Watch 360-degree movies at DIFF

If you are walking around at DIFF headquarters in Madinat Jumeirah and spot some people sitting in a rotating chair with a funky headset and moving their head and body in 360 degrees, don't worry, they are not new age hipsters practising some new funky trend that you have no idea about. These guys are experiencing Virtual Reality(VR) movies, a new digital format of filmmaking. When you don a VR headset, you instantly inhabit a bubble where everything seems to be very close to you. You are completely immersed in the world you are seeing around you. It is an extremely intimate form of experience.
Ten of the world's most advanced and anticipated VR films from some of the leading creators and emerging voices in this new medium are being screened at DIFF in 360 degrees.
DIFFerent REALITY that screens VR films promises movie lovers an unmatched cinematic viewing experience at the festival. No wonder, VR movies are grabbing a lot of eyeballs at the festival. People are curious to experience and get a taste of this futuristic style of filmmaking.
Is this the future of storytelling ?
So does the introduction of VR films mean cinema screens as we know it will no longer exist soon?
Marc Lopato from Diversion Cinema, Paris, who was invited by DIFF to screen these movies says that classic rectangular cinema will stay for a long time. He doesn't think that VR will take the place of flat screen. "It will become a new industry and a new way to enjoy movies. Movies for flat screen and for 360-degree format are very different. We do not tell the story the same way, we do not film it the same way, actors have to behave differently. VR film is an intimate experience."
Virtual reality has opened up a new dimension in the narrative. And its not just young filmmakers, but even veterans who are exploring this new reality that is bringing us closer than ever to storytelling in films.
Marc told us about an exciting filmmaker who is presenting his movie at DIFF VR section, "One of the directors Randal Kleiser whose movie is getting screened here is the director of John Travolta's Grease. There is a mix of young and older director who are making these movies."
"Among those who experienced VR movies here, 98% loved it. When you wear a headset, you have to accept that you will isolate yourself completely; adjusting your eyesight is not easy. This experience can be quite intense and that's why they are screening only 10 minute movies," added Marc.
VR films is pushing boundaries of storytelling, allowing viewers to enter a whole new world. We strongly recommend experiencing Virtual Reality movies at DIFF, which conducts five different VR sessions each day with two different films screened.
arti@khaleejtimes.com