:

• Raindance VR Masterclass: Virtual Reality 101 and Distribution Models
• Raindance VR Masterclass: Creative Storytelling and Narratives in VR
• Raindance VR Masterclass: The Power of Intimacy in VR
• Raindance VR Masterclass: Crafting VR Experiences for Social Change and Impact
• Saturday VR Film School
• Hands-On Virtual Reality Workshop

For those who cannot attend in person, some of these talks will hosted via livestream in social VR space, AltspaceVR.

“We are thrilled to be launching Raindance VRX awards and new courses for virtual reality. We believe VR is a powerful new medium and the most exciting change in filmmaking since the onslaught of internet distribution which started with Youtube in 2005,” said Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival.

Mária Rakušanová, the brand new Director of VR and New Media at Raindance adds: “Raindance aims to champion and award pioneering VR experiences, and nurture a new generation of talent. As the possibilities of VR technologies continue to grow, more and more exciting opportunities for creators will arise. We are dedicated to finding new virtual reality experiences and helping fresh voices to be discovered.”

Submissions for the festival are currently open, accepting both 360 video and full VR experiences.