The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) and Film Victoria have announced the launch of Doc.Lab.Interact, an upcoming ‘interactive storytelling lab’ which aims to teach non-fiction creators the value of using emerging technologies like video games, VR and AR to create more immersive, interactive stories.
Successful candidates in the program will take a core, documentary-style idea and learn how to transform it using technology, opening up the creative potential of their work.
The project is supported by UK creative studio Anagram, which has an extensive background with documentary-making and interactive storytelling, including via VR title Messages to A Post-Human Earth, which encourages people to re-examine their relationship to nature.
Four teams will be selected to participate in the planned workshop, with 1:1 mentoring and pitch training from Anagram provided for successful candidates. This will kick off at AIDC Innovation Day, which will run during AIDC’s March 2022 event.
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The ultimate goal of the workshop series will be to help participants create their own ‘ready-to-pitch’ interactive documentary projects to share with ‘funders, developers, creative tech collaborators and exhibitors’. While there’s no guarantee these pitches will be successful, the process will be invaluable for those looking to expand their creative works.
‘Anagram is so excited to work alongside AIDC and Film Victoria on this new initiative. With backgrounds in documentary, we’ve spent the past nine years carving a path for ourselves in this innovative field, we’d love to share what we’ve learnt and continue to learn with the selected participants,’ May Abdalla, Director of Anagram said of the program.
Applications are now open via the Doc.Lab.Interact hub, with a deadline of Sunday, 6 February 2022 at 11:59 p.m. AEDT. Candidates who have recently or are currently completing a documentary or factual project are eligible to apply. Important to note is that participants are expected to have a fleshed out idea that will later be workshopped into a professional industry pitch.
AIDC is set to run from 6-9 March 2022 in person and online (subject to change). To find out more about the program, and how to submit your non-fiction work for consideration, head to the Doc.Lab.Interact application page.
