Journalism 360 Immersive Storytelling Festival

Check out groundbreaking virtual reality and 360 projects, meet the creators and learn more about how journalists are using immersive platforms to tell important stories at the third annual Journalism 360 Immersive Storytelling Festival! This film fest will feature both the opportunity to experience groundbreaking immersive news content and learn from the filmmakers and journalists about the decisions that went into each project, including:

Apollo 11: As They Shot It | The New York Times
Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins returned to Earth with one of the grandest travelogues ever made by humans. With their ever-present cameras, the astronauts showed us the moon landing through their eyes. This New York Times virtual reality experience transports you to the surface of the moon where a virtual gallery of photographs reveals a new perspective on the iconic images.

Homeless Realities | JOVRNALISM
Using emerging technologies (360/AR/VR/Drones/Photogrammetry), JOVRNALISM produced the multi-part 360/VR video series and AR Snapchat experiences "Homeless Realities" which that takes the viewer into the lives of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

Home After War | NowHere Media, Oculus VR for Good, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
"Home After War" is a room-scale, interactive virtual reality experience that takes you to Fallujah, a city that was, until recently, under Islamic State (IS) control. The war against IS has ended but the city is still unsafe. There's one looming fear for returning refugees – booby trapped homes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the neighbourhoods. Since the end of the war, thousands of civilians have died or been injured by IEDs.

Lawless | Anchorage Daily News & ProPublica
An Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica investigation has found that more than 70 Alaska communities have no local law enforcement of any kind. In other villages, local leaders have no choice but to hire police with criminal records, even sex offenders, to patrol the town. This ongoing project includes a 360-degree tour of life in some of the hardest-to-reach communities in the United States. (Part of the Journalism 360 Challenge.)

Royal Highness: the Women Ruling Washington's Cannabis Industry | Tiny World Productions
When Toni Reita speaks to her plants she often refers to them as ladies or girls. Only female marijuana flowers produce cannabinoids like the THC chemical providing the high or buzz. On December 1, 2012 Washington became the first state in the United States to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Cannabis had been legal for medical use about 15 years prior. Now, like alcohol it is available to buy for those over age 21. It's not just the female flowers that dominate; women are a driving force in the growth of the cannabis industry. So what it's like to work in this new industry? Through the daily lives of four women, the viewer is given a unique look into the journey from seed to sale. Crystal Oliver, who runs a farm in Eastern Washington, describes the marijuana movement in Washington as part of a strong feminist movement. And Megan Sanders, director of sales for several brands says, "Women run it."

Stonewall AR | RYOT/Huffington Post
Stonewall AR: Fed up with years of abuse and oppression, the LGBTQ community fought back after a police raid. RYOT has creatively reimagined the events that took place in June 1969.

Site-Specific Audio News App | Future Projects Media
This interactive app prototype demonstrates story experiences that combine geolocation and mindfulness exercises to disrupt the way audio news stories are told and experienced, in order to re-connect listeners to the news, each other, and the world around them. (Part of the Journalism 360 Challenge.)

This session is designed for:

  • Producers and designers looking for cutting edge technology and ideas
  • Newsrooms seeking new, dynamic storytelling concepts
  • Anyone interested in immersive technology in journalism