Beyond the Frame Festival

JPEN

Jump out ofthe rectangular screenand step into an infinite world.

Beyond the Frame Festival
2021.2.12 - 21
Go to the virtual venue

CONCEPT

For more than a century since the film was born,
creators have devoted enormous energy
and passion to creating numerous works
and various techniques of expression
to embellish them while fascinating people.

And now, video expression is moving beyond
the traditional horizontal frame
to include 360, 180, and vertical formats
that have never been seen before,
with even creators of brand-new works
that combine video expression
with the latest technologies such as VR, AR, and AI.

At Beyond the Frame Festival,
we will introduce works
that boldly take on new challenges
without being bound by conventional frames
in hopes to respond to the trend of the times
and accelerate the development of visual culture.

The festival will also make every effort
to help such filmmakers spread
their wings to the world.

VIRTUAL
VENUE

coming soon
ENTRANCECurrently, amazing VR films produced using virtual reality technology are born every day, drawing the attention of the world's three major film festivals and other film festivals around the world.
In the first session of Beyond the Frame Festival, a selection of VR movies made around the world will be streamed online, which can be experienced by anyone at home. Apart from those who have VR goggles, we also have works that can be enjoyed on smartphones and PCs. In addition, the online talk sessions will feature guests from Japan and around the world. We have prepared a wide range of events for everyone, from those who are serious about making VR films to beginners of VR who just want to know what it's like.
With it being difficult to go out freely in the real world nowadays, we hope you can experience what it is like to jump into the world of infinity through VR films.Go to the virtual venue

OUTLINE

  • Date

    February 12(Fri) - 21(Sun), 2021

  • Venue

    Virtual Venue

  • Contents

    ・Selected VR films from Japan and around the world will be streamed
    ・Various online talk events on VR films will be held
    ・Online awards ceremony

  • Admission

    Free(*Some films will require a fee)

  • languages

    Japanese and English

FESTIVAL
AMBASSADOR

  • Singer, Artist

    KOM_I

    KOM_I

    Born in 1992 and raised in Kanagawa, she began her singing career when she was scouted at a house party to become a musician.
    As the vocalist of Wednesday Campanella, she has performed at festivals in Japan and around the world.
    While touring around the world, she has created live performances that have resonated with the land and the people there.
    Her favorite food is South Indian cuisine, and her hobbies include observing rituals and ceremonies passed down from generation to generation around the world as well as learning to sing and dance.
    On top of her musical activities, she also works as a model, actor, and narrator in various genres.
    In April 2019, while drawing inspiration from Yakushima, she released her EP "YAKUSHIMA TREASURE," which was created with Oorutaichi as the producer.
    A solo live video of the project under the same name "YAKUSHIMA TREASURE" is now available on YouTube!
    https://youtu.be/1WebgKhK9Ko

    When you watch a VR movie, you can look back, look at your feet, look up above your head, and walk around the space on your own – it feels like being inside a sphere.
    And I realized, once you get used to this, you might find the rectangular screen to be rather strange.
    When your actions affect the progress of the story, the boundary between an interactive film and a game starts to become blurred.
    The question then arises, “What is a movie then?”
    VR films are still part of a growing industry, and the scale of production varies from film to film. I hope that further discussions will take place so that both viewers and creators can continue to grow!
    Personally, I’m very excited to see what kind of world we'll get to experience!

EVENT

Opening Event

  • Friday 12th of February: 19:00-20:30 JST

    【Opening Session】BTFF Highlights & Lineup!　〜Let's Dive Into a World of Infinity!90 minutes

    Beyond the Frame Festival ambassador KOM_I of Wednesday Campanella and VR content producer Katsutoshi Machiba will be picking up the highlights of the BTFF screenings, providing information compiled to help everyone from beginners to advanced VR users to better enjoy the festival. In addition, Uka Todoki, the official navigator of the festival, will be explaining the film lineup and how to participate!

    • ・KOM_I (Singer & Artist)
    • ・Katsutoshi Machiba (VR contents producer)
    • ・Navigator: Uka Todoki (Vtuber)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Saturday 13th of February: 19:00-20:30 JST

    Diverse Imagination Stirred Up by VR - Akutagawa Prize-Winning Author Talks to Three Famous Directors90 minutes

    Our interviewer is Takehiro Ueda, an Akutagawa Prize-winning author, who will be looking into three famous Japanese directors in the business of making films for the big screen as well as how their imagination was stimulated when they were exposed to the latest technology, how each of their VR works has impacted creators, and even whole process from the selection of the subject matter to the creation of the work.

    • ・Takashi Shimizu (Film Director / Director of "Go Home")
    • ・Yoshihiro Nishimura (Special Model Creator, Special Makeup artist, Film Director / Director of "Go Home")
    • ・Shinichiro Ueda (Film Director / Director of "Blue Thermal VR")
    • ・Moderator: Takahiro Ueda (Author)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Monday 15th of February: 20:00-21:30 JST

    The Importance of User Experience and Interaction in VR Animation90 minutes

    In VR animation, the user can dive into the world of the work, move around freely, and interact with the characters and objects inside. VR creators from Japan and abroad will be discussing how to design user experience and interaction for it.

    • ・Keisuke Itoh (VR animation director / Director of "Beat")
    • ・Ricardo Laganaro (Director / Director of "The Line")
    • ・Charles Ayats (VR/AR interactive designer / Co-Director of "The Scream VR")
    • ・Moderator: Nobuaki Doi (President and CEO, New Deer, Inc. / Festival director for New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Tuesday 16th of February: 19:00-20:30 JST

    How to Connect VR to Users- To Reach as Many People as Possible90 minutes

    Main distributors, platformers, and major VR production companies of VR films from around the world will be making their appearance. What kind of constant efforts are they making to deliver their films to as many people as possible? They will talk about their struggles and the current state of VR films from the perspective of being the decision-makers in their respective fields.

    • ・Yuuya Masada (HTC NIPPON VIVE Ecosystem)
    • ・Jingshu Chen (Co-founder of VeeR)
    • ・Antoine Cayrol (Co-founder and Producer of Atlas V)
    • ・Moderator: Jimmy Cheng (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd., Director of Content & Business Operations)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Wednesday 17th of February: 19:00-20:30 JST

    Key Figures in the Entertainment Industry Talk About VR Films: What’s Their Strategy to Compete in the World?90 minutes

    Key figures from Japan's leading entertainment companies will talk about why they are taking on the challenge of VR films and what strategies they are using to compete with the world.

    • ・Hiroko Fujioka (Producer, WOWOW INC.)
    • ・Kenji Ishimaru (CEO & Executive Producer, Kodansha VR Lab, Ltd.)
    • ・Shigeki Tanaka (General Manager, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. / Executive Officer, Label Gate Co., Ltd.,)
    • ・Mikio Gunji (Producer, Production IG)
    • ・Moderator : Shun Kubota (CEO, Mogura Inc. / Editor in Chief, Mogura VR news)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Thursday 18th of February: 20:00-21:30 JST

    Exploring the Future of Film Festivals - The Eyes of the World's Film Festivals on VR90 minutes

    A talk session by the curators and programmers of the VR department of film festivals from around the world will be held, including the Venice Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Kaohsiung Film Festival. Yoshihiko Yatabe, Senior Programmer of Tokyo International Film Festival, will be the moderator and talk about what kind of initiatives are being carried out in each film festival.

    • ・Liz Rosenthal (Curator Venice VR, Venice International Film Festival & Executive Producer, CreativeXR)
    • ・Grace Lee (Curator, Kaohsiung Film Festival XR)
    • ・Loren Hammonds (VP of Immersive Programming & Senior Programmer at Tribeca Film Festival)
    • ・Moderator: Yoshi Yatabe (Senior Programmer at Tokyo International Film Festival)
    Click here to apply

Talk Event

  • Friday 19th of February: 20:00-21:30 JST

    Possibilities Felt by New Creators of VR Films - Differences in Expression Between Live-Action, Animation, and VR90 minutes

    A director whose very first VR film will be screened at this festival will be featured. By finding out how it differs from previous forms of expression, we will explore the possibilities of expression using VR.

    • ・HSU Chih-Yen (a film, music video and commercials director / Director of "Home")
    • ・Kazuki Yuhara (Expanded Animatiotor & illustrator / Director of "MOWB")
    • ・Mikkel Battefeld (Director and Computer Graphic Artist / Director of "Amends")
    • ・Randall Okita (Director / Director of "The Book of Distance")
    • ・Moderator: Yuka Kojima (CEO & Co-founder, FOVE, Inc.)
    Click here to apply

Closing Ceremony

  • Sunday 21st of February: 19:00-20:30 JST

    Beyond the Frame Festival 2021 – Closing Ceremony90 minutes

    As a conclusion to Beyond the Frame Festival 2021, the Grand Prix, VR Story Award, and VR Experience Award will be announced from among the films selected for the competition. The festival's official ambassadors, navigators, and jury members will also all gather to reflect on the charms of this year's festival lineup.

    • ・KOM_I (Singer & Artist)
    • ・Shion Sono (Film director/screenwriter)
    • ・Ellie Omiya (Writer, painter)
    • ・Atsushi Fukuda (Brand Consultant/President of Speedy Inc.)
    • ・Three Award Winnars
    • ・Navigator: Uka Todoki (Vtuber)
    • ・Moderator: Sascha (radio DJ, Talent)
    Click here to apply

VR
EXPERIENCES

Interactive(Available on Viveport)

  • Amends

    Amends

    A film that depicts a relationship with an estranged mother and the chaotic emotions of the past in an interactive way.

    • DirectorMikkel Battefeld
    • CountryDenmark
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Beat

    Beat

    A story of a robot that is brought to life by the user’s heartbeat and grows while communicating with what’s around it.

    • DirectorKeisuke Itoh
    • CountryJapan
    • CategoryAnimation

    *Special Screening (Out of Competition)

  • The Book of Distance

    The Book of Distance

    The story of Yonezo Okita, who left Hiroshima for Canada in 1935 and overcame hardship in the war and lived through concentration camps, told by his grandson, the director of this film.

    • DirectorRandall Okita
    • CountryCanada
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Il Dubbio - Episode 1.

    Il Dubbio - Episode 1.

    Doubt is also a hint for creation – a journey through the studios and minds of Leonardo da Vinci and three contemporary artists.

    • DirectorMatteo Lonardi
    • CountryItaly
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Gloomy Eyes

    Gloomy Eyes

    A story about the love between Gloomy, a zombie boy, and Nena, a human girl, in a world of despair where the sun is gone and humans are against zombies.

    • DirectorJorge Tereso, Fernando Maldanodo
    • CountryFrance, Argentina, Taiwan, USA
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Gravity VR

    Gravity VR

    In an impossible world where there is no ground beneath your feet, fall down and down with two aging brothers.

    • DirectorFabito Rychter, Amir Admoni
    • CountryBrazil, Peru
    • CategoryAnimation
  • The Line

    The Line

    Sao Paulo in the 1940s. In the world of miniature models, a small love story unfolds between the two dolls, Pedro and Rosa.

    • DirectorRicardo Laganaro
    • CountryBrazil
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass

    Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass

    The latest research technology and VR sheds light on the painting techniques and creation process of the Mona Lisa.

    • DirectorFabien Barati, Emmanuel Guerriero, Emmanuel Gorinstein
    • CountryFrance
    • CategoryArt
  • THE SCREAM VR

    THE SCREAM VR

    The world of Edvard Munch's The Scream depicted in VR, where you will be pulled into the distressed mind of the artist.

    • DirectorSandra Paugam, Charles Ayats
    • CountryFrance
    • CategoryArt

The links to VR experiences will be available on this website and at the virtual venue from 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday, February 12. For more details on each VR experiences, please visit the virtual venue.

360 Movie(Available on VeeR VR)

  • Blue Thermal VR

    Blue Thermal VR

    A VR live-action adaptation by an up-and-coming director of the popular manga Blue Thermal, which depicts a group of adolescents set in a university aviation club.

    • DirectorShinichiro Ueda
    • CountryJapan
    • CategoryDrama
  • CROW: THE LEGEND

    CROW: THE LEGEND

    A story based on a Native American myth about crows, where a courageous crow sets out on a journey into space.

    • DirectorEric Darnell
    • CountryUSA
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Go Home

    Go Home

    In a grave at dusk, a girl whispers, "Let's go home.” From there, a terrifying journey to the girl’s home begins...

    • DirectorTakashi Shimizu, Yoshihiro Nishimura
    • CountryJapan
    • CategoryHorror
  • Home

    Home

    During one summer afternoon, all the relatives gather at the grandmother's house. The family spends a moment with her, then goes back to their daily lives.

    • DirectorHSU Chih-Yen
    • CountryTaiwan
    • CategoryDrama
  • Look at Me

    Look at Me

    In the near future, everyone becomes dependent on VR technology. One day, a man visits a place where people who long for "real interaction" gather.

    • DirectorWi Ding HO
    • CountryTaiwan
    • CategoryDrama
  • MOWB

    MOWB

    The story of a parent and child woven in a mother's womb. We are led by the umbilical cord to witness the endless chain of life between parent and child.

    • DirectorKazuki Yuhara
    • CountryJapan
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Replacements

    Replacements

    An animated film about a Javanese family living in an alley in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

    • DirectorJonathan Hagard
    • CountryJapan, Indonesia, Germany
    • CategoryAnimation
  • Space Explorers: The ISS Experience

    Space Explorers: The ISS Experience

    A VR documentary of 8 astronauts on a historical mission to the International Space Station.

    • DirectorFélix Lajeunesse
    • CountryCanada
    • CategoryDocumentary
  • THE SWEETEST MOMENT OF THE UNIVERSE

    THE SWEETEST MOMENT OF THE UNIVERSE

    A world that was not depicted in the film The Brightest Roof in the Universe. An heartfelt, important day in the life of Tsubame's ex-boyfriend, Makoto Sasagawa.

    • DirectorMichihito Fujii
    • CountryJapan
    • CategoryDrama
  • 1st Step – From Earth to Moon

    1st Step – From Earth to Moon

    A film that traces the trajectory of the Apollo program, from the launch of the rockets to their return to Earth, allowing viewers to enjoy a journey through space.

    • DirectorJoerg Courtial, Maria Courtial
    • CountryGermany
    • CategoryDocumentary

The links to VR experiences will be available on this website and at the virtual venue from 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday, February 12. For more details on each VR experiences, please visit the virtual venue.

Go to the virtual venue

AWARD

AWARD
At Beyond the Frame Festival, we will invite three judges to select the winning works in the following three categories.
  • Grand Prix
  • VR Story
    Award
  • VR
    Experience
    Award

    • JURIES

    • Film director/screenwriter

      Shion Sono

      Shion Sono

      Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1961, his directorial debuts, I am Sion Sono! (1985) and A Man's Flower Road (1986), were selected for the PIA Film Festival. Since then, his high level of creativity has brought him to the spotlight with Love Exposure (2008), Cold Fish (2011), and Guilty of Romance (2011), all of which won awards at international film festivals. His masterpieces include Suicide Club (2002), Noriko's Dinner Table (2006), Himizu (2012), Real Onigokko (2015), and Shinjuku Swan (2015). His upcoming film is Prisoners of Ghostland, starring Nicolas Cage.

      VR is the future of visual expression. That's why I want to go beyond the title of film director and open a new gate. There is always something to aim for on that path, which is why I accepted this jury position.
      The "freedom" to escape from the "inconvenience" of the body and travel inside the brain.
      It’s an experience that no one has ever felt before, which is why I have high hopes for the evolution of VR.
    • Writer, painter

      Ellie Omiya

      Ellie OmiyaPhotograph: Junji Moroi

      Graduated from the University of Tokyo in Pharmaceutical Sciences, her range of work is genre-less, including movies, MVs, stage shows, drama appearances, writing, songwriting, and radio personality. Her books include Ikiru Konto (via Bunshun Bunko) and Nantoka Ikiteimasu-! (via Shincho Bunko)
      Since 2012, she has been holding interactive solo exhibitions where visitors can participate in the completion of her work.
      With her live painting Celebration Melody: Naoshima in Ueno, which was displayed at the Montblanc International Awards Ceremony by Soichiro Fukutake of Benesse in that same year, she officially kickstarted her drawing career. In 2016, she had a solo exhibition at Towada Art Center, and last year, she had solo exhibitions as a painter in Milan, Paris, and Hong Kong. Recently, she has launched Ellie Gakuen, an online school for training one’s creative muscles, and is working hard to give students the imagination to adapt to any era.
      elliegakuen.com/about

      As our era is heading for a worldwide change, I am interested in the kind of works that people want to leave behind and the messages they want to send out. I am interested in this. I am looking forward to it.
    • Brand Consultant/President of Speedy Inc.

      Atsushi Fukuda

      Atsushi Fukuda

      Born in Osaka in 1965, Fukuda is the founder of Sony Digital Entertainment, as well as a visiting professor at Yokohama College of Art and Design and Kanazawa Institute of Technology. Now, he is the president of Speedy Inc. On top of his branding business, he is also involved in a wide range of activities, including a talent agent for actresses such as Non, recruiting for international events, running an “AI Salon” for corporations, running an art gallery in Los Angeles, and working for the Speedy Land Trust, a non-profit organization for preventing deforestation. As the founder of the NPO "Tiger Mask Foundation", he has even served as a committee member of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

      Graham Bell's invention of the telephone was an extension of the human ear. The invention of the television became an extension of our field of vision. The invention of the airplane and the automobile gave us the ability to move around instantly, but at the same time, they have reduced energy for the scenery along the way, making the experience disappear. VR is not the latest technology for video – it is a new medium that extends the experience itself.

    OFFICIAL
    NAVIGATOR

    • Virtual YouTuber

      Uka Todoki

      Uka Todoki

      A virtual YouTuber, a multi-genre artist as a 3D modeler, a singer, and a novelist.
      Debuted as a novelist in the Sci-fi novel "She made me a human", which was a VR romantic story of virtual idols. (Published in the February 2021 issue of SF Magazine)
      She also produced the original song "You are not the edible meat" and the music video. She is active in a wide range of fields, including writing articles in magazines and VR media, and serving as a judge for the VR space design contest "VRAA02".
      https://todokiuka.tumblr.com/

      Hello, this is Uka TODOKI, the official navigator of Beyond the Frame Festival. As a person living in the virtual world, I would love to support the development of VR and its variety of expressions.
    XRstadium
    twitterfbyoutube

    Cooperation

    Agency for Cultural Affairs

    supported by　Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

    VIVEVIVEPORTVeeR

    PR

    Art
    Direction

    Media
    Partner

    SYNCAKEISUKE ITIOH VR & 3DCG CREATIONMoguraVR

    Organizer

    Festival Committee

    CinemaLeap

    Akane Itagaki, Tetsuya Ohashi, Tatsuo Kamiya, Katsutoshi Machiba