Virtual Reality Experience

Step into NHFF’s Virtual Reality Experience and travel beyond the boundaries of traditional movie watching. As filmmakers are now experimenting with and embracing technology like never before, film festivals around the globe are showcasing this new frontier of storytelling. NHFF is honored to be able to bring our audience this experience. In partnership with WeLens, we’re excited to present three exciting VR films for this year’s program 12 Seconds of Gunfire, Ashe ’68, and Walking with Rhinos. 

12 Seconds of Gunfire 

Created by The Washington Post, animations from Wesley Allsbrook 

The short film recounts what happened to Jacob Hall and Ava Olsen, who were first-graders at Townville Elementary School in South Carolina when a 14-year-old boy opened fire on their school playground at recess. Jacob was killed and the movie follows Ava as she struggles to deal with the aftermath of the shooting – from her friend’s funeral to the anguished letter she sends to President Donald Trump asking him to keep kids safe from guns. 

Ashe ’68

Created and Produced by Rex Miller, Produced by Beth Hubbard 

Previewed at the 2018 U.S. Open, the Ashe ’68 Virtual Reality Experience, brings viewers into the intimate moments right before Arthur Ashe’s historic 1968 U.S. Open win, weaving together 360° video re-creations, archival material and evocative, never-before-seen 360° stop-motion and animation to tell the story. 

Walking with Rhinos 

Created by David Gardner and Planet Experts 

Walking with Rhinos is the first VR film ever to capture the world’s last remaining population of wild rhinos and inspire action to save these ancient creatures from extinction. This film transports viewers into a majestic landscape, bringing them up close and personal with this iconic, threatened species – and galvanizing support for their conservation.