New Media
The field of immersive and interactive media is rapidly evolving, with professionals from diverse disciplines such as artists, creative technologists, curators, researchers, and producers shaping its future. IDFA's section for new media, DocLab, is helping to lead the way by showcasing, researching and developing the best interactive documentary art and XR storytelling. Open for entry.
Hakeem Adam in conversation with Janine Steele at the R&D Summit. Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, 13 November 2022.
Call for festival entries: Interactive/immersive projects and performances
We are open for festival entries! Send us your XR and new media projects, live performances, and other interdisciplinary documentary artworks to be considered for IDFA 2024. For the IDFA on Stage section, we welcome entries from worldwide creators of live performances that bridge the realms of film, digital media, new tech, and performing arts. For the IDFA DocLab competitions and exhibition programs, we welcome immersive and interactive projects that use new media and emerging technology to tell stories and reflect on reality. This includes a wide range of formats such as immersive narratives, spatial creations, web-based experiences, digital art, games, audio narratives, physical installations, and artworks that leverage AI and other advanced technologies.
For linear film entries, please refer to IDFA’s general entry page.
If your project is nearing completion or in the prototype phase, you can also apply for presentation support. Please note: this option is only available during the first round of this call. Projects seeking this funding must be entered by April 25 and must be able to finish production in time to premiere at IDFA 2024. Details below.
Entries are now open. There are two deadlines:
- Unfinished projects seeking presentation support and all live performances must be entered by April 25
- Finished new media projects are also encouraged to enter by April 25, and must be entered by the final deadline of July 2
Discover IDFA's innovative DocLab program showcasing interactive documentaries, exhibitions, live events, fulldome screenings, installations, and more. Visit IDFA Institute for details.
IDFA DocLab R&D Program
IDFA DocLab has become a key international platform for new talent, artistic innovation, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Meanwhile, new developments in immersive technology—like virtual reality, as well as AR and AI—have introduced explosive new opportunities. But as new immersive consumer devices are being introduced to the masses, key questions still exist around how to successfully live up to the true potential of immersive media.
In 2018, IDFA DocLab launched an R&D Progam in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Open Documentary Lab), among other partners, to expand the festival into a living lab for artistic experimentation, research, and development across disciplines. Currently in it's sixth year, the program focusses on specific research questions that arise from developments in the field.
Kristine Is Not Well (2022) - Seeyam Quine
DocLab R&D Summit
An integral component of the research program is the R&D Summit, a think tank event for experts from all corners of the interactive and immersive storytelling industry to explore next steps in developing the medium. The program presents information gained from research, case studies, prototypes, and demos of interactive and immersive storytelling experiments in progress, and cross-sector expert meetings.
For a recap of the previous two years of the R&D Summit check out the following articles:
2022 Highlights from the IDFA DocLab R&D Summit Creative Exchange
2021 Creative Exchange: The IDFA DocLab R&D Summit 2021 in retrospect
Raul Balai in conversation with Janine Steele at the R&D Summit. Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, 13 November 2022.
Sign up for IDFA's new media mailing to explore additional opportunities for engagement.
