2017 Women in VR Showcase Program
360-Virtual Reality (VR) Films Lineup2017 Showcase Program
Evening from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Notes To My Father
Tells a trafficking story, in a way we have never seen before. Not only does this VR film allow you to immerse yourself in a trafficking story for the first time, but it is also the first time a story brings to focus the father’s role.
SF PREMIERE. Directed by Jayisha Patel. Runtime: 11 min.
Learn about the Director
Testimony
Crossing the Testimony is an interactive documentary for virtual reality that shares the stories of five survivors of sexual assault and their journey to healing. Beyond just a film, Testimony is an advocacy platform to allow the public to bear witness to those who have been silenced. The Brock Turner case, Bill Cosby’s sexual assaults and Bill O’Reilly’s harassment of women are three recent examples that have helped create the perfect storm of public outcry over sexual assault and issues around consent. Despite persistent victim-shaming and the discounting of their experiences, survivors are increasingly coming forward, empowering one another to become agents of change and hope. Testimony is an interactive investigation that aims to tackle the obstacles women and men still need to overcome in order to report an assault and confront the legal system. The goal of Testimony is to inspire those who have been silenced to speak out while building courage amongst survivors. Witness these powerful testimonies and help us shatter the silence.
CA PREMIERE. Directed by Zohar Kfir. Runtime: 10 min.
Learn about the Producer
Borderline: Crossing the Border, Reaching the Dream
This student film is a narrative piece and focus a student filling the gap of her mother who had been deported. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look, the audience observes an animated discussion of immigration and how the main protagonist’s story empowered her to use her personal experience to help others.
Co-directors: Kimberly Ortega and Marybie Arias. Runtime: 10 min.
Learn about the directors
Marybie Arias – Marybie’s parents placed a large focus and education and her experience in the US meant greater opportunities in the classroom. Through her educational journey she has learned to take risks, voice her opinions, and be committed to her family roots. Marybie currently attends Foothill College and is majoring in Computer Science.
Is This Love? (Kya Yahi Pyar Hai)
**India’s first VR experience about intimate partner violence (IPV) for Love Matters India, which was exhibited at 10 Delhi metro stations in June 2017.
**This film follows a seemingly normal relationship in modern day India, addressing domestic violence through it’s first POV narrative. India’s first VR experience about intimate partner violence (IPV) for Love Matters India, which was exhibited at 10 Delhi metro stations in June 2017 immigration and how telling her story empowered her to use her personal experience to help others
CA PREMIERE Directed by Gayatri Parameswaran. Runtime: 7 min.
Learn about the director
UTURN
What happens when a young female coder joins a male-dominated floundering startup that’s deep in an identity crisis? With a comedic twist, UTURN is an immersive live-action VR series where you get to experience both sides of the gender divide. We aim to raise engagement towards gender diversity through this inclusive experience.
Directed by Nathalie Mathe and Ryan Lynch. Runtime: 10 min.
Learn about the director
Ryan Lynch – Ryan is an award-winning screenwriter and director. Her latest comedy web series, called SanFranLand, won Best Screenwriting at Miami Web Fest, Best Comedy Series at the Rome Web Awards, and Best Directing at LA Web Fest. Ryan worked in Story and Development departments for over ten years at Pixar on films such as Brave and Ratatouille. She is a member of Film Fatales SF and holds an M.F.A in Film Directing.
Wonder Buffalo: The VR Experience
Ann, 16, a Thai-American teen coping with body dysmorphia and an overbearing mother, struggles to own her place in the world. The Wonder Buffalo VR experience begins in a colorful bedroom captured in photogrammetry. Ann’s eclectic and bright bedroom mirrors her internal clash between Thai and American cultures. By exploring Ann’s eccentricity and unlocking her six strength objects you transform Ann’s room into a cosmic comic book kaleidoscope and ultimately unleash Ann as her own superhero character, Wonder Buffalo.
SF Premier. Directed by Christine T. Berg. Runtime: minimum 4 min