In an increasingly divisive and polarised world, the power of storytelling has never been more crucial. Three VR narratives—Tomis Fras’s Sonderambla, Menghui Huang’s The Big Cube, and Owen Hindley’s Fallax—remind us that courage and personal growth remain possible even in the most challenging times.

In Sonderambla, an elderly widower finds the courage to step back into the world and go on a date. In The Big Cube, a creature living in a world of cubes breaks free from fixed patterns and begins a new journey. In Fallax, an escaped prisoner is drawn into a mysterious glowing hot spring, and journeys through a magical natural world. 

Each creator will introduce their work before joining a panel discussion moderated by Raindance Immersive Curator, Jo Leigh. Together, they will explore themes of courage, personal growth, and the inspiration behind their work.

Menghui Huang is a China-born VR director and visual artist based in Helsinki, focused on immersive storytelling and world-building. After working in the creative industry for six years, she completed a master’s degree in animation to further explore the possibilities of VR storytelling. Her VR project The Big Cube premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and has since screened internationally. Beyond VR, she is also an award-winning visual artist,  with awards from  the World Illustration Awards and the ADC Annual Awards. Throughout her artistic journey, Menghui has been passionate about delving into the imaginary to create fantastical worlds, constantly seeking new ways to tell stories through colour and shape.

Owen Hindley is a British-Icelandic digital artist creating work for stages, screens and spaces using software, electronics and sound. He has made award-winning work for XR devices, from short film Fallax (Iceland’s first XR film), live theatre (Kassinn/A Box In The Desert), to interactive music experiences (Horizons VR), and led the development of Oculus Studios & OKGO’s collaborative music-making experience Lambchild Superstar.


Tomis Fras is a Croatian-British multi-award-winning interdisciplinary artist, 3D animator, and XR developer based in London. Winner of the UNESCO Climate Challenge with the immersive documentary 'The Blue Resurgence', three-time award winner at Innovate UK with the VR experience ‘Sonderambla’, as well as winner of the Best VR, Immersive and 360 Film at the NEIFF. He focuses on interactive environmental storytelling, bridging the gap between digital media and real-world interactions through games, theatre, animation, and mixed reality.

Dr. Joanna Leigh is a Curator at Raindance Immersive and Producer of the festival’s XR showcase in London. With an MA and PhD in Screenwriting from the University of the Arts London, she brings a strong narrative focus to her curatorial and production work in immersive storytelling. She works as a Narrative Consultant for immersive and screen-based projects, and as a VR Facilitator at Virtual Reality Experiences (VRE), delivering corporate training experiences. She also works freelance as a VR Host and Tech Manager for immersive events including the BFI London Film Festival Expanded and at the Barbican Centre, helping audiences engage with immersive work while supporting the technical delivery of XR installations.

EXPLORE PASS OPTIONS

Join the session live on Zoom on Friday, 19th June or watch the replay. Please see the schedule below for your local time. For sessions that fall too early or too late in your time zone, we highly recommend catching up via our on-demand replays.

  • EUROPE – FRIDAY, 19 JUNE

    • 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM BST (UK)

    • 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM CEST

    • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM EET

  • NORTH AMERICA – FRIDAY, 19 JUNE

    • 6:45 AM - 8:15 AM EDT

    • 5:45 AM - 7:15 AM CDT

    • 4:45 AM - 6:15 AM MDT

    • 3:45 AM - 5:15 AM PDT

  • ASIA & AUSTRALIA – FRIDAY, 19 JUNE

    • 6:45 PM - 8:15 PM CST

    • 7:45 PM - 9:15 PM JST

    • 7:45 PM - 9:15 PM KST

    • 8:45 PM - 10:15 AM AEST