BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA – VIRTUAL REALITY
7th edition
Programme Description
The Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality (BCC-VR) is a programme developed by La Biennale di Venezia to navigate Virtual Reality.
The approach is to fully explore the aesthetic and narrative opportunities offered by this form. BCC-VR provides filmmakers and creative professionals from a wide range of backgrounds with the skills to fully engage with 360° interactive immersive future.
With the support of experts and international specialists in the field, BCC-VR will help independent filmmakers and creative professionals from all over the world to appropriate the medium of VR and learn how to adapt their knowledge to VR in a fluid transitional way.
In the process participants will acquire the specific know-how around 360° immersive storytelling that will redefine the relationship between story and audience.
BCC-VR aims to support the development of 6 Italian projects and 10 international projects presented by teams of director and producer, of up to 30 minutes duration, at concept stage, helping them to advance their projects covering creative, production, audience/market and financial concerns.
As part of the programme we aim to financially support the production of up to 1 VR project with a grant of € 75.000,00 to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and to present those projects that have not accessed the grant, at the Venice Production Bridge as part of the Gap Financing Market activities.
The Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality programme is realized thanks to the support of Ministero della Cultura and the training activities are realized thanks to the Creative Europe – Media program.
The films will be funded by a grant of La Biennale di Venezia.
Description of the phases of the Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality
The Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality is a unique opportunity for creative professionals to receive training, project development, production support and festival presentation through a series of workshops. The Biennale College Cinema –Virtual Reality is a creative community that provides a space during this 7th edition for up to 6 Italian teams and 10 international teams, to come together and work with an invited team of international experts and tutors. By exploring the new creative language and the possibilities presented by VR, participants will get the opportunity to:
- Develop involving stories and projects utilising 360 degree immersive experience
- Acquire the technical know-how required to produce VR projects from planning and production through to completion
- Establish networking and knowledge sharing between experts and fellow participants and explore the international market for VR.
Selected project teams have to commit to this programme: fulfil the requirements of La Biennale and meet the required deadlines; contribute their experience and ideas to the community of creatives attending the college; and provide materials and information for further dissemination to a wider audience through use of the Biennale College Cinema website.
First phase: Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality | Italia
Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality will organize a workshop that takes place in Venice in October from 9th to 13th (arrival day: October 8th , departure day: October 14th ) for 6 projects presented by teams of director and producer, both Italian, selected through the call Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality | Italia.
Classes will be taught in English by international tutors, and will focus on development and refinement of the concept. On the basis of what is learnt during the workshop, the 6 teams will be asked to deliver specific updated documents to be presented by 10th November 2022.
After evaluating the updated materials two projects will be selected. These two teams will be invited to attend a 7 day workshop in January 2023, along with 10 projects selected through the International Call, launched in September 2022.
The results will be notified to the teams by mid December 2022.
Second phase: Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality | International
During the 79th Venice International Film Festival an International Call will be launched to select 10 VR projects presented by teams of director and producer, coming from all over the world.
Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality will organize an International workshop, taking place in January 2023 (13th – 19th; arrival day: January 12th – departure day: January 20th). From this moment on the activities of the Italian and International calls follow the same path.
During the first workshop the project teams work with a dedicated group of tutors including story developers, creative technologists and visual advisors, to fully develop their projects from all perspectives.
The core training is complemented by a programme of presentations given by invited guests focusing on different aspects of VR production.
To equip the producers and directors with the knowledge of how to introduce their projects to potential partners the International workshop includes a pitch-training module.
Project teams get the opportunity to practice these skills in preparation for the final presentation of all the projects on the last day of the workshop to La Biennale.
After the international workshop all 12 teams have to work on their projects and deliver updated materials by 7th February 2023. On receipt of these materials the Venice International Film Festival Director will select up to 3 VR projects to attend the second international development workshop and following the workshop, up to 1 project to be considered for further production support. The Director’s decision will be announced by the end of February 2023.
The projects that will not continue to the second international workshop will receive feedback and will be invited to attend the Venice Production Bridge in September 2023.
Third phase
The selected teams will be invited to a second workshop to be held from 7th to 10th March 2023 (arrival day: March 6th, departure day: March 11th). The aim of this workshop is to focus on the production of the selected projects.
Each project team will be able to draw from a range of professional to work on all aspects of the project in preparation for the production in the coming months.
Up to 1 team will receive a grant of up to 75,000 euros and between March and mid-August, over a five-month period, the team will proceed to produce and complete its project. At this time the team will sign the final contract with the Biennale and the schedule of payments will be agreed.
The team will be expected to deliver updated documents and actualized budgets, and schedule breakdowns to release payments. They will also be required to provide reports on their progress and on possible sponsor/supporter with the Biennale College Cinema – VR leaders.
The selected VR project must be submitted in early August 2023 in order to be presented at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023.
Fourth phase
All the teams participating in the workshop in January and not supported by the grant, will be invited to attend the Venice Production Bridge in September 2023. The event in Venice is designed to showcase the projects and participants and provides an opportunity to find partners, potential commissions and generate debate around the impact of VR on the market and the changing professional practices and business models.
For further information we invite you to visit the page FAQ – VR
For further questions, please write an email to : college-cinema@labiennale.org
La Biennale di Venezia reserves the right in any case to modify, cancel or interrupt the initiative described above, in that the announcement or the selection do not constitute a binding contract for the same, nor do they entail the right to the reimbursement of any expense other than those specified above.
Dates, Venues and Timeline:
22 March 2022 – Launch Call Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality 7 | Italia
19 May 2022 (23:59 CET) – Deadline for applications BCC – VR 7 | Italia
By end of August 2022 – BCC VR Italia results will be notified via e-mail to the applicants.
6 September 2022– Launch Call Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality 7 | International
9-13 October 2022– workshop BCC VR 7| Italia (arrival day: October 8th – departure day: October 14th)
3 November 2022 (23:59 CET) – Deadline Call BCC – VR 7 | International
10 November 2022– deadline to receive updated materials BCC – VR 7 | Italia
By mid-December 2022– result of the selection will be notified to the BCC – VR 7 | International applicants.
13-19 January 2023 – First International Workshop (Venice, travel days 12th – 20th)
Following the first workshop:
7 February 2023 – deadline to deliver updated materials BCC VR 7 |International
by end of February 2023 – results of the selection will be notified to the participants
7 – 10 March 2023 - Second International Workshop (Venice, travel days: 6th – 11th).
Early August 2023 – deadline to deliver the completed VR film at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
September 2023 – attendance of international project teams at the Venice Production Bridge, 80th Venice International Film Festival.