The immersive art festival Beyond the Frame is back to Tokyo with its 4th edition

Official image of the Beyond the Frame festival 2023

From October 27th to 29th, the most important immersive art festival of Japan, Beyond the Frame returns to Tokyo. It takes place at NEUU XR Communication Hub, which is a space dedicated to the exhibition of immersive projects in the city center. This fourth edition is particularly special because it introduces significant innovations: for the first time, it offers an official competition section composed of twenty virtual and augmented reality projects, both Japanese and international.

France and Taiwan have a strong presence at this year's edition as leading countries in the sector, with French titles such as JFK Memento and Behind the Dish by Targo Stories, and Gaudí, the Atelier of the Divine by Small Studio, which recently won the Best Heritage Experience award at Stereopsia Europe. Works like Immersive Criminology Episode 1: LOST by Hibrain Image and Wonder of Life by the Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation stand out as Taiwanese productions.

The professional jury, composed of Jay Kim, XR art curator at BIFAN, Mitsuko Okamoto, general director of animation at the Japan Media Arts Festival international exhibition, and Hiroaki Higashi, director of STOICSENSE Co., Ltd. and producer of the Ghost in the Shell immersive project, will be responsible for awarding the prizes. The competition includes the following categories: the XR Story Award for the best narrative, the XR Experience Award dedicated to the project with the best use of immersive technology, and the Grand Prix as the festival's main prize and recognition of the best work.

Additionally, the Panorama section showcases outstanding international artworks such as Flow by Lucid Realities, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The latest creations from the Japanese production company CinemaLeap Inc. are also featured in this section: SEN by Keisuke Itoh and Frequency by the renowned painter Ellie Omiya, which also premiered at the Biennale.

Image of the project SEN by Keisuke Itoh, produced by CinemaLeap Inc.

The festival is a reference event for lovers of immersive art, who will be able to enjoy different XR experiences and two panels where professional guests from the XR sector will discuss the current state of the immersive art and technology industry.

The first panel is supported by the French Institute and the French Embassy in Japan and features Michele Ziegler, director of the Parisian XR festival NewImages, from the Forum des Images, and Arnaud Colinart, co-founder of the production company Atlas V. Some of their most well-known projects include Gloomy Eyes, Ayahuasca, and Battlescar. Additionally, Atlas V recently announced the launch of their new project Wallace & Gromit, The Grand Getaway on Meta Quest 2.

Ziegler and Colinart will discuss funding opportunities in the immersive technology industry and cooperation between countries in co-production and distribution of experiences, as well as the creation of international residencies.

The second panel features representatives from the leading film and immersive art festivals in East Asia. Jay Kim, curator of immersive art at BIFAN, Eddie Lou, founder of Sandman Studios and the Sandbox Immersive Festival, Huang Hao-Jie, director of the Kaohsiung Film Festival, and Katsutoshi Machiba, director of the Beyond the Frame Festival, will introduce the Asian Alliance for the first time. This is an unprecedented collaboration among the most relevant festivals in the region to promote the immersive arts industry in the area through co-production of projects and international distribution. It is a promising artistic and economic cooperation that will surely boost the presence of East Asian actors on a global scale.

Beyond the Frame is a unique festival in Japan and the country's largest event dedicated exclusively to the promotion of XR content; an exceptional opportunity to discover the most innovative international experiences and a must-visit for fans of immersive art.