2025 Official Selections
May 3, 2025 4:30 PM
God, Science, and Our Search for Meaning
Since the dawn of humanity, our quest for meaning has propelled us to explore the cosmos, revealing the profound interplay between science and religion as we seek answers to the timeless questions of existence.
Director
Danielle LeBlanc and Dan Brown
Producer
Charles Hayden Planetarium and Dan Brown
May 3, 2025 2:00 PM
Dark Biosphere: Betting On A Living Universe
Deep beneath the Earth's crust, a hidden world teems with extraordinary microorganisms that defy the odds, challenging our understanding of life's origins and its potential existence throughout the universe.
Director
Javier Bollain
Producer
Javier Bollain Perez and Javier Lafuente
May 2, 2025 8:00 PM
Temporal
In a desperate bid to escape an incurable disease, an astronaut seeks refuge in a slower space-time continuum, hoping to return and witness his daughter grow into adulthood.
Director
Jean-François Ethier and Dominic St-Amant
Producer
Phosphen.io, Jean-François Ethier, and Dominic St-Amant
May 3, 2025 2:00 PM
Secrets from a Forest
In a breathtaking journey through Italy's Paneveggio Forest, audiences discover the harmonious connection between nature and artistry as they witness the creation of the legendary Stradivarius violin and experience its enchanting music in a concert hall.
Director
Neil Lucas
Producer
Bell Museum and Ravenwood Studios
May 1, 2025 8:00 PM
Close Encounters: Larger than Life Virtual Safari
Experience a breathtaking journey into Africa's wild heart, where you come face-to-face with majestic wildlife in a transformative virtual safari guided by an expert ranger.
Director
Telmo dos Reis
Producer
Telmo dos Reis
May 3, 2025 4:30 PM
The Phoenix of Gaza: Gaza in the Sky
Amidst the terror of falling bombs, a community grapples with the haunting fear of looking up, clinging to memories of peace and resilience as they confront the realities of occupation.
Director
Naim Aburaddi and Kirsten Wilson
Producer
Naim Aburaddi
May 3, 2025 4:30 PM
What Lies Beyond The Woods
In 1933, a Baltic writer, confronted by the rising tide of nationalism, retreats into the woods to confront his inner demons and ultimately takes a daring stand for his beliefs amidst a society on the brink of change.
Director
Emil Spiewok
Producer
Caroline Heim
May 4, 2025 11:00 AM
Niyah and the Multiverse
In a vibrant city filled with questions about space and identity, a curious girl embarks on a fantastical journey through the multiverse with the help of a magical mask, ultimately confronting her future self and the profound mysteries of existence.
Director
Adler Planetarium
Producer
Ytasha Womack and Taylor Witten
May 3, 2025 8:30 PM
LIMBOPHOBIA
In a haunting, misty world where the boundaries between reality and the digital blur, a journey through existential terror unfolds as chaos and collapsing structures challenge the very essence of existence.
Director
Wen-Yee Hsieh
Producer
Sebox Hong
May 4, 2025 2:00 PM
Everest: Opera in the Planetarium
In a breathtaking journey through the brutal 1996 Mount Everest expedition, climbers grapple with survival as their pasts and emotional ties are revealed through an immersive blend of opera and stunning visuals projected across a planetarium's vast dome.
Director
Brian Staufenbiel
Producer
Opera Parallèle
May 1, 2025 8:00 PM
Always Above
In a breathtaking journey that reveals the hidden world of orbital infrastructure, audiences discover how satellites, essential for global communication and navigation, face constant threats while being safeguarded by the U.S. Space Force.
Director
Producer
GSD&M and Scholar
May 3, 2025 11:00 AM
The Stellars: Mission Green
In a quest to save their dwindling food source after a crash landing on Earth, three cosmic friends enlist the help of young viewers to uncover the vital needs of plants, sparking a heartwarming adventure filled with discovery and learning.
Director
Maciej Ligowski and Maciej Rasala
Producer
Creative Planet
Meet the 2025 Jury
Tasked with the immense responsibility of reviewing 89 hours of content for the 2025 season, our jury comprises esteemed professionals from around the globe. Bringing their diverse expertise and unique perspectives, they ensure a thorough and fair evaluation process. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and effort, which play a crucial role in making this festival a true celebration of innovation and storytelling.
Film Jury
Matt Wright
Matt Wright is a renowned 360° photographer, visual artist, and the Artistic Director of both 4Pi Productions and CULTVR Lab. With 4Pi Productions, Matt specializes in delivering cutting-edge immersive solutions for cultural organizations, brands, and artists. At CULTVR Lab, he leads Europe’s first Immersive Arts Centre, dedicated to exploring shared XR experiences and pushing the boundaries of projection dome environments.
As the creative lead at 4Pi Productions, Matt has garnered numerous international accolades for his groundbreaking work in advancing the art of reality capture within the fulldome medium. His innovative projects include the acclaimed Dance Dome platform, which redefined immersive performance, and the feature-length fulldome documentary Arka Kinari, which showcases the dome’s unparalleled ability to transport audiences to the heart of compelling narratives.
Matt’s dedication to expanding the creative potential of the dome has positioned him as a visionary in the immersive arts space, inspiring new ways of storytelling and audience engagement.
Diana Reichenbach
Diana Reichenbach is an Emmy-winning multimedia artist specializing in immersive and architectural media. Her work explores the intersection of digital technology, memory, and perception, blending animation with anthropology to examine how media shapes cultural understanding. Her projects have been showcased at prestigious festivals worldwide, including the Ottawa International Animation Festival, Animafest Zagreb, Burning Man, and DTLA Film Festival.
Reichenbach has created commissioned works for Virgin Atlantic Airways, the City of Baltimore, and the Museum of Arts and Sciences Macon, supported by grants from the Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her accolades include a 2022 Suncoast Regional Emmy for Historical Documentary, multiple awards for fulldome filmmaking, and recognition at Fulldome UK and the Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival.
A dedicated advocate for immersive storytelling, she has served as a juror for the Denver Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, and Cannonball Miami Wavemaker Grant program. She holds degrees in Anthropology and Telecommunications from the University of Florida and an MFA in Animation and Digital Arts from USC. Currently, she is a Professor of Animation at SCAD, continuing to push the boundaries of immersive media through both independent and professional projects.
Kate Wellham
Kate Wellham is a UK-based music and culture journalist and a pioneer in immersive film experiences, beginning her work in the field with Live Cinema UK in 2014. In 2016, she expanded her focus to fulldome media, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaborations within domed environments and advocating for its growth in the UK, including authoring a report on fulldome’s potential.
Currently, she serves as the administrator of the Fulldome Creative Network, an international community dedicated to advancing fulldome content. Beyond fulldome, Kate is a sought-after consultant in immersive media and experiences. Her recent projects include collaborating with the UK’s National Science and Media Museum on a digital arts program and contributing to the Immersive Experience Network.
Thomas Kraupe
The astrophysicist Prof. Thomas W. Kraupe grew up in Munich. He studied at the University of Munich and specialized in the field of X-ray astronomy at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching. His endeavor to present current science and our modern concept of the universe in a multi-sensual format brought him as assistant director to the planetarium in Stuttgart (1983-1993), as director to Munich (1993-1996) and Hamburg Planetarium (2000-2022).
Since the 1990s, he developed numerous innovative event formats in cooperation with artists and scientists that received global attention. He has also made a name for himself internationally as President of the International Planetarium Society (IPS) and as consultant and content creator for museums and other institutions. His goal is to inspire people around the world and bring them closer to their environment and the cosmos we all live in.
In 2014 he received the "Service Award", the highest award from the International Planetarium Society (IPS). The City of Hamburg government awarded him the title "Professor" for life. Prof. Kraupe is member of the board of the German Astronomical Society, the Board of Trustees of the Deutsches Museum in Munich and the German Society „Club of Rome“.
Matthew Celia
Matthew Celia is a visionary creative with over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology, film production, and entrepreneurship. As the co-founder and director of Light Sail VR, Celia has become a leader in virtual reality storytelling, creating immersive content that captivates audiences and elevates brands.
His collaborations with industry giants like Canon, Meta, and Google showcase his ability to merge authentic narratives with cutting-edge technology. With a passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence, Celia continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cinematic VR, setting new standards for immersive storytelling.
Matt Scott
Matt Scott is an adjunct professor in the Division of Media Arts & Practice, specializing in giant screen and IMAX filmmaking. He also serves as faculty advisor for the Large Format Cinema Club (LFCC). His IMAX documentary work includes Pandas, currently showing at the California Science Center, and a VR film about Burning Man.
With a background in post-production, Matt has worked extensively on documentary and non-fiction projects, often designing post workflows and managing departments. He transitioned to IMAX feature documentaries in 2010 with Born to Be Wild and later developed digital field workflows for Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, spending six months in Madagascar.
Matt returned to USC in 2014, supporting the Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre before moving into teaching. A member of the Producer’s Guild of America and former Slamdance Film Festival programmer, he holds a degree from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Live Performance & Interactive Experience Jury
Celeste Lear
Celeste Lear is a Los Angeles-based producer, immersive experience designer, music director, and performing artist with over two decades in digital entertainment. An XR professional, she has collaborated with renowned teams on high-tech multimedia installations and virtual filmmaking projects in Hollywood. Since 2019, Celeste has been a pioneer in virtual events and the “music in the metaverse” space, producing futuristic concerts and conferences using avatar staff and innovative production techniques.
As the founder of Boutique XR, her work focuses on the latest trends in immersive media, including web3, VR/AR, volumetric capture, holograms, video mapping, live broadcasts, and digital twinning. Passionate about projects that promote sustainability and social connection, Celeste also worked as executive producer of ActnowXR with the United Nations, inspiring virtual activism through spatial computing.
Michael Daut
Michael Daut is an award-winning immersive media writer/producer/director in Los Angeles, CA. Michael brings a wealth of experience within the giant screen cinema, 4D attraction, and digital fulldome industries. Before establishing his own production company, he served at Mousetrappe, an experience design and production studio. For over 20 years at Evans & Sutherland, he was instrumental in developing a library of digital fulldome shows and helped create the first fulldome conversion of a 1570 film.
Michael’s current clients include K2 Studios, a giant screen film production and distribution company, Sotto Studios, an experiential solutions agency, and Moodswings, LLC, creators of the visual music show Mesmerica. Michael is a member of the Producer's Guild of America, the Themed Entertainment Association, a board member of the Giant Screen Cinema Association, co-chair of its Innovations Committee, and a board member of IMERSA.org, the Immersive Media Entertainment, Research, Science and Arts organization.
Ed Lantz
Ed Lantz is an entertainment technology engineer and immersive experience designer specializing in giant-screen digital cinema and large-scale immersive environments. Since transitioning from aerospace engineering in 1990, he has designed over a dozen dome theaters worldwide, including the Library of Alexandria and the National Space Center.
As founder of Vortex Immersion Media, Ed has pioneered 360-degree experiences for concerts, VR cinemas, and experiential marketing for major brands and artists like Childish Gambino and Skrillex. His expertise in immersive storytelling and venue design makes him a key voice in effective cinematography for planetarium and fulldome experiences.