Roll up to Adelaide’s digital carnival
Film & TV
The thought of a Thursday night in the suburbs might not immediately conjure images of red carpets and film stars. But then in slides Adelaide Film Festival with an after-dark digital carnival.

Adelaide’s biennial festival of cinephilia kicks off next Thursday (October 5) at Tonsley Innovation Centre, formerly the home of Mitsubishi Motors and now the heart of South Australia’s tech sector.
There, Adelaide Film Festival is throwing an opening night digital hoedown. Beneath the sawtooth roof, attendees can witness holograms, engage with new games, and immerse themselves in a 360-degree world of backyard cricket.
You may have caught The Summation of Force (howzat!) in its two-dimensional form at Samstag Museum this winter. ADL Film Fest now presents the VR version, from inimitable photographers Trent Parke and Narelle Autio, with filmmaker and ADLFF regular Matthew Bate (Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure, Sam Klemke’s Time Machine).
The beguiling work is a high-contrast dreamscape about parenthood, suburbia and the ritual of cricket. The world premiere of this knock-out iteration jumpstarts the festival’s virtual reality program.
Visual magicians JumpgateVR present the fest’s VR Lounge, this year found at new hub GU Film House. Available to view in mini ‘VR Packages’, the 11 works on show hail from Australia, Denmark, France, Senegal, South Korea, the UK and the USA.
Highlights include an examination of mother-baby relationships in Mother’s Ghost; a deep-dive to the ocean floor with Prehistoric VR; and the super kawaii, cat lover’s fantasy Chocolate.

A still from Chocolate.
Aesthetically striking and totally experiential, the works compete for the inaugural AFTRS International Virtual Reality Award. Joining the festival’s international and documentary competitions, plus its signature investment fund, this new accolade sees ADLFF quadruple-down on its commitment to screen worship.
The festival has always championed diverse forms of storytelling. From an interactive choose-your-own-adventure film, to Lynette Wallworth’s arresting VR work Collisions, ADL Film Fest commissions and curates at the frontier of film technology.

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Similarly, its new sister event Hybrid World Adelaide explores the future of entertainment, industry, health and humanity. The tech-centric festival takes over Tonsley Innovation District from Wednesday, October 4 until Sunday, October 8.
Adelaide Film Festival opens on Thursday, October 5. Peruse the full program, and swing by the VR Lounge (next to the ADL Film Fest Box Office).
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