First virtual reality 360º artistic film made in Albania premieres at Cineplexx

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Representatives from the Swiss Embassy and the Swiss Cultural Fund trying the VR set at the screening event. © FDFA

Technology and art fused on Monday evening at the premiere show of the short film ‘A Circus Story’ at the Cineplexx hall at the TEG mall in Tirana. For the first time viewers could watch a film through special virtual reality sets instead of a big screen.

“I am glad we were able to support such an innovative project with a different approach to filmmaking”, said Debora Kern, representative of the Embassy of Switzerland. “Not only is this film a new way of storytelling but it also touches on social issues such as the integration of individuals with disabilities”, she added.

“Although modest, our support went to a young team who struggle to make a living out of their art. Hopefully by realising this film, young filmmakers will be encouraged to learn and try more avenues for funding their ideas”, said Dritan Mezini, executive director of the Swiss Cultural Fund.

Present at the event were also representatives from Albania’s film sector including the director of the National Film Centre, Ilir Butka.

During the 15 minutes film viewers experienced a virtual journey through different events inside a circus tent. The VR technology allows viewers to rotate their viewing angle and see what goes on in the story in 360º degrees. This means that the storytelling is different from traditional films: the cameras capture what goes on all around.

This viewing experience is made possible by combining special cameras used to create the film and individual VR sets that the viewers wear during the screening.

The Swiss Cultural Fund is a project by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) that aims to support young and emerging artists through local grants, regional collaboration programmes and capacity building. It is implemented by the “Centre for Business Technology and Leadership (CBTL).