The arrival of the AI era: What is the future of XR content? Interview with the 2023 Kaohsiung Film Festival XR Competition Final-stage Jury

The Kaohsiung Film Festival established Taiwan’s first VR section in 2017 and subsequently introduced an international competition that is now entering its 6th year. It has become the virtual reality platform with the largest scale and highest prize money in Asia. This year’s international VR competition has expanded its scope to become an XR competition, attracting submissions from XR content creators all around the world. In the end, a total of 132 works were received from 31 countries, with 16 works making it to the final list, making it the most outstanding XR lineup of the year.

The XR Golden Fireball Award was ultimately won by the Belgian-French interactive VR work Jailbirds. The VR 360 Narrative Award went to the VR work All That Remains by Riverbed Theater director Craig QUINTERO, while the Hungarian-New Zealand interactive VR animation Missing 10 Hours took home the XR Immersive Award. The XR Special Mention was awarded to the British work Consensus Gentium. 

For this article, we invited the three members of this year’s Kaohsiung Film Festival XR Competition final-stage jury — Amy SEIDENWURM, Jay KIM, and Estela VALDIVIESO CHEN — to discuss their observations on this year’s XR works and the future trends in the XR sphere.

Jailbirds vs All That Remains for the XR Golden Fireball Award

First, the three judges shared their observations of the 2023 Kaohsiung Film Festival XR Competition. The selected works were outstanding and in line with industry trends, showcasing a diverse range of creative techniques. When it came to the four award-winning works, they each had their own views.

Jay KIM noted that they deliberated for a long time about who should receive the XR Golden Fireball Award. In the end, it came down to All That Remains and Jailbirds, both of which successfully captures the emotions of viewers, allowing them to be immersed in the worlds created by the works. Is it worth noting that neither film was relying on technology to win but rather on their content and narrative techniques, which created excellent immersive experiences and powerful works.

Estela VALDIVIESO CHEN added that apart from the deep impression left by the film’s character portrayals and exploration of “free spirit”, XR Golden Fireball Award winner Jailbirds also had a strong sense of immersion and cultural projection, which is why the three judges were able to reach a consensus in the end.

In relation to the VR360 Narrative Award winner All That Remains, Amy SEIDENWURM said all three judges agreed that it is an excellent work, a strange and beautiful experience. During their discussions, they even thought watching the film was like entering the mind of director Craig QUINTERO, which was very interesting. Even after watching it, they still felt the need to escape from its atmosphere. She said she believed Craig QUINTERO is a very talented filmmaker, especially in his mastery of VR technology, making him a great storyteller.

The educational significance of Missing 10 Hours 

In regards to XR Immersive Award winner Missing 10 Hours, Amy SEIDENWURM said the film could be considered a “dating guide” that teaches the audience about topics such as “date rape” and “party drugs”, making it a film with educational significance. It not only teaches children how to protect themselves, but also how to help each other, she added.

Consensus Gentium triggers reflection on technology

Lastly, the unique Consensus Gentium stood out from the competition through its innovative technology and format to capture the XR Special Mention. The jury unanimously felt that the film “uses technology to make the audience reflect on technology,” setting it apart from other entries.

Behind the Dish and Gaudi, the Atelier of the Divine named most regrettable omissions

In addition to the four award-winning works, Amy SEIDENWURM also singled out Chloé ROCHEREUIL’s Behind the Dish for showcasing the abilities of women in the culinary world. Estela VALDIVIESO CHEN also said: “Perhaps because I’m also a woman, this work also really resonated with me. Moreover, even though the three women presented in the film are from difficult cultures and backgrounds, they have very much in common in terms of their dedication and passion for their culinary craft. That is why Amy and I believe this is a work that can transcend cultural boundaries.” 

On the other hand, Jay KIM specifically mentioned Stephanie LANDOWSKI and Gaël CABOUAT’s Gaudi, the Atelier of the Divine. As a producer and filmmaker himself, he believes it is crucial to build a creative ecosystem for the filmmaker and audience. It’s even more important to consider issues of marketability and diversity of experience, as these are the keys to a good VR work, he added.

Using this year’s KFF XR works to examine future XR trends

Looking at future trends in the XR industry based on the XR works of this year’s Kaohsiung Film Festival, Amy SEIDENWURM believes we may see more works like Consensus Gentium in the future. They might not necessarily use VR headsets, but are presented through other technologies and techniques. This also suggests that XR content creation in the future may become more diverse.

The three judges also made special mention of CHOU Tung-yen’s Free UR Head, with Jay KIM noting that real-time simulation is an important trend, and suggests a future where XR content may become more reliant on the integration of music and sensory experiences. He believes the work could become a reference case for future creations and encouraged more content creators to explore different shooting methods and technologies in presenting their works.

Amy SEIDENWURM added she found Free UR Head to be very fun. Sometimes, when watching so many works, most of them are serious and heavy, but this film allowed them to forget about such feelings, leaving only a sense of fun and enjoyment, she said. Estela VALDIVIESO CHEN also shared her thoughts, stating that sometimes in XR works, creators may overly emphasize their own ideas and values while overlooking the emotions and enjoyment of the audience. She said: “Fun is also an important emotional element, so I agree with what Amy said and encourage everyone to be more open and invite more people who have never encountered VR media before to participate.”