French Immersive Creations Shine at Filmgate Miami 2023

From November 29 to December 3, 2023, Villa Albertine supported a delegation of 10 French professionals through FRENCH IMMERSION, a mobility fund dedicated to the promotion of French immersive works, in partnership with Albertine Foundation, CNC, Institut français, and UniFrance, at Filmgate Miami 2023.

Producers Yves Ubelmann (Iconem) and Alessandra Bogi (Lucid Realities) discussed “the future of museum experiences where the boundaries between the physical and the digital blur, offering visitors unprecedented ways to engage with art, history, and culture” as part of the panel Museums I Immersive Digital Strategies.

In the discussion, Are we out of the new frontier??? Production and Distribution with New Media – AI, Carol Giordano (Seconde Nature and ZINC associations) and Fred Volhuer (Atlas V) additionally shared their insights on the “production and distribution challenges for new formats.”

Pierre Zandrowicz (Atlas V) and filmmaker Matthew Tierney were in attendance as well, to discuss the process of making their work “IN SEARCH OF TIME” using AI.

Best of Fest Awarded to a French Work

French co-produced works, including “FLOW,” “FORTUNE,” and “IN SEARCH OF TIME” were in competition for the festival’s “Best of Fest” award, with the French VR experience “THE EYE AND I” winning the top prize.

“THE EYE AND I” is a collaborative immersive work by Jean-Michel Jarre and Hsin-Chien Huang that delves into the evolution of surveillance across art, family, politics, and technology through 12 cells in a panopticon.

A New Caribbean XR Lab

Three projects by Guadeloupean creators shined during Filmgate Miami’s workshops and final pitch competition, revealing possible convergences between the Caribbean imaginary and immersive technologies: “VELUM” by Ella Jacoby-Koaly, “BEYOND LINE OF SIGHT” by Jeff Fidelin, and “TIMELESS GUADELOUPE” by Lucas Sousseing.

The New Narratives Lab is a program of masterclasses, individual workshops, prototyping, and mentorship at University of Miami, created by FilmGate Miami with the support of Villa Albertine, Nouveaux Regards, and the Caribbean Mobility Fund. The lab is supported by René Pinnel, CEO and founder of Artizen, a community fund for art, science, technology, and design. 

Lucas Sousseing came first in the pitch competition, winning a $10,000 prize to develop an AR application that enhances Guadeloupe’s historical and architectural heritage.

Villa Albertine Resident on Stage

2023 Villa Albertine resident DJ CRYSTALLMESS, i.e. Christelle Oyiri, DJ’d at Zeyzey for the closing evening of the festival.