XR, Immersive and Experiential Storytelling

Photo: "Evolver" by Sam Pressman — Atlas V

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As opening keynote of the 7th edition of the XR Salon, MUTEK is thrilled to host creator Sabrina Calvo — whose portfolio includes everything from poetry and novels to video games, XR and fashion — for an inspiring keynote and conversation, together with researcher sava saheli singh — who uses speculative fiction to critically examine the effects of technology and techno-utopianism on society — on why we should free ourselves from the conventional limitations of “storytelling” and explore new ways of telling the stories that matter today.

This edition will continue last year’s deep dive into augmented reality, with the presentation of the six AR projects by emergent creators that have been incubated during the Montréal/Miami New Narratives Lab, organized by FilmGate Miami, MUTEK, the National Film Board of Canada and O Cinema.

Another special program focus will lie on THE INFINITE — PHI Studio’s and Felix & Paul Studios' latest project currently on show in Montréal — which blends original VR content shot on the International Space Station with a unique vision for operating and monetizing large-scale immersive exhibition ventures.

Accessibility of VR will also be discussed, thanks to a partnership with Montréal’s Society for Arts and Technology and their SATELLITE project, and the participation of Canadian artists and web-VR educators Nancy Lee and Kiran Bhumber.

Furthermore, the XR Salon will put into focus the circulation and distribution of XR works, examining the results of a recent study undertaken by Québec/Canada XR that was spearheaded by Montréal-based creative director and producer Sandra Rodriguez, who is also a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (HackingXR) affiliate. Antoine Cayrol, who is the co-founder and head of the distribution division of French production powerhouse Atlas V, Chinese market expert and director of Sandbox Immersive Festival, Eddie Lou, producer Chloé Jarry, who specialises in location-based experiences with her company Lucid Realities, and award-winning Brazilian director Ricardo Laganaro of ARVORE Immersive Experiences will join the discussion.

As part of the series of artist Q&As, MUTEK will host Barney Steel of Marshmallow Laser Feast, who will share the creative vision of the studio and give insights into their latest creation, Evolver-Prologue, a co-production with Atlas V, Orange, Pressmann Film and Terrence Malick. He will be interviewed by Shari Frilot, chief curator at the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier program.

Last but certainly not least, expanding beyond the realm of XR into a much larger scale of experiential storytelling, the Forum will host Google’s Ryan Howard and Tina Blakeney of Thinkwell Studio Montréal, who will unveil their new collaboration, which focuses on rethinking audience journeys when delivering physical experiences.

Antoine Cayrol ^FR — ATLAS V Barnaby Steel ^UK — Marshmallow Laser Feast Chloé Jarry ^FR — Lucid Realities Eddie Lou ^CN — Sandbox Immersive Festival Félix Lajeunesse ^CA/QC — Félix & Paul Studios Fereshteh Toosi ^IR/US — Florida International University Gwendal Creurer ^FR/QC — Société des arts technologiques Julie Tremblay ^CA/QC — PHI Kiran Bhumber ^CA Laurence Dolbec ^CA/QC — National Film Board of Canada Mara Gourd-Mercado ^CA/QC — Académie canadienne du cinéma et de la télévision Marie Brassard ^CA/QC — Infrarouge Maude Thibodeau ^CA/QC — Dpt. Mélanie O'Bomsawin ^CA/QC Monica Lopez De Victoria ^US — Lopez De Victoria Studio LLC Nancy Lee ^CA Olivia Klawonn ^US Philippe Bédard ^CA/QC — Québec/Canada XR Ricardo Laganaro ^BR — ARVORE Immersive Experiences Ryan Howard ^US — Google Sabrina Calvo ^FR/QC Sandra Rodriguez ^CA/QC — MIT (HackingXR) sava saheli singh ^CA — University of Ottawa Shari Frilot ^US — Sundance Film Festival Shonee Arroyo-Kreimes ^CR/QC Thomas Azoug ^FR/QC — PHI Tina Blakeney ^AU/QC — Thinkwell Studio Montréal Vivian Marthell ^US — O Cinema

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About MUTEK Forum

In parallel to the Festival, the MUTEK Forum is back for its seventh edition from Tuesday, August 24 to Thursday, September 2 on our virtual platform. This market for ideas aims to bring together artists and companies in digital creativity and electronic music, with the goal of exploring the latest artistic practices while stimulating reflection on the ethical and political issues related to technology and the digital world. Artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR), immersive creation and crypto art are among the many themes that will be explored by more than 100 local and international speakers through 60 activities.

For a second consecutive year, the Forum will also feature a virtual market that facilitates networking by showcasing Québec, Canadian and international artists to buyers from around the world. More than 750 participants, including over 200 distributors, representing 400 different organizations and companies from over 50 countries, will gather on the online platform to attend conferences, panels and workshops, and to develop artistic connections and business opportunities.