SXSW 2019 is now officially underway, and VR’s front runners are there to showcase the latest in VR filmmaking.
Both Oculus and HTC are at this year’s show with new projects. Oculus will be highlighting the latest from its VR for Good initiative whereas HTC has two co-produced projects nominated at the SXSW Film Festival.
On the Oculus front, the company will showcase three new 360 degree videos. Each was produced in the VR for Good Creators Lab. Girl Icon follows Rani, from Varanasi, India. She highlights the struggles of being a girl in her society. The piece is directed by Sadah Espii Proctor.
Home After War, meanwhile, transports viewers to Fallujah, Iraq. The piece covered the return of refugees to the war-torn city and the dangers they face. It’s directed by Gayatri Parameswaran.
Finally, Mercy tells the story of a 14-year-old girl named Edith, who has a tumor in her jaw. She lives in Centre Lobo and the piece documents her life building up to a transformative surgery. This one’s directed by Armando Kirwin.
Over on the HTC side, Vive’s first piece is The Making Of. As its name implies, it’s a 360 piece that showcases the shooting of a film from Taiwanese director Midi Z. Viewers can peer into the world of the movie as actors perform but also look back at the crew making it all happen.
Gloomy Eyes, meanwhile, is a VR animation that premiered at Sundance in January. It stars none other than Colin Farrell.
That’s far from all we’ll see from VR at SXSW.
