For the first time Gold Coast Film Festival will take you to the forefront of cinematic innovation through a program of varied Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. You’ll be transported deep into films, stories, and places designed to expand your perception of the world we live in and the possibilities for immersive storytelling in the years to come.

The selection on offer is a mix of inspiring, entertaining, enlightening and fantastic experiences representing some of the very best VR content from all around the world and Australia many of which will resonate with you long after the festival.

In partnership with Byron Bay Film Festival, the Gold Coast Film Festival is proud to present a selection of films including:

Chorus
Straight from Sundance and SXSW Chorus from VR pioneers Tyler Hurd and Chris Milk pushes the boundaries of the medium. Crystals, lasers, monsters, heroines…Transform into fantastical female warriors in this social virtual reality experience. Six people can band together to battle evil in an epic journey of empowerment, all orchestrated to the song ‘Chorus’ by Justice.

Rone
Rone takes you inside the famous street artist’s world, following him into the rarely-explored spaces in which he works (an abandoned paper mill, a house set for demolition, a crumbling theatre), and learning about his unique philosophy on art, life and the artistic process behind his epic murals.

A Thin Black Line
As bombers strafed the lightly defended city of Darwin in 1942, nearly half the civilian population fled southwards in the belief a Japanese invasion was imminent. Amongst them was Indigenous filmmaker Douglas Watkin’s mother, just five-years old at the time. An animated documentary in interactive real-time Virtual Reality, A Thin Black Line invites the audience to step into a pivotal event in the history of one family, and a nation, through the eyes of a young child.

Inside Manus
Hidden behind a media blackout, the imprisonment of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres is a foreign concept to most Australians. Inside Manus harnesses the immersive power of VR to take the audience behind the razor-wire to meet the people who are being denied their freedom, their rights, and even their identity.

The Peeler
Not for the faint-hearted The Peeler is a home-grown Gold Coast cinematic VR production. Directed by Harrison Norris and produced by Harrison and Guy Norris (co-directors of the Suicide Squad VR experience) along with Emily Tate. Full of blood and gore The Peeler is a dark journey into a murderous psychopath’s warehouse. Strapped to a gurney, your only hope of survival lies in the hands of another escaped captive…

This is just a taste of the experiences on offer over the final weekend of the festival – we’ll be presenting a wealth of cinematic and interactive Virtual Reality experiences for you and your friends to enjoy and explore. Your ticket will give you access to approximately 45 minutes of VR experiences.

Presented in partnership with Byron Bay Film Festival.