LemON Film Festival
x Institut Français de Géorgie:
Best of French VR
Batumi Art Teaching University, 24-26 November 2022
ბათუმის ხელოვნების სასწავლო უნივერსიტეტი,
24-26 ნოემბერი 2022

To promote and introduce the new form of art which combines culture and technology, the French Institute of Georgia, Film XR Company, VREX Interactive, and Art Society Limonarium are organizing "Best of French VR" showcase within the 2nd Batumi International Film Festival "lemON" in the city of Batumi, capital of Adjara, Georgia.

6 awarded 360 films and 5 renowned interactive VR projects would be presented to the audience of the festival.

Dates: 24-26 November, 2022
Time: From 11:00 to 17:00
Venue: Batumi Art Teaching University (19/32 Z. Gorgiladze/ Vazha-Pshavela Street, Batumi)

The event is free, upon the availability of the headsets
VR and XR projects have become a big part of the cinema and art industry.

Most prestigious international film festivals like Cannes, Venice, Tribeca, South by SouthWest and many more introduced VR as a part of an official film competition of their program. France is the leading country supporting and promoting the best in new interactive digital media, especially VR, AR and XR.



The French Institute of Paris launched the Culture VR initiative, aimed at international promotion of the renowned French XR projects, bringing the best of VR in animation, documentary, fiction, art, and live concerts to countries around the globe.
2nd Batumi International Film Festival of Student and Debute Films LemON

Festival organizer: Art Society Limonarium
The program of the festival:

  • International competition (feature, documentary, experimental, animated)
  • Retrospective show
  • Films by directors jury members
  • Collection of Grandmasters
  • Non – competitive showing
  • VR Showcase "Best of French VR"
Georgian and foreign film school students will be presented competitive films.

The films of the competition of the film festival are evaluated by an international jury consisting of five members.

Festival web-site: https://lemonfest.ge/
360 Films
PLANET ∞
2017, France, 6 min, animation
Director Momoko Seto
Production ARTE France, Barberousse Films, Awkeye avec la participation du CNC
In a world in ruins, only fungi and mold grow in the middle of gigantic dried insects bodies.
When a weather change occurs, rain irrigates the arid planet and floods it gradually. In the water springs an ecosystem, populated by giant carnivorous tadpoles.

FNC Explore Films 2017 VIRTUAL REALITY - AUDIENCE AWARD
Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017 - OFFICIAL SELECTION

Trailer
Lifeline
2017, France, 7 min, fiction
Directed by Victor Michelot.
Production Dissidence Film (Avi Amar), SoWhen
Love in 360° Lifeline tells the story of the frozen moment when you fall in love. There's no past, no present, no future but one unique sphere out of space and time whithin which feelings, memories and desires are mingled.

Lifeline tells the story of the frozen moment when you fall in love. There's no past, no present, no future but one unique sphere out of space and time whithin which feelings, memories and desires are mingled.

Awards Busan International Film Festival, Chelsea Film Festival, Namur Film Festival Stereopsia
L'île des morts
2017, France, 7 min, animation
Director Benjamin Nuel
Production Les Produits Frais (Oriane Hurard), ARTE France

A timeless journey, based on Arnold Böcklin's painting.
Isle of the Dead is a timeless journey, starting from an everyday apartment towards our final destination, guided by Charon, ferryman of the Underwor- ld. This VR experience is a loose recreation of the eponymous work painted in 1883 by the Swiss symbolist painter Arnold Böcklin.
The famous masterpiece also inspired a symphonic poem by Rachmaninov, which makes a perfect soundtrack to accompany the experience.
Best Story in VR Venice Film Festival (Italie) 2018
Best Virtual Reality Short Film China International New Media Short Film Festival (Chine) 2018
Prix du public Entrevues Belfort (France) 2018
Special Jury VR award FilmGate Miami (États-Unis) 2018

Trailer
Kinoscope
2017, France, 9 min, animation
Director: Philippe Collin & Clément Léotard
Production Company: Ex Nihilo, Novelab, Google Cultural Insitutut
Distributor: MK2
A VR journey into the world of cinema. Kinoscope is a VR experience immersing the spectator into a lively and colorful universe to discover the history of cinema lead by the voice of the Hollywood legend Dean Tavoularis, motion picture production designer whose work appeared in numerous box office hits such as The Godfather films, Apocalypse Now, The Brink's Job, One from the Heart and Bonnie and Clyde.


Prix francophone TV5 Monde - Paris Virtual Film Festival - 2017




Trailer
The Real Thing/Archi-Vra
2018, France, 16 min, documentary
Directed by Benoit Felici and Mathias Chelebourg
Artline films, DVgroup, Arte
Distribution – Diversion cinema
The Real Thing is a VR journey into a copy of our world, exploring real-life stories inside China's replicas of Paris, Venice and London. Around China's largest cities, entire neighborhoods have been inspired by foreign models. The film explores the most stunning of these "fake cities". It travels from Paris to London and Venice - without leaving China. The inhabitants guide us in the parallel world where they have chosen to live. As VR leads the way to virtual tourism, copycat cities compete to offer a real experience of static travel. Walking the thin line between reality and virtuality, this documentary combines both to enhance a whole new feeling of ubiquity.

WINNER Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING
New Images 2018 (Paris) MASQUE D'OR / BEST IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE WINNER
Sandbox Immersive Festival 2018 (Qingdao, China), BEST 360 EXPERIENCE WINNER
Guanajuato International Film Festival 2018 (Mexico) BEST FILM IN VR

Trailer
Revivre Notre-Dame / Rebuilding Notre Dame
2020, France, 17min, documentary
Directors Chloé Rochereuil, Victor Agulhon
Production TARGO / Oculus/Facebook

A dive into the stunning sceneries of the Notre Dame cathedral before and after the tragic fire. On April 15, 2019, the Notre-Dame cathedral caught fire. Today, Notre-Dame is not entirely saved, but still standing. Experience a unique and unprecedented immersion in the cathedral before and after the fire, narrated by the leaders who look after the iconic monument.




Awards 2020 Telly Awards — Gold — Best 360° Video
2020 Primetime Emmy Awards — Nominee — Outstanding Original Interactive Program
Webby Awards Honoree

Trailer
Interactive Films
Gloomy Eyes
2019, France & Argentine, 29 min
Director Jorge Tereso & Fernando Maldonado
Production Atlas, V Arte, 3Dar

When the sun got tired of humans and decided to hide and never rise again, darkness awoke the dead from their graves. Since then, the clash between man and zombie sets the pace of daily life. Narrated by Colin Farrell, "Gloomy Eyes" is an animated trilogy and emotional tale where fantastical animated dioramas twist and rotate around you. Chase the nostalgic and heartwarming story of a zombie boy, Gloomy, and a human girl, Nena, that dare to play with love. Their star-crossed love might just be the last seed of hope.

Annecy 2019 - CRISTAL DE LA MEILLEURE ŒUVRE VR
SXSW 2019 - PRIX DU JURY POUR LA NARRATION
Infinity Film Festival 2019 - AWARD OF VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE
New Images 2019 - MASQUE D'OR
Trailer
Notre-Dame de Paris : voyage dans le passé
2020, France, 4 min
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud.
Production Ubisoft New Business
Distributed by Ubisoft
On April 15, 2019, the world witnessed as Notre-Dame Cathedral was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire. The cathedral is currently closed for restorations, but it's still possible to visit it thanks to this VR experience based on the 3D model of "Assassin's Creed Unity", developed by Ubisoft. Ubisoft proposes a virtual reality visit of Notre-Dame so people can get back to the cathedral and discover point-of-views that were inaccessible to the public, such as the roof, or elements of architecture that were destroyed by the fire, including the famous spire in a living Paris of the 18th century.
In a 3X3 meters zone, the visitor is invited to look around and take a few steps to admire each perspective of the monument, from the nave to the bell towers, to the sound of its famous Cavaillé-Coll Organ performing J.S. Bach.
Trailer
Lady Sapiens
2021, France, 12 min
Director Camille Duvelleroy
Production Lucid Realities Ubisoft, Little Big Stories France Télévisions
You are Lady Sapiens, you were born 38,000 years ago.
You are experiencing the place of women in the clan, but that's not the end of the story. No, women were not out picking while men were hunting. The Director Camille Duvelleroy imagined a virtual reality experience bases on the most recent scientific discoveries, evolving in a sumptuous graphic universe designed by Ubisoft. Lady Sapiens, the experience offers a journey through time in the body of a Sapiens woman.

PiXii Festival - Grand Prix - 2021
Sandbox Immersive Festival - Best Immersive Experience - 2021

Trailer
1, 2, 3 Bruegel
2018, France, 15 min
Director Gordon & Andrès Jarach
Production Camera lucida productions, ARTE France
1, 2, 3 Bruegel !, a playful VR experience into Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting "Children's Games".
1, 2, 3 Bruegel ! is an entertaining VR experience in 3D Real-time into the mysterious Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting "Children's Games": A game of hide and seek where your mission will be to find the 200 children hidden in the city. The painting is no longer a painting but a model game in which you can walk around and act upon.


Trailer
Special Presentation
In addition to the program, provided by Institut Francais de Georgie within the "Selection VR" and "Novembre Numerique" initiative, festival goers would be able to exclusively experience immersive animated music concert "OXYMORE" by famous French musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre.
The project, co-produced between France, Italy and Georgia is available as a multiplayer experience.
OXYMORE by Jean-Michel Jarre
Interactive Music Experience
2022, France, Georgia, Italy, 50 min
Director Georgy Molodtsov
Art director Pavel Pavlyukov
Production VRrOOm
The latest music creation of Jean-Michel Jarre takes place in Oxyville, a virtual city inspired by iconic musical instruments of the earliest stages of electronic music and an homage to Pierre Henry.

Webby Award Nominee & Honoree 2022
Crystal Owl Award for Best Art Design
Raindance Immersive Nominee 2022


Trailer


"Film and Art industry worldwide is benefitting from technological advancement. With this showcase we want the audience to see VR not only as a technology for gamers and geeks, but as an equal form of art, which takes the best from both Culture and Technology. We hope that this showcase would be a good start to promote VR in Georgia and make innovation more familiar to the audience"

Giorgi Molodtsov
Showcase curator and director of OXYMORE project
Content Partners:
About the organisers:

LemON Film Festival x French Institute of Georgia: Best of French VR
Project Team – Film XR:
Curator – Giorgi Molodtsov
Technical Director - Vlad Maleev
VR Engineer - Dmitry Burdyukov

XR Curator: Giorgi Molodtsov
gmolodtsov@gmail.com / +995599051371
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