In a groundbreaking film festival event, Orange Coast College will host the first annual “Dome Fest West” on Oct. 8–10 in its Planetarium. The three-day immersive film festival and conference brings together Hollywood filmmakers and up-and-coming immersive content creators to screen 32 feature films that use 360-degree technology popularized by virtual reality and augmented reality productions. The festival also features, in partnership with IMERSA, new technology presentations, industry panels, and interactive workshops.
“Cutting-edge technology innovations have enabled filmmakers to bring compelling new immersive stories and experiences that are fundamentally different than film or television,” says Executive Director and Founder of Dome Fest West Ryan Moore. “As more digital dome venues come online in the near future, moviegoers increasingly will be able to experience Hollywood-caliber immersive content, without wearing bulky VR headsets.”
OCC’s Planetarium, with its 129-seat domed theater, is the perfect venue to view immersive media, which makes viewers feel as though they are immersed within a production. Dome Fest will include 32 films over the span of two days, and COVID-19 safety protocols, such as masks and distancing, will be enforced. Event organizers expect up to 1500 immersive filmmakers from around the globe to attend the in-person and virtual festival, which has been designed to take fulldome content “to the next level.”
Dome Fest West is part of a co-op of international full dome festivals that includes the FullDome Festival in Germany, FullDome UK in the United Kingdom, and the Dome Under Festival in Melbourne, Australia. All four festivals will present a slate of films under a #BestOfEarth program that includes panel discussions featuring artists, VR and AR engineers and designers, technology experts, and more. A team of jurors delegated by participating festivals will bestow the #BestOfEarth Awards across five categories including Best Feature Film, Best Science and Education Film, Best Art and Experimental, Best Short and a Juror’s Choice Award to honor creativity and innovation in fulldome media projects.
Passes for Dome Fest West can be purchased at www.domefestwest.com.