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2021 Winners, Film Selections, and Judges

DFW  2021 Selections

2021 Award Winners

Best Artistic Feature Film
Ayahuasca: Kosmik Journey Dome Experience

Best Artistic Short Film
LABYRINTH


Best Children's Film
In the land of the flabby schnoock

Best Documentary Film
Tree Huggers

Best Educational Film
Narcissus

Best Environmental Film
Atlas of a Changing Earth

Best Musical Experience
Rukh

Best Narrative Film
Legend of the Enchanted Reef

Best Science Film
Big Astronomy

Juror's Choice Award
SUPREMATISM. The day before

Audience Choice Award
The Journey

Honorable Mention
Piano Under the Stars

Sphere of Light Award
BEAUTIFICA

All 2021 Selected Films

"A Toothless Grin" explores the impact of digital media on our relationship with nature through computer-generated images produced by generative machine learning networks (GANs).

A toothless Grin

"A Toothless Grin" explores the impact of digital media on our relationship with nature through computer-generated images produced by generative machine learning networks (GANs).

"Explore the multi-scale discoveries of ecological changes and machinic visions with an artistic imagination in Astro, an immersive audio-visual work that poses the question: why explore space in the context of known and unknown as well as folding and unfolding?"

Astro

"Explore the multi-scale discoveries of ecological changes and machinic visions with an artistic imagination in Astro, an immersive audio-visual work that poses the question: why explore space in the context of known and unknown as well as folding and unfolding?"

"Atlas of a Changing Earth" takes viewers on a stunning journey through the effects of rising global temperatures on our planet's evolution, using latest-generation imagery from space.

Atlas of a Changing Earth

"Atlas of a Changing Earth" takes viewers on a stunning journey through the effects of rising global temperatures on our planet's evolution, using latest-generation imagery from space.

A visionary experience through the realms of the medicinal plants, led by indigenous Shipibo traditional healer in the amazon rainforest.

Ayahuasca - Kosmik Journey Dome Experience

A visionary experience through the realms of the medicinal plants, led by indigenous Shipibo traditional healer in the amazon rainforest.

"BEAUTIFICA" is a mesmerizing fulldome experience featuring the magical synergy of uplifting music and stunning visuals designed to transport the audience into an altered sense of time and space.

BEAUTIFICA

"BEAUTIFICA" is a mesmerizing fulldome experience featuring the magical synergy of uplifting music and stunning visuals designed to transport the audience into an altered sense of time and space.

"Big Astronomy" takes you on a journey to explore the wonders of the sky and the exciting world of discovery behind running a world-class observatory.

Big Astronomy

"Big Astronomy" takes you on a journey to explore the wonders of the sky and the exciting world of discovery behind running a world-class observatory.

"Emersive" takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through a retro-futuristic universe, exploring futuristic microcosms through bright colors and dynamic camera movements.

EMERSIVE

"Emersive" takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through a retro-futuristic universe, exploring futuristic microcosms through bright colors and dynamic camera movements.

"FLOW - Visions of Time" weaves together symbols, ideas, and notions of time with music and sound in an entertaining and thought-provoking immersive audiovisual concept album.

FLOW - Visions of Time

"FLOW - Visions of Time" weaves together symbols, ideas, and notions of time with music and sound in an entertaining and thought-provoking immersive audiovisual concept album.

"Give It All" is an upcoming VR album with glitchy, electronic, and funky grooves and a 360 VR music video that takes you on an inter-dimensional retrofuturistic journey, featuring vocals and lyrics by Blutori, guitar by Lloyd Philippo, and drums by Tomas Shannon.

Give It All

"Give It All" is an upcoming VR album with glitchy, electronic, and funky grooves and a 360 VR music video that takes you on an inter-dimensional retrofuturistic journey, featuring vocals and lyrics by Blutori, guitar by Lloyd Philippo, and drums by Tomas Shannon.

"GranPa & Zoe - Mission: Light" is an immersive film about GranPa and Zoe's race against time to save the disappearing light of the Sun and their quest to understand the surprising subject of light.

GranPa & Zoe - Mission: Light

"GranPa & Zoe - Mission: Light" is an immersive film about GranPa and Zoe's race against time to save the disappearing light of the Sun and their quest to understand the surprising subject of light.

The Chamanes's spirit make the forest a colorful space.

Guarania

The Chamanes's spirit make the forest a colorful space.

"Join the bold challenge of HAYABUSA2 on a great journey to uncover the secret of the birth of the solar system in an immersive fulldome film with spectacular imagery."

HAYABUSA2~REBORN

"Join the bold challenge of HAYABUSA2 on a great journey to uncover the secret of the birth of the solar system in an immersive fulldome film with spectacular imagery."

"Horizons of the Future" takes viewers on a mesmerizing and uplifting journey through gravity-defying cities, geometric wonders, and imaginative architecture from other worlds, all set to an inspiring electronic soundtrack.

Horizons of the Future

"Horizons of the Future" takes viewers on a mesmerizing and uplifting journey through gravity-defying cities, geometric wonders, and imaginative architecture from other worlds, all set to an inspiring electronic soundtrack.

"In the Land of the Flabby Schnook" is a contemplative and magical film about a little brother confronting his fears with the help of his big sister and a succession of dreamlike tableaus.

In the land of the flabby schnoock

"In the Land of the Flabby Schnook" is a contemplative and magical film about a little brother confronting his fears with the help of his big sister and a succession of dreamlike tableaus.

"Labyrinth" takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through a constantly changing urban labyrinth, blurring the lines between objective and subjective perception of space.

LABYRINTH

"Labyrinth" takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through a constantly changing urban labyrinth, blurring the lines between objective and subjective perception of space.

"Legend of the Enchanted Reef" is an animated movie that promotes marine conservation through the quest of three characters in a sea threatened by human impact.

Legend of the Enchanted Reef

"Legend of the Enchanted Reef" is an animated movie that promotes marine conservation through the quest of three characters in a sea threatened by human impact.

"Living Worlds" takes you on a cosmic journey exploring the evolution of life on Earth and beyond, uncovering the secrets of spectroscopy and the fingerprints of life on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Living Worlds

"Living Worlds" takes you on a cosmic journey exploring the evolution of life on Earth and beyond, uncovering the secrets of spectroscopy and the fingerprints of life on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Come along on a journey to explore a very well-known flower. This short film shows where it originates and how it grows using timelapse footage and animation.

Narcissus

Come along on a journey to explore a very well-known flower. This short film shows where it originates and how it grows using timelapse footage and animation.

"New World" is a sensory movie that shows the struggle of urbanites with sensory overload in a modern metropolis and their need to reconnect with nature.

New World

"New World" is a sensory movie that shows the struggle of urbanites with sensory overload in a modern metropolis and their need to reconnect with nature.

"PIANO UNDER THE STARS" is an AstroArt fusion film featuring original piano compositions with ethno-symphonic musical arrangements and immersive imagery for a sensory relationship with the music.

PIANO UNDER THE STARS

"PIANO UNDER THE STARS" is an AstroArt fusion film featuring original piano compositions with ethno-symphonic musical arrangements and immersive imagery for a sensory relationship with the music.

Spatially separated but socially connected. Go on a journey through fragments of life across the human and natural worlds highlighting our connections and the challenges of interrelated networks.

Polydomous

Spatially separated but socially connected. Go on a journey through fragments of life across the human and natural worlds highlighting our connections and the challenges of interrelated networks.

A metaphor for the bubbles we have all been living in during the pandemic. It is a celebration of the coming ending of the pandemic. A great bird is coming to carry us away to a magical land

Rukh

A metaphor for the bubbles we have all been living in during the pandemic. It is a celebration of the coming ending of the pandemic. A great bird is coming to carry us away to a magical land

"SUPREMATISM. The day before" is an immersive short film that explores the architectural and visual experiment in the creation of spatial compositions based on the suprematic paintings from the exhibition "0,10".

SUPREMATISM. The day before

"SUPREMATISM. The day before" is an immersive short film that explores the architectural and visual experiment in the creation of spatial compositions based on the suprematic paintings from the exhibition "0,10".

"Solarians (Solarix)" is an engaging and innovative fulldome film that immerses the audience in the world of astronomy and cutting-edge scientific theories, promoting diversity and inspiring new scientific and technological vocations.

Solarians (Solarix)

"Solarians (Solarix)" is an engaging and innovative fulldome film that immerses the audience in the world of astronomy and cutting-edge scientific theories, promoting diversity and inspiring new scientific and technological vocations.

"The Being 360" is a visionary psychedelic journey that guides viewers from the mind to the heart with beautiful electronic music and stunning 3D fractal animations, inviting them to explore a new reality beyond the bridge.

The Being 360

"The Being 360" is a visionary psychedelic journey that guides viewers from the mind to the heart with beautiful electronic music and stunning 3D fractal animations, inviting them to explore a new reality beyond the bridge.

"The Journey" takes viewers on a mesmerizing and enchanting journey through the transformative frequencies of ancient Tibetan singing bowls, world music instrumentation, and ethereal vocals, exploring the enchanting journey of life.

The Journey

"The Journey" takes viewers on a mesmerizing and enchanting journey through the transformative frequencies of ancient Tibetan singing bowls, world music instrumentation, and ethereal vocals, exploring the enchanting journey of life.

Join Expedition Old Growth on a life-changing journey to climb Portland Oregon's tallest tree and experience the spectacular view from the top of a towering 246' Douglas Fir in Forest Park.

Tree Huggers

Join Expedition Old Growth on a life-changing journey to climb Portland Oregon's tallest tree and experience the spectacular view from the top of a towering 246' Douglas Fir in Forest Park.

Join Tycho, the cheeky dog with a knack for trouble, on a thrilling adventure to Mars in search of water and a way back home, where he teams up with NASA's Opportunity rover to explore the major features of the red planet.

Tycho Goes To Mars

Join Tycho, the cheeky dog with a knack for trouble, on a thrilling adventure to Mars in search of water and a way back home, where he teams up with NASA's Opportunity rover to explore the major features of the red planet.

Enter a dreamlike world of nebulous shapes and unsung heroes, where an act of selflessness results in an all-embracing echo, in the immersive film "déjà".

déjà

Enter a dreamlike world of nebulous shapes and unsung heroes, where an act of selflessness results in an all-embracing echo, in the immersive film "déjà".

"Site-inflexion" invites viewers on a multi-sensory journey through the interconnectedness of space and sound in a site-specific virtual experience.

site-inflexion

"Site-inflexion" invites viewers on a multi-sensory journey through the interconnectedness of space and sound in a site-specific virtual experience.

"tx-reverse 360°" is a mind-bending immersive film that suspends the familiar order of space and time, drawing viewers into a vortex of reality and cinema collision.

tx-reverse 360°

"tx-reverse 360°" is a mind-bending immersive film that suspends the familiar order of space and time, drawing viewers into a vortex of reality and cinema collision.

"Uninhabited Memories": A haunting exploration of the memories we avoid, using music to delve into the conflicts, struggles, and emotions we try to forget.

uninhabited memories

"Uninhabited Memories": A haunting exploration of the memories we avoid, using music to delve into the conflicts, struggles, and emotions we try to forget.

2021 Judges

Awards

Dina Benadon

Dina Benadon is a passionate believer in people, technology and the future; the culmination of a career rooted in producing groundbreaking immersive entertainment. Dina is Founder and CEO of Super 78, an international award-winning creative studio where she also executive produces projects and inspires the company’s expertise in experiential storytelling. Established in 1998 as a media design and production studio, Super 78 is now a leader in content design/development, attraction creation, and an innovator of storytelling technology tools that include the award-winning, real-time animation system Geppetto and Virtual Reality cutting-edge production tool MushroomVR.

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Gordon Kurowski

Gordon Kurowski is the Chief Video Engineer and an instructor at CalArts. Gordon helped guide CalArts during the last 25 years through the transition from analog to digital to immersive content, working with collaborators across all schools. He has taught college courses in digital photography, multimedia, and video production and co-taught three classes in immersive media in collaboration with Vortex Immersion Media exploring dome exhibition, culminating with end-of-year public exhibitions of student content at the Vortex Dome LA. As a musician and sound artist, Gordon also creates live improvisational soundscapes in solo performance and ensembles with tenor sax, baroque recorders, theremin, electric bass and external processors.

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Eric Hansen

Eric Hanson is CEO of Blueplanet VR, and a faculty member at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. With a background in design, architecture, photography, and feature film visual effects, Eric currently creates volumetric VR content for the Oculus Quest spanning landscape, natural history, and cultural heritage. His VFX work can be seen in “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Cast Away”, “Fantasia 2000”, and “The Fifth Element”, among others. Recent work has led to collaborations with The Dunhaung Foundation, Frontline/ PBS, Björk, Ai Weiwei, and the Onward Project. At USC he leads curriculum in Cinematic VR and Visual Effects, but mostly wishes he could sleep more.

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Jenni Ogden

Jenni is an award-winning creative producer and entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Jenni has worked extensively in the music industry, themed entertainment, live theatre, immersive and interactive experiences, volumetric capture, and virtual live concerts. Her work encompasses storytelling and experiences across formats and platforms, and immersive design in all forms, from location-based entertainment to VR, and new and emerging formats and technologies in entertainment.

 Jenni also served as Vice President of the Producers Guild of America, New Media Chair, completing her terms after 6 years on the New Media Council board in August 2021.

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