The program of the prestigious Venice Film Festival includes the Lithuanian virtual reality film "Play Life"
The list of participants of the 81st Venice Biennale film festival was published today - the work of Lithuanian creators will also be seen at the prestigious event. The virtual reality film "Play Life", in which the paintings of artist Algis Krisčiūnas come to life, attracted the attention of film critics. The premiere of the film in Lithuania took place at the beginning of this year, it can be seen in special "Hexa Cinema" virtual reality cinema spaces operating in major cities of the country. The film will appear in the Immersive category of the Venice Film Festival, alongside other augmented reality projects from around the world, and compete for the prestigious Golden Lion award.
"It is a great honor for us to participate in an event of this level and to be next to the most famous movie stars. Although we have been making films in Lithuania for decades, it is almost symbolic that it was precisely innovative technologies, the courage to experiment and create a new type of cinema experience in the market of a small country that brought us to the Venice Festival. In one year, we not only established a network of virtual reality cinema spaces "Hexa Cinema", but we even created two films so that viewers have the freedom to choose the content they want - just like in a regular cinema. "Play Life" is the result of the work of a huge team, which was inspired by the works of artist Algis Krisčiūnas. The four directors worked together to combine the author's artistic vision, technological capabilities and present a film of the highest level, already appreciated by critics on an international scale," says Žilvinas Naujokas, the developer of "Hexa Cinema" and a well-known producer.
"Play Life" is a half-hour long virtual reality film in which as many as 20 paintings by Algis Krisčiūnas come to life. Using modern computer graphics technologies, the artist's works were recreated in three-dimensional space and placed in an all-encompassing virtual environment. They are united by the story written by the artist himself, voiced by the performers Inga Jankauskaitė and Mantas Jankavičiaus. The plot of the film is a nostalgic dialogue about the passing of life, colored by memories and experiences, which opens the door to a complex world of feelings. "Play Life" can be seen using virtual reality equipment - special glasses and headphones that provide a 360-degree immersive experience.
"I am glad that modern technologies allow creativity to discover new forms, different types of art to connect with each other and spread even more widely. I congratulate the entire creative team of the film, and the best assessment of our joint work is that the hearts of the audience have been touched. If you've ever dreamed of becoming invisible and able to fly, then this film will be a dream come true: you'll fly through space like a weightless spirit, observe a mysterious and excitingly beautiful world, hear the life story of two people and feel a part of it," says the famous artist, photographer and musician Algis Krisčiūnas.
"Play Life" will have its international premiere at the Venice International Film Festival Venice Immersive Augmented Reality (XR – angl. extended reality) in the project category, which this year selected 63 works from 25 countries, including 360° videos, augmented reality (AR – angl. augmented reality), virtual reality (VR – virtual reality) projects as well as installations and virtual worlds. 26 works, including "Play Life", will compete for the "Golden Lion" award. Venice Immersive is considered the premier augmented reality event in the world. The festival will take place on August 28. - on September 7.
"Play Life" virtual reality film was created by a large team of Lithuanian cinema and computer animation professionals: director and concept author Vilius Petrauskas, director and creative expression consultant Donatas Ulvydas, director and head of the animation and VFX department Mantas Pronckus, director and film producer Žilvinas Naujokas, and text author Algis Krisčiūnas, composer Darius Žičkus, sound designer Artūras Pugačiauskas, "Litl Baz Pictures" and "Muonā studio" companies.
"Hexa Cinema" is a network of virtual reality cinema spaces, starting in 2023. operating in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Palanga. Here you can watch specially created, exclusive virtual reality movies. Hexa Cinema cinema spaces use the most advanced VR technologies in the world - thanks to them, the 360-degree sense of space gives viewers the opportunity to experience the highest quality cinema content in the format of the future. Hexa Cinema already has two Lithuanian VR films in its repertoire: the virtual reality experience "I Am Lithuania" and a journey through the stories of Algis Krisčiūnas' paintings that have come to life "Play Life".
https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/venice-immersive-lineup-and-competition-announced