Announcing the 2025 French Immersion Laureate institutions

Institution: Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, Atlanta (Georgia) supports the creative community by offering arts programming, cultural events, and grant funding. It promotes access to the arts for all residents, fostering cultural enrichment and community engagement.

Fulton County is introducing a dynamic project showcasing four VR films from French distributor Diversion Cinema centered on various themes: The Real Thing (urban planning), -22.7 (scientific/artistic exploration), Dreamin’Zone (the impact of war), and Bloom (climate change). Screenings at 12 library branches will provide free access to Meta Quest headsets for over 1,000 residents, democratizing cutting-edge technology and global art.

Each screening includes educational materials, discussion guides, and themed book displays, encouraging dialogue on critical topics like climate change, war, and gender equality. By leveraging library infrastructure, the program ensures sustainability and inclusivity, aligning with social justice principles.

Building on past VR successes, this initiative reinforces Fulton County’s dedication to cultural enrichment, lifelong learning, and fostering global perspectives. It offers transformative experiences to residents, making art and technology accessible to all.

Duration: 10-20 minutes
Year of creation: 2023 (Bloom), 2020 (Dreamin’Zone), 2019 (-22.7°C), 2018 (The Real Thing)
Format: VR Screenings in 12 librairies
Production: Artline Films, DVgroup, ARTE (The Real Thing), Zorba, ARTE, Novelab, DVgroup (-22.7°C), Zéro de Conduite Productions, Fauvea Studio, Ciné-Litté Productions, Studio yog (Dreamin’ Zone), Nadasdy Film, Zéro de Conduite Productions (Bloom)

Artists: Benoit Felici, Mathias Chelebourg (The Real Thing), Jan Kounen, Amaury La Burthe (-22.7°C),  (Dreamin’Zone and Bloom)
Prize: Masque d’or, Best 360 Film, Winner VR category at Guanajuato, Cervignano (The Real Thing), Prix SCAM & Prix Public (-22.7°C), Lumiere Award (Dreamin’Zone)

Institution: Gray Area, Local Center is a creative and technology-focused arts center in San Francisco (California). It serves as a hub for digital art, education, and community engagement, fostering innovative projects at the intersection of art, science, and technology.

The Siren is a digital experience that challenges traditional gaming by exploring the meaning behind in-game actions. Accessible to both newcomers and experienced gamers, it combines inclusive gameplay with cinematic visuals for those who prefer to watch. Players control a heroine in shimmering armor, collecting bioluminescent seashells along a beach at dusk before embarking on a rescue mission. Choices and interactions with an omniscient narrator shape the story, offering multiple endings.

Commissioned by the Pully Art Museum for Vivre l’œuvre, the project is showcased by Gray Area in an immersive installation with weekly curator-led introductions. Exploring themes of ecology, world-building, and gender equity in gaming, The Siren highlights pioneering women in game design, such as Melanie Courtinat and aims to address the industry’s gender gap.

Gray Area complements the exhibit with game design workshops, teaching coding, art direction, and more. Outreach efforts target marginalized communities, collaborating with local schools, the Calle 24 Cultural District and the American Indian Cultural District to ensure accessibility and engagement.

Duration: 15 minutes
Year of creation: 2024
Format: Video Game, Installation Immersive
Production: Mélanie Courtinat, France+X7, Alpha Rats, Alex Sinh Nguyen
Artist: Mélanie Courtinat

Institution: Arizona State University’s Narrative and Emerging Media program in Los Angeles (California), focuses on storytelling through innovative technologies. It combines creativity, research, and cutting-edge tools to explore new forms of narratives across digital and immersive media platforms.

On March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin defied segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Arrested and undeterred, she pleaded not guilty and sued the city, taking a bold stand for justice long before similar acts gained widespread attention.

Colored, an immersive experience based on Tania de Montaigne’s biographical essay, brings Colvin’s story to life. Premiering at the Centre Pompidou on April 20, 2023, it combines cutting-edge Hololens 2 goggles, bone conduction headsets, and a 300-square-meter set to recreate the tense atmosphere of 1950s Alabama. Participants explore themes of civil rights, segregation, and the overlooked contributions of women in the fight for justice.

By blending technology and storytelling, Colored honors unsung heroes like Claudette Colvin, fostering reflection, empathy, and dialogue across generations.

Duration: 32 minutes
Year of creation: 2023
Format: LBE Immersive installation
Production: Novaya, Flash Forward Entertainment
Artist: Pierre-Alain Giraud

Institutions:

• • Parsons School of Design in New York City (New York) is a leading institution for art and design education. Known for its innovative approach, it offers programs that blend creativity, sustainability, and technology to shape the next generation of designers and artists.

• • Arizona State University in Los Angeles (California), connects innovation and education in a dynamic urban setting. It focuses on emerging media, storytelling, and interdisciplinary programs to prepare students for creative and technological careers.

Impulse: Playing with Reality invites audiences to explore how individuals navigate ADHD through immersive technology and storytelling. Challenging stereotypes, it highlights ADHD as a complex condition often misunderstood, particularly in women and underrepresented groups who remain undiagnosed due to outdated perceptions. The project emphasizes emotional struggles, impulsivity, and low dopamine levels, aiming to destigmatize ADHD and promote timely diagnosis to prevent risks like anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Co-created with those with lived experience and ADHD specialists, and guided by Interplay Theatre’s inclusive arts expertise, Impulse offers an authentic, diverse perspective. It addresses systemic challenges, such as ADHD’s underdiagnosis in incarcerated populations, and partners with organizations like Mind to advocate for empathy training and early diagnosis, reducing justice system involvement.

Blending storytelling with mixed reality, Impulse fosters understanding, compassion, and systemic change. By bridging art, science, and social impact, it educates audiences while inspiring a deeper connection to ADHD’s realities.

Duration: 40 minutes
Year of creation: 2024
Format: Mixed Reality
Production: Anagram, Floreal
Artists: May Abdalla, Barry Gene Murphy, Léon Denise, Allison Crank
Prize: Achievement Prize at Venice International Film Festival

Institution: The Museum of Science in Boston (Massachusetts), is a premier institution dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It offers interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, and educational programs, inspiring curiosity and innovation for visitors of all ages.

Encounters is an immersive sensory experience blending virtual reality with poetic interactivity. Participants, equipped with VR headsets and earphones, walk on projected water as their movements generate virtual worlds and characters, fostering connections with nature, others, and themselves. Observers can view the journey on an external screen, enhancing accessibility.

Centered on water, the installation examines humanity’s relationship with nature and the impact of climate change, tying into Boston’s maritime history and future challenges. Tailored programming includes workshops for children with the Boston Nature Center and panel discussions for adults on maritime history and climate innovation, developed with the Tide Mills Institute and Boston Green Ribbon Commission.

Directed by Mathieu Pradat, Encounters unites partners like Mass Audubon, Harvard Film Archive, and Veolia North America to celebrate Boston’s legacy as a coastal city while addressing climate challenges. Combining soundscapes, visuals, and interactivity, it inspires connection and action for a sustainable future.

Duration: 30 minutes
Year of creation: 2024
Format : Mixed-reality experience (virtual reality headset with earphones)
Production: La prairie productions, SoWhen?
Artist: Mathieu Pradat