¡ãA view of the Beyond Reality exhibition at the BIFAN 2024, which drew significant public attention last year.
(Photo courtesy of the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)

The XR exhibition Beyond Reality, presented by the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director: SHIN Chul) and curated by its New Media Team, will be held from July 4 to 13 at Bucheon Art Bunker B39.

‘Beyond Reality’ is an XR exhibition that BIFAN has been presenting annually since 2019, having been the first film festival in Korea to introduce VR (virtual reality) content. This year, it features an unprecedentedly broad technological spectrum — from AI-based interactive works to content designed specifically for Apple Vision Pro — positioning itself as an industry-driven exhibition that offers a glimpse into the future of storytelling and immersive experiences.

The number of works submitted this year has increased by more than 60% compared to last year. What is particularly noteworthy is not just the increase in scale, but the growing participation of top creators from around the world. In this way, BIFAN has established itself as a key platform for the distribution of XR (extended reality) content in Asia.

Highlighted works include the documentary-based VR piece Impulse: Playing with Reality featuring Tilda Swinton; the series I, KILL, a collaboration with Japanese broadcaster WOWOW; ‘YOU’STALGIA, an AI/XR hybrid project by Korean creative team 6dofamin; and White Door, a work designed for the Apple Vision Pro. These selections demonstrate a tight integration of technology and content.

This year’s exhibition particularly stands out for its lineup of family-friendly XR content that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The Hello Kitty Phone’s Secret Message, which drew great attention after premiering at the Sanrio Virtual Festival, offers an emotionally resonant XR experience based on the Hello Kitty IP. It is designed not only to captivate young audiences but also to evoke nostalgic memories for adults in the midst of their busy lives.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom is an immersive VR experience in which viewers become the protagonists themselves, engaging in battles within the Gundam universe and completing missions to shape the narrative. This work is designed to attract not only longtime Gundam fans, but also younger viewers including teens and children, helping expand the festival’s audience base.

These XR works, created in collaboration with globally recognized IPs, demonstrate how the industry is evolving beyond niche audiences to engage broader age groups and demographics.

From an industry standpoint, the exhibition also demonstrates notable scalability. BIFAN continues to foster steady partnerships with major XR events around the world, including the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan, the Sandbox Immersive Festival in China, and Japan’s Beyond the Frame Festival—considered among the world’s top four XR showcases.

This year, BIFAN presents a notable new initiative that bridges science and art through a special collaboration with the Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum. Together, they have co-curated a series of immersive works centered around astronomy and space, featuring dome-shaped exhibition spaces that sensorially reinterpret scientific themes such as constellations, planets, and the structure of the universe. The fusion of BIFAN’s new media curatorial expertise with the city’s scientific and cultural infrastructure adds scientific imagination to tech-based exhibitions, offering audiences a unique experience that spans both knowledge and sensation.

BIFAN’s New Media Team is focused on transforming XR content from a one-off exhibition within the festival into a platform that connects with the global distribution and industrial ecosystem. The team is praised for actively responding to shifting trends by curating works optimized for the latest devices, such as the Vision Pro. Furthermore, “interactive viewing,” “AI-content integration,” and “IP-based immersive experiences” are identified as the core keywords that define the new cultural consumption trends BIFAN aims to present through its XR exhibition.

At a time when XR content is gaining significant industrial attention, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival aims to position Beyond Reality as a hub for exchange — connecting technology-driven creators with domestic and international platforms and institutions.

Meanwhile, the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will open on July 3 and take place throughout the city of Bucheon.

¡á INFORMATION
▪ Title: Beyond Reality
▪ Period: July 4 (FRI)~July 13 (SUN) 10:00~17:30 *Closes at 16:00 on July 13 (SUN)
▪ Venues: Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum

¡á CONTACT
▪ Email: foreignpress@bifan.kr
▪ Website: www.bifan.kr/eng/

TEXT  PHOTO