68th BFI London Film Festival’s Immersive Art, XR, and Gaming Program

The 68th BFI London Film Festival is back; this year, it’s bigger and more exciting than ever.

Not only will you get to enjoy amazing movies, but the festival has also expanded its program to include some mind-blowing immersive art, extended reality (XR) experiences, and even video games!

So, let’s look at what’s on offer and why you won’t want to miss it!

Immersive Art and XR: New Ways to Experience Stories

The 68th BFI London Film Festival, from October 9 to October 20, 2024, has added something new and enticing with its LFF Expanded program.

This section of the festival, running from October 11 to October 27, invites you to explore immersive art and extended reality (XR) experiences that push the boundaries of storytelling and experience.

And LFF Expanded goes beyond traditional screen watching, encouraging you to get involved, explore new realities, and fully immerse yourself.

This year, video games are included for the first time, showing how the festival embraces all forms of screen culture, from movies to the latest in digital storytelling.

Immersive Installations: Redefining Reality Through Art and Technology

LFF Expanded’s immersive program features five major installations that highlight the forefront of screen technology.

These pieces, made by top artists, filmmakers, and creative teams from the UK and around the world, use the latest digital technology to give viewers fresh and unique takes on complex themes.

• Impulse: Playing With Reality (Bargehouse, October 12-27) – This UK premiere, narrated by Tilda Swinton, takes you inside the world of ADHD.

Created by Anagram, this installation combines mixed reality with engaging gameplay. Based on over 100 hours of interviews, it provides a playful but deep look at neurodiversity.

• Arcade (BFI Southbank, October 12-27) – DARKFIELD’s installation takes place in a shipping container, where you’re plunged into near-total darkness.

This interactive experience, inspired by 1980s video games, explores your relationship with avatars, free will, and consciousness through immersive sound and sensory effects.

• The Great Endeavour (Outernet London, October 11-27): This free installation by Liam Young imagines a future in which we all work together to tackle climate change.

The experience envisions removing carbon from the atmosphere on a massive scale, offering an optimistic look at our planet’s future.

• Last Minute (Bargehouse, October 12-27) – French artists Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne create a poetic installation that captures the fleeting moments between life and death.

Inspired by personal experiences of grief and pregnancy, this immersive journey through light, music, and projections changes how you see time and space.

• Superradiance. Embodying Earth (BFI IMAX Foyer, October 11-27) – This European premiere by Memo Akten and Katie Peyton Hofstadter blends AI, dance, and neuroscience in a multiscreen video and sound installation.

It explores the connection between humans and the environment, inviting you to feel a deeper connection to the world around you.

Gaming and XR: New Frontiers in Interactive Storytelling

For the first time, the BFI London Film Festival is rolling out a Games Lounge at Bargehouse with five interactive games.

What’s amazing is that this free program lets you work on creative projects that mix gaming culture with interactive arts.

Here’s a look at what you can expect:

• A Highland Song: An adventurous single-player game set in the Scottish Highlands, where players guide Moira McKinnon as she uncovers secrets and blends history, mythology, and family stories.

• Closer the Distance: A slice-of-life simulation game that explores the aftermath of a tragedy in a tight-knit community, challenging players to understand human connections and how people deal with loss.

• Dome King Cabbage: An award-winning visual novel that combines stop-motion animation with inventive gameplay, following the journey of a cloud person named Mush.

• Paper Trail: A puzzle-adventure game set in a foldable paper world, where you guide the main character, Paige, on a journey of discovery and growth.

• Playing Kafka: Based on Franz Kafka’s The Trial, this narrative adventure game puts you in the heart of Kafka’s famously complex and surreal world.

Health and Technology: Exploring Human Experience Through XR

The LFF Expanded program also features a great mix of free XR works on physical and mental health.

So, it’s a great chance to see how technology can, in unexpected ways, give us fresh perspectives on these important issues.

• Mammary Mountain: A VR experience that explores the lives of breast cancer patients. Created with scientists, this intimate installation offers a deep look at healthcare challenges.

• Emperor: An interactive narrative tells the story of a father with aphasia through black-and-white animation.

This touching story, told through an interactive narrative, explores the strong bond between a father and daughter as they face communication challenges.

• Soul Paint: Narrated by Rosario Dawson, this VR experience allows you to explore your emotions and bodily sensations through body mapping and 3D drawing, pushing the boundaries of creative storytelling and well-being.

• Stim Cinema: An installation that connects repetitive behaviors common in autism with the earliest forms of cinema. This installation invites viewers to experience the joy of stimming and explores inclusive practices in moving image art.

Events and Conversations

LFF Expanded includes much more than installations and games—it offers a variety of events that help deepen one’s understanding of the works on display.

One of the highlights is The Attention Battle: An Evening with the Creators Behind Impulse: Playing with Reality, which will be held on 15 October at the Science Gallery.

As part of this event, you’ll hear from experts on ADHD, including Professor Edmund Sonaga Burke and Vivienne Isebor from ADHD Babes, who will share insights into the complex experience of living with ADHD.

A New Chapter for the BFI London Film Festival

The 68th BFI London Film Festival’s Expanded program is your chance to experience storytelling like never before.

If you’re curious about how technology transforms storytelling or are eager to try something new, this program has something for everyone.

From immersive art installations that challenge your perceptions to video games that take you on deep emotional journeys, this film festival screams pushing boundaries and exploring new ideas.

So, if you’re in London this October, don’t miss out! The LFF Expanded program is a must-see for film buffs, gamers, and anyone looking for inspiration.

Let your imagination run wild and explore the endless possibilities of screen culture.