The Creator’s Project
Following the lead of Tribeca and Sundance, this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival will feature its first ever foray into VR cinema. The Creators Project previewed one of the program highlights, The Turning Forest, to get an idea of what viewers are in for.
The Turning Forest is directed by Oscar Raby and produced by Katy Morrison, both of the Melbourne studio VRTOV—you might be familiar with their 2013 VR documentary Assent, which won acclaim for its gritty depiction of intergenerational trauma.
In that film, participants assumed the role of Raby’s father, a member of the Chilean army who witnessed the execution of a group of prisoners. The Turning Forest is lighter fare—you’ll find yourself lost in a magical fantasy realm, encountering a strange beast reminiscent of Falkor from The Neverending Story.