"The Strong Presence of Women Artists in Our Selection Illustrates the Spirit of the Festival" - Ana Brzezińska (Tribeca Festival)

2023-05-31

This year’s Immersive program at the Tribeca Festival runs from June 9 to 17, featuring a tighter selection of projects and highly anticipated titles. Ana Brzezińska, an Immersive Curator celebrating her second edition at the New York event, reflects on the 2023 lineup.

Cover: THE FURY

Tribeca Immersive 2023: A Year of Changes

Ana Brzezińska – My second year at the Festival has been a different but highly rewarding experience. Prior to joining Tribeca as their Immersive Curator, I collaborated with the Immersive team through our previous projects with Kaleidoscope and the Museum of Other Realities. The programming process in 2022 was quick compared to 2023, where I had almost a year to engage with studios and artists. Additionally, we received a larger number of applications this year, showcasing an interesting variety of projects using different formats and technologies, such as live performances, crypto, AR, and 360. This signifies the growing adoption of XR across artists from diverse disciplines, which is reflected in our lineup.

A. B. – In 2023, we witness the emergence of new devices, solutions, headsets, software, and the influence of Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, we observe the dramatic mass layoffs at tech companies. Many industry allies and friends, including important leaders, are no longer able to support independent creators, and the full consequences of this process are yet unknown.

A Compact and Impactful Selection

A. B. – I hope this year’s selection reflects some of the important questions that our society grapples with, as well as the current digital industry climate. Regarding AI, we have chosen “IN SEARCH OF TIME” by Pierre Zandrowicz and Matt Tierney. Not only is it a visually stunning collaboration between humans and machines, but it also triggers a number of philosophical questions posed by artificial intelligence. Can AI become the ultimate mirror for human fears and desires? This year, we have also selected extraordinary projects that utilize augmented reality in highly creative and relevant ways (“BLACK LANDS”, “FORTUNE”), particularly intriguing due to its potential for public space utilization.

New Voices Competition:

Colored
Fortune
The Fury
Maya – The Birth (Chapter 1)
Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics
Over the Rainbow
Reimagined Volume II: Mahal

Main Competition:

Black Lands
Emojiii
In Search of Time
MONSTRORAMA
The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend
Pixel Ripped 1978

A. B. – From a high level perspective the 2023 Immersive experience consists of two main parts. Firstly, we have an entire section dedicated to an emerging highly anticipated genre: Immersive Games. The convergence of independent video games and spatial storytelling is a significant step forward for the XR community. Pioneer VR games like Singer Studios’ “THE PIRATE QUEEN: A FORGOTTEN LEGEND,” Atlas V’s “MONSTRORAMA,” and Arvore’s “PIXEL RIPPED 1978” show how this new genre is being defined by innovators within our community. I’m proud that our program acknowledges this phenomenon and declares 2023 as the year of Immersive Games.

A. B. – Secondly, our selection includes extraordinary art and impact projects. Powerful narratives such as “COLORED” should be appreciated for the years or even decades artists invested in bringing them to life. “COLORED,” originally commissioned by Centre Pompidou in Paris, is a massive mixed reality-meets-theater installation that we are proud to present in a slightly more modest version at Spring Studios. It exemplifies artistic excellence, powerful storytelling, and the co-creative utilization of cutting-edge technology. “THE FURY” by renowned artist and activist Shirin Neshat is another brilliant example of spatial storytelling utilizing 360 filmmaking technology. Shot in New York last summer, “THE FURY” is accompanied by a powerful and timely two-channel video installation. “MAYA – THE BIRTH (CHAPTER 1)” demonstrates how experienced artists who haven’t previously worked with XR employ 3D animation and spatial storytelling to create impact and translate their lifelong mission into an engaging piece about a teenager struggling with prejudice and stigma. “REIMAGINED VOL. II: MAHAL” marks the directorial debut of Michaela Ternasky-Holland, known in the industry for her exceptional work as an Impact Producer and Strategist. Inspired by her own grief after the loss of her father, Michaela brings forth a fragment of lesser-known Filipino mythology through a personal and poetic family story. Lastly, we have absolutely exquisite narrative works like “OVER THE RAINBOW” or “MENEATH: THE MIRRORS OF ETHICS” that experiment with spatial composition, unexpected perspectives, and layers of reality.

A. B. – The high number of female creators in the selection was not something I planned! Directors, Writers, Producers… In all of these roles we see talented, strong women from different professional and cultural backgrounds. It’s something that reflects the spirit of Tribeca but also my personal dream of seeing women being treated with respect and appreciation for what they do and how they work, for their creativity, courage and perseverance.

Lucky 13

A. B. – This year, we chose fewer works compared to previous years. We decided to present 12 exclusive experiences on the main floor at Spring Studios (all selections, except for “COLORED,” are 2023 World Premieres). Additionally, there will be a limited set of three live shows of The Smartphone Orchestra’s “EMOJIII,” taking place in the AT&T Lounge. We wanted to provide each team with the necessary space and footprint for a comfortable run, and create a dialogue between the selected works. We also share the exhibition space with the official Tribeca Games selection, emphasizing and celebrating the convergence of XR and Games.

A. B. – Besides the Exhibition, we will host Artist Talks with creators in competition, and there will also be a number of exciting private events for industry leaders, artists, and audience members. The quality of conversation at Tribeca Immersive is my main priority, and I hope that our guests will enjoy what we have prepared for them this year.

https://tribecafilm.com/festival