VR Anti-Bullying Animation ‘Upstander’ Premieres at Tribeca Online Fest

While the full 2020 Tribeca Film Festival has been put off due to coronavirus, the pioneering New York event will be presenting select programming from its 19th edition in a virtual, online film festival.

Tribeca Immersive, the incubator for innovation in storytelling, will move forward with the first edition of Cinema360 to be offered remotely. In partnership with industry leader Facebook’s Oculus, Cinema360 will feature 15 virtual reality films, curated into four 30-40-minute programs.

One animated standout in the lineup is Upstander, making its world premiere. The 360 experience tackles the subject of bullying, and explores how we all can make a difference if we stand up against these transgressions. Created by director and storyteller Van Phan in partnership with the Oculus VR for Good Program and youth charity The Diana Award, Upstander uses scole, embodiment and shifts in perspective to push the boundaries of the story.

Upstander touches on the trauma caused by social, verbal, physical and cyberbullying and builds around the periods of a child’s school day. The piece uses backpack characters to represent children in a school environment to help immerse the audience in a story that defies reality and challenges the viewer to think and take action. It poses the question: How can we be part of the solution and not part of the problem?

Van Phan’s Upstander will be available to view from April 17 to April 25 in Oculus TV, available for Oculus Go or Oculus Quest headsets.

www.upstandervr.com | www.tribecafilm.com

Van Phan