{"id":10766,"date":"2018-08-17T11:14:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-17T15:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hunterword.com\/?p=10766"},"modified":"2020-05-22T11:30:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T15:30:39","slug":"line-up-for-the-convergence-section-of-the-56th-new-york-film-festival-october-11-to-14-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/line-up-for-the-convergence-section-of-the-56th-new-york-film-festival-october-11-to-14-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Line Up for the Convergence Section of the 56th New York Film Festival, October 11 to 14, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<div align=\"center\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\">Edited by Gregg W. Morris<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10769\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10769\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10769\" src=\"http:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF-560x374.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF-260x173.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/rone-56thFF-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-10769\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rone<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\">The seventh edition of thise highly anticipated annual program delves into innovative modes of storytelling via interactive experiences, featuring Virtual Reality, Immersive Cinema, AI and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">&#8220;By expanding our virtual reality programming for 2018. it&#8217;s our hope to expose our audiences to compelling stories \u2014 documentaries, narrative pieces, games \u2014 that will both capture their imaginations and make them think,&#8221; said\u00a0 programmer Matt Bolish. \u201cThe addition of our \u2018Arcade\u2019 gives attendees the chance to really dig in, explore, and interact with the work, each other, and the storytellers shaping this exciting form.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Over the course of NYFF\u2019s final weekend, audiences can experience wide-ranging selections of Virtual Reality and Immersive Cinema with several World Premieres including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>What Goes Up\/Must Come Down, <\/i>a combination of VR and video installation that takes viewers through the gorgeous Instagram sensation of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival and the environmental destruction the lanterns cause once tourists leave<\/span><span lang=\"EN\">;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>Blue Bird<\/i>, an immersive animated VR film that feels like a painting come to life; <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>Hope Against the Haze<\/i>, a journey into the citizen-led effort to rid the once pristine beaches of Mumbai of the trash that overwhelms them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Additionally, Convergence will present the U.S. premiere of <i>Cycles<\/i>, Walt Disney Animation Studios\u2019 first ever VR short, a brilliant meditation on what makes a house a home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Convergence includes virtual cinema works, a program of VR documentaries, and a special <\/span><span lang=\"EN\">\u201cArcade<\/span><span lang=\"EN\">,\u201d giving participants the opportunity to experience several VR stories from multiple creators in the same space. In addition, there will be a live Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab, where participants can engage with an AI system through conversation and see how the AI uses their conversations to create its own \u201chuman\u201d story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Other highlights include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>Battle Scar<\/i>, an animated VR experience featuring Rosario Dawson, which brings to life the Lower East Side\u2019s \u201970s punk culture;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>Fire Escape<\/i>, an interactive thriller set on a Brooklyn fire escape that leads to an adventure filled with deceit and murder; and the documentary<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN\"><i>My Africa<\/i>, a journey into the daily life of a young Samburu woman, narrated by Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong\u2019o.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Convergence is programmed by Matt Bolish. The NYFF selection committee, chaired by Kent Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming; and Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Virtual Cinema experiences and installations are $7 for Members &amp; Students, and $10 for the General Public. See more and save with the discounted 3+ Convergence event package, starting at $15 for Members &amp; Students, and $21 for the General Public. Tickets for the VR Arcade are $20 for Members &amp; Students, and $25 for the General Public. There will also be select free talks and events throughout Convergence. Additional information will be available on <\/span><span lang=\"EN\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mail.hunter.cuny.edu\/owa\/redir.aspx?C=ZqzdkNya7RREOhxKSJ_5BAbiE2DuvoFlQeqIfE3derpimKxIrwPWCA..&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2femail.wordfly.com%2fclick%3fsid%3dNTU1XzEwMDUxXzQ2MzcyXzcyODE%26l%3d6ae6a542-68a1-e811-bcb0-e61f134a8c87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">filmlinc.org\/NYFF<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Tickets for the 56th New York Film Festival go on sale to the general public on September 9. Film Society Members at the Contributor Level will receive an early access period in advance of the public, along with $5 off all Festival and year-round tickets. Learn more at<\/span><span lang=\"EN\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mail.hunter.cuny.edu\/owa\/redir.aspx?C=QjEDxE5aaVN41QJjgLUP-ZVD4lfYgk6gP5oC_un0Or1imKxIrwPWCA..&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2femail.wordfly.com%2fclick%3fsid%3dNTU1XzEwMDUxXzQ2MzcyXzcyODE%26l%3d6be6a542-68a1-e811-bcb0-e61f134a8c87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">filmlinc.org\/membership<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><u><strong>EVENTS &amp; DESCRIPTIONS<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/u><i><span lang=\"EN\">All VR projects take place in the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater and the Rose Studio (CMS, 10th Floor Rose Building)<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><u><span lang=\"EN\">VIRTUAL CINEMA PROGRAM<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Fire Escape<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality\/Google DayDream<br \/>\nDir. Navid Khonsari, USA, 2018, 45m<br \/>\nIt\u2019s impossible not to think of Hitchcock\u2019s classic <i>Rear Window<\/i> during the opening moments of this sleekly rendered, interactive thriller. Cast in the role of an urban voyeur, our nightly sojourns onto a Brooklyn fire escape give us a front row seat to the dramas unfolding in the apartment across the street. The familiar\u2014and safe\u2014distance between audience and action is shattered when your \u201cin-game\u201d phone chirps; soon, we are not just watching events, but are thrust into a world of deceit and murder via text, chat, and immersive audio. This cutting-edge adventure from inkStories (<i>Hero<\/i> and <i>1979 Revolution<\/i>), shown for the first time in its entirety, blurs the lines between game, film, and episodic storytelling, all while creating something entirely new.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>What Goes Up\/Must Come Down<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &amp; Video Installation<br \/>\nDir. Eline Jongsma and Kel O\u2019Neill, USA, 2018, 10m<br \/>\n<span lang=\"EN\"><b>World Premiere<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Each year as the celebration for the Lunar New Year winds down, tourists converge on a village just outside of Taipei to launch thousands of lanterns into the night sky. They represent the hopes of their owners, and as they soar into the darkness they make for one hell of an Instagram post. But what happens when dawn breaks, the tourists leave, and those thousands of wishes fall out of the sky? Ingeniously weaving virtual reality and conventional 2D filmmaking, Jongsma and O&#8217;Neill fuse two discrete documentaries about the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival into a singular whole, and suggest that our dreams may have staggering, real-world consequences.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><u><span lang=\"EN\">VIRTUAL REALITY DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>The Drummer<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Documentary<br \/>\nDir. Ana Kler, USA, 2017, 3m<br \/>\nAn intimate portrait of Jesus, a street musician who performs every day in Manhattan\u2019s Union Square.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Hope Against the Haze<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Documentary<br \/>\nDir. Tiffany Hill, India, 2018, 12m<br \/>\n<span lang=\"EN\"><b>World Premiere<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Mumbai is on the verge of crisis: thousands of pounds of trash are poured onto the city\u2019s once vital beaches every day. This piece helps you join the citizen-led effort committed to reclaiming a paradise in the heart of the city by removing 12 million pounds of garbage.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>My Africa<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Documentary<br \/>\nDir. David Allen, USA\/UK, 2018, 10m<br \/>\nAcademy Award\u2013winning actress Lupita Nyong&#8217;o narrates the story of a young Samburu woman, Naltwasha Leripe, who takes audiences through her daily routine, from caring for livestock to saving a baby elephant from poachers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><u><span lang=\"EN\">ARCADE PIECES<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><u><\/u><\/b><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Awake: Episode I<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Narrative<br \/>\nDir. Martin Taylor, Australia, 2018, 20m<br \/>\nThe mysteries of time, obsession, and the self are examined in this cinematic virtual reality experience. Harry is a prisoner, not only of his own home but also of his obsession with a recurring dream of his lost love, Rose. Audiences step into the character\u2019s dream world, shaping the story as it unfolds around him. Participants\u2019 actions will reveal layers of story, artifacts of the past, and vital clues necessary to save Harry, as well as reveal the hidden potential of humanity. Thought-provoking and entertaining, <i>Awake: Episode I<\/i> combines an engaging narrative with cutting-edge technology, showing the power of this immersive form of storytelling.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Battle Scar<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Narrative<br \/>\nDir. Marin Allais and Nico Casavecchia, USA\/France, 2018<br \/>\nAny mention of the New York music scene of the late 1970s conjures images of the Ramones and Talking Heads, crowded clubs like CBGB, and neighborhoods such as the Bowery and the East Village. When the fates of wide-eyed lyricist to-be Lupe (voiced by Rosario Dawson) and budding frontwoman Debbie collide, the two women form a friendship that leads them through the unique crucible of the Lower East Side\u2019s punk subculture. A coming-of-age tale of two artists, this animated, episodic piece plays with point of view and perspective to filter New York\u2019s past through today\u2019s technology.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Blue Bird<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Narrative<br \/>\nDir. Armando Brown, Miranda Conway, Seth Greenwood, Vinod Krishnan, Allie Perdomo, Parnaz Rad, Belen Saenz de Viteri, Nicole Tylor, Chuzhong Xie, USA, 2017, 3m<br \/>\n<span lang=\"EN\"><b>World Premiere<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>A bluebird struggles to escape the caverns of a withered heart and find its way through the history of a scarred life in this expressive animated piece.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Cycles<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Narrative<br \/>\nDir. Jeff Gipson, USA, 2018, 3m<br \/>\n<span lang=\"EN\"><b>U.S. Premiere<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Churchill said, \u201cWe shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.\u201d There\u2019s a profound difference between a house and a home: the first is a structure made up of four walls, a roof, and a floor; the second is much more than a place. This experimental VR short from Walt Disney Animation Studios centers on this distinction. Inspired by director Jeff Gipson\u2019s childhood recollections of spending time with his grandparents, this is a bittersweet meditation on memory, emotion, family, and all that goes into making a home.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Rone<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Virtual Reality &#8211; Documentary<br \/>\nDir. Lester Francois, Australia, 2017, 15m<br \/>\nIn the early 2000s, muralist Rone became a driving force within Melbourne\u2019s street art scene. His distinctive large-scale portraits of female faces comment on both gentrification and the masculinity that dominated his artistic circle. His pieces can be found inside decaying buildings and on crumbling walls from New York to Tokyo, as well as in the National Gallery of Australia. Lester Francois\u2019s vivid 360-degree film plunges viewers into Rone\u2019s process and philosophy.<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Where Thoughts Go<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Dir. Lucas Rizzotto, USA, 2018<br \/>\nVirtual Reality &#8211; Experimental Documentary, 24m<br \/>\nIn our hyper-connected world, technologies that should bring people together often seem to push them further apart; meaningful interactions feel scant, and emotions can be liabilities. <i>Where Thoughts Go<\/i> seeks to change that. Viewers take part in an ever-evolving social experience that is intimate in scale but vast in scope. While guided through a series of questions, players are invited to explore the thoughts, dreams, and memories of previous visitors to this poignant digital landscape, and in so doing, reflect on their own lives.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><u><span lang=\"EN\">SPECIAL EVENT<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\"><b>Frankenstein AI: A Monster Made by Many<br \/>\n<\/b><\/span>Live Prototyping Experience<br \/>\nPresented by Lance Weiler, Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab, 120m<br \/>\nIt was an innocuous challenge, issued by Lord Byron 200 years ago, that sparked Mary Shelley\u2019s imagination to bring Frankenstein to life. Join Columbia University School of the Arts&#8217; Digital Storytelling Lab as they bring this spark to NYFF Convergence with a special lab session mixing story, play, design, and AI. Working with lab facilitators, participants will prototype an immersive dinner party, where guests will interact with a custom-made \u201cFrankenstein\u201d AI through voice and text.<\/p>\n<p>The AI will engage in conversation, surfacing audience fears and hopes through personal stories. Those same fears and hopes will become the \u201cbody parts\u201d that the AI will use to craft its own ghost story, questioning the act of creation and reminding us all what it means to be human.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><u>FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER<br \/>\n<\/u><\/b>The Film Society of Lincoln Center is devoted to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema. The only branch of the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center to shine a light on the everlasting yet evolving importance of the moving image, this nonprofit organization was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international film. Via year-round programming and discussions; its annual New York Film Festival; and its publications, including <i>Film Comment<\/i>, the U.S.\u2019s premier magazine about films and film culture, the Film Society endeavors to make the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broader audience, as well as to ensure that it will remain an essential art form for years to come.<\/p>\n<p>The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from Shutterstock, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.<\/p>\n<p>Support for the New York Film Festival is generously provided by Official Partners HBO\u00ae and <i>The New York Times<\/i>, Benefactor Partners Dolby and illy caff\u00e8, Supporting Partners Warby Parker, MUBI, and Manhattan Portage, and Hospitality Partner Hudson Hotel. JCDecaux, Variety, Deadline Hollywood, WABC-7, WNET New York Public Media, and The Village Voice serve as Media Sponsors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Edited by Gregg W. Morris The seventh edition of thise highly anticipated annual program delves into innovative modes of storytelling via interactive experiences, featuring Virtual Reality, Immersive Cinema, AI and more. &#8220;By expanding our virtual reality programming for 2018. it&#8217;s&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/line-up-for-the-convergence-section-of-the-56th-new-york-film-festival-october-11-to-14-2018\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10766"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10772,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10766\/revisions\/10772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}