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Powerful Virtual Reality Documentary ‘The Choice’ Attempts To Remove Stigma Surrounding Abortion

The documentary project is now on Kickstarter.

By Dave Aubrey

Last updated Feb 10, 2018

Documentary Kickstarter The Choice

We all know how virtual reality (VR) can take users to new places, give them new perspectives, and brand new experiences. We’ve seen VR film projects and documentaries that want us to understand the plight of deprived areas, and we’ve seen VR apps show us the impact of climate change. Now, a new documentary wants to put people in the shoes of women who are going through an abortion.

Abortion is still an incredibly sensitive subject in many areas of the world, and often those opposed to abortion have little to no understanding of the mental and physical exhaustion these women go through. As such, the new VR documentary, now on Kickstarter, seeks to make a wider audience understanding of what women must go through, and why the choice is so important for so many reasons.

The documentary is titled The Choice, and will take viewers into a woman’s body as they experience the panic of realising they have an unwanted pregnancy. The documentary will introduce viewers to real women, who will talk about their experiences, their emotions, and the difficult choices they had to make.

VR was chosen as the medium for the documentary as they wanted to make users feel like a part of the world, a part of the woman’s life, and as if the decision was also yours. Traditional media can make you view the story of another, but so rarely can they make that story yours, too. VR’s potential for empathy is paralleled, thus the choice to make the documentary for VR devices.

After all, this documentary isn’t about making a splash on the world’s stage, but is instead about compassion. Compassion for others, women, and those that are suffering, especially if invisibly. The Kickstarter reads; “Compassion is necessary, especially in light of the fact that half of the society cannot personally imagine how it is to make this choice. Men do not ever expect to become pregnant. We want them to be equal and supportive partners in this debate and so we need them to understand even just a fraction of how it would feel to be in this situation. We want The Choice to be the tool that gives them the opportunity to gain this perspective so they can understand why women make this decision.”

You should look at the Kickstarter for The Choice right here, and donate if you feel you wish to support a good cause. When you’re able to watch The Choice, we’ll let you know, so keep reading VRFocus.

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Congrats Shelby on the @StereoSisters3D #goldenmirroraward of Excellence in Student 3D for Pic! Full pr here http://bit.ly/2jlHtx6 (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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13th Annual LA 3-D Movie Festival

3-D SPACE, Stereo Sisters, and the LA 3-D Club are pleased to announce the winners of The 13th Annual LA 3-D Movie Festival. The festival’s mission is to showcase the best independent stereoscopic 3-D filmmaking from around the world. This year’s fest took place on Dec 8th  -11th , 2016 at several venues in the greater Los Angeles area. The festival featured over 20 independent 3-D short films, including 10 student produced films; the 57th Hollywood International Exhibition of Stereoscopic Photography; a live 3-D performance by multimedia artist J-Walt; a program of historical 3-D rarities featuring the US premiere of the 1954 British short HARMONY LANE , and the world premiere of the 3-D Film Archive’s digital restoration of the 1960 CinemaScope drama SEPTEMBER STORM .

The opening night of the festival, on December 8th , was co-presented with the American Cinematheque at the historic Aero Theater in Santa Monica, and featured the world premiere of the digitally restored feature film SEPTEMBER STORM . A rediscovered gem newly restored by the 3-D Film Archive through the generosity of over 300 backers on Kickstarter, SEPTEMBER STORM is a CinemaScope Stereovision adventure that plunges the viewer into the depths of the Balearic sea off the coast of Spain. Mark Stevens stars as a treasure hunter who convinces a yacht hand (Asher Dann) to take him and his cohort (Robert Strauss) on a quest for gold doubloons. They encounter many spectacles along the way: a violent storm, man-eating sharks, a deadly man o' war, but perhaps the most stunning sight of all is the bewitching model Joanne Dru who embarks on the journey with them. Director Byron Haskin (The War of the Worlds, Robinson Crusoe on Mars) uses the 3-D camera to maximum effect, while hard-boiled writer W.R. Burnett (Asphalt Jungle, Little Caesar) injects the screenplay with liberal doses of seduction and betrayal. This was the last 3-D picture filmed in the 1950s, and the first to be released in 3-D CinemaScope. It was also the first feature to include color underwater 3-D footage, and was long considered lost until the original negative elements were located for this digital restoration. The screening also included THE ADVENTURES OF SAM SPACE, a 3-D stop-motion animated short produced by Volcano Pictures in 1953, but not released until 1960, when it was retitled SPACE ATTACK and paired with SEPTEMBER STORM. This was the first time both films were seen together in over 55 years. Bob Furmanek, founder of the 3-D Film Archive, attended the show to take audience questions and explain the process that went into preserving these rare motion pictures.

The second night of the festival took place at the Velaslavasay Panorama in Los Angeles, an L.A. cultural treasure located in the Union Cinema building, built in 1915 as one of the cities first movie theaters. This was the perfect venue for an evening of 3-D RARITIES that have been rescued and restored by the 3-D Film Archive, presented by Bob Furmanek. The program covered the origins of 3-D movies from it’s earliest days in 1922 through the 1930s and 40s, and into the 3-D Golden Age of the early 1950s. Films screened included Kelley's Plasticon Pictures, the earliest extant 3-D demonstration film from 1922 with incredible footage of Washington and New York City; New Dimensions, the first domestic full color 3-D film originally shown at the World's Fair in 1940; Thrills for You, a promotional film for the Pennsylvania Railroad; and Stardust in Your Eyes, a 1953 musical routine by night club comedian Slick Slavin, which was originally shown in theaters with the classic sci-fi movie Robot Monster. Trustin Howard, who performed in the 1950s under the stage name Slick Slavin, was a special guest at the festival screening, performing a hilarious live standup act for the audience. The evening culminated with the US premiere of the 1954 British 3-D film HARMONY LANE. In August 2014, this lost 3-D film was discovered buried deep in the vaults of the British Film Institute, and was restored this year by the 3-D Film Archive. Directed by Lewis Gilbert (as Byron Gill) and photographed by A.E. Jeakins in March 1953, it sat on the shelf until the end of 1954 when it was finally released flat. This delightful 27 minute short is like spending a night at the Palladium with several variety acts. They include dancing by the Jack Billings Trio; a song by the Beverley Sisters; "Swan Lake" by Svetlana Beriosova and David Paltenghi of the Sadler's Wells Ballet; precision dancing by The Television Toppers and a comedy routine with Dora Bryan and Max Bygraves. The orchestra was directed by future Hammer Studios composer, Philip Martell. The excellent stereo cinematography was the work of Brian Smith. In 1951, he directed the first live action British 3-D short in Technicolor, DISTANT THAMES/ROYAL RIVER which was a tremendous success at the Festival of Britain and the Edinburgh Film Festival. HARMONY LANE had never before been seen in its native 3-D.

On the third day of the fest, the LA 3-D Club presented the 57th Hollywood International Exhibition of Stereoscopic Photography and hosted its annual Holiday Party at the festival. The HOLLYWOOD EXHIBITION  is a still photography contest sanctioned by PSA (The Photographic Society of America) featuring the best 3-D images from around the world. The juried competition presented the Gold Medal for “Best of Show” to Festung IR  by Bruno Braun of Kassel, Germany. This year’s holiday party festivities included appetizers from Spitz - Home of the Döner Kebab and a main course from Howlin’ Ray’s Nashville Hot Chicken, one of LA’s most popular new restaurants, helmed by chef Johnny Zone. The party culminated in a mind-blowing live 3-D performance by Academy Award winning multimedia artist J-Walt. The show, SPONTANEOUS FANTASIA , integrates music and stereoscopic computer graphics to create immersive worlds and dreamscapes, all manipulated in realtime on the big screen.

Festival Awards were announced at the Closing Night Ceremony on Sunday, Dec 11th, by LA 3-D Movie Festival director and 3-D SPACE executive director Eric Kurland and Stereo Sisters founder Shannon Benna. Top films were selected by audience ballot and by special jury. Award winners were presented with the traditional Ro-Man trophy of the LA 3-D Movie Festival, Stereo Sisters’ Golden Mirror Trophy and an assortment of valuable prizes from festival sponsors Berezin Stereo Photography Products and the London Stereoscopic Company.

The 3-D Shorts Award winners were selected by audience ballot and were presented to three recipients. Third Place went to LA Complex - Presenting Jim Barrett  by Tom Koester & Frances Bohn. This half hour documentary features LA artist Jim Barrett’s solo exhibition at bG Gallery in Bergamot station in July 2016, including his massive 30-ft multipanel work, War Complex , which speaks to the heart and mind of both the terror of war and the complexity of the human condition.

Second Place was awarded to HIDDEN WORLDS IN 3D  by Robert Bloomberg. The film explains how and why we see in 3-D, then takes the audience on an amazing 3-D journey inside a snowflake, into space, and through the human heart. Robert Bloomberg was also the recipient of this year’s Ray Zone Award for Excellence in 3-DIY. Named for festival cofounder Ray “3-D” Zone, who passed away in 2012, the award celebrates what Zone described as “fiercely independent do-it-yourself 3-D filmmaking.” Bloomberg is a stereo photographer, filmmaker, musician and graphic artist whose award-winning 3-D shows have been presented worldwide.

The First Place Golden Ro-Man Trophy was presented to LITTLE RED DOT,  written and directed by Chanel Samson. This music video for an original song by the band Chanel and the Circus is “a sweet little song about waiting to get your period after not practicing safe sex” presented in the form of a cabaret stage show. The video features performances filmed against a green screen and composited into backgrounds hand-painted by illustrator Katelyn McCarney. It can be viewed online, in 3-D, at youtu.be/6zb6h3AZAyY

The Special Award for Achievement in 3-D Feature Film went to TENDERNESS written by Wacław Mikłaszewski & Alina Sztoch and Directed by Wacław Mikłaszewski . This Polish production is a multi-faceted story about youth, decountrifying and attitude toward life. Filmed in native 4K 3-D in Lodz, Poland, TENDERNESS utilizes long takes and proscenium compositions to create a sense of intimacy. The feature directorial debut for Wacław Mikłaszewski, the film links his theatre and stereoscopic activities. The director was in attendance at the festival and engaged the audience in an informative Q&A session.

The Stereo Sisters Golden Mirror Award for Excellence in Student 3-D was presented to Shelby Merritt of the University of Texas - Austin's 3-D program. Her work entitled PIC tells the story of a young woman as she finds a mysterious camera in an odd shop, with the power to transform her surroundings. The short displays excellent use of color and composition to create an internal perspective, and the 3-D was a delightful compliment to that vantage point, showcasing both the diversely textured & cluttered junk shop interior, as well as the beautiful rolling vistas of Central Texas' Hill Country.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS:

3-D SPACE: The Center For Stereoscopic Photography, Art, Cinema, and Education is a Los Angeles based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the history of stereoscopic imaging and the advancement of current and future 3-D arts and sciences. 3-D SPACE has implemented an ongoing program of public presentations, classes and workshops in stereoscopic 3-D content creation, from 3-D photography and filmmaking toimmersive virtual reality. www.3-DSPACE.org

Stereo Sisters  is a point of convergence for Women who work, live & love in 3D! Our focus is synergy among Women in 3D via mentorship, education & community. We are directors, stereographers, editors, producers, writers, photographers, and artists - and we welcome all women who have a passion for exploring this new dimension of entertainment! www.StereoSisters.com

The LA 3-D Club  was established in the Greater Los Angeles area in 1955 by a dedicated group of 3-D stereo photographers to further the art and science of stereoscopic photography. For six decades members have been meeting monthly to share images created through stereoscopic photography, computer generated imagery, and film and video. For more info, visit www.LA3DClub.com

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@stereosisters3d Well, I guess I'm ready for today's shoot w @chanelthecircus! Let the immersion begin!! #Kodak #360 #pixpros #VR #3D #Sony #3DBloggie #Fuji #W3 #BTS #littlereddot #3DMusicVideo #imcreative #immersivemedia (at Club Willowcrest)

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@dearjohn_e in the zone - the #3DZone! #3D #musicvideo #Chosen #UT3D (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Our fabulous dancer is destined to be a Star! #3D #musicvideo #Chosen #UT3D (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Setting up for Johnny's #CloseUp @rubywestk #2nd2ndAC stands in and sets marks. #3D #3strog3n @StereoSisters3D #Chosen (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Planning the next shot.... DP? #Visionary #3D #musicvideo #Chosen (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Can we do #3D playback? Ask the #Gemini nice and...YES!! (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Day one #VideoVillage #3D #musicvideo #Chosen #UT3D #ProudMama (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Prep day for #Chosen 3D Music Video #UT3D shooting this weekend - coming soon!! @vivekkolli @jarednaylor @remivital @StereoSisters3D @gmillie @l_r_n_d @simquiroz @jagerdel (at The University of Texas at Austin)

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Stereo Sisters Presents Women in 3D Animation Panel at Feb. LA 3D Club Meeting

At the February LA 3-D Club monthly meeting, Stereo Sisters will be hosting an evening of Women in 3D Animation. Women from various skill levels and disciplines will come together to explore various 3D Animation techniques and share their experiences.

The event will commence at 7:15 pm at the Pasadena Armory for the arts with a meet and greet opportunity with the artists, leading into the formal program. The presentation will showcase highlights from each woman's body of work, followed by a panel discussion covering the processes used in creation. The evening will wrap up with a Q & A session, allowing audience members to dig deeper.

The panelists will include presentations on CGI/Studio animated features, independent & experimental productions, traditional cell animation conversion, as well as Live Action/Animation hybrid and student projects.

Panelists Include:

Valerie Lettera-Spletzer - Dreamworks Animation (Final Layout Artist)

Valerie Lettera-Spletzer earned her BFA from Syracuse University where she specialized in sculpture and also received a two year volleyball scholarship.  She continued her education at UCLA earning her MFA in Animation.  After graduate school Valerie free-lanced working in the television and film industry. In 1995 Valerie became the first artist hired at DreamWorks Interactive and then joined DreamWorks Feature Animation in 1998.  She first worked as a Technical Director for the Background Department and later moved to the Layout Department.  In 2008 Valerie was part of a small team to set 3D stereoscopic cameras for DreamWorks first 3D animated film “ MONSTERS VS. ALIENS”.  Valerie was promoted to Final Layout Supervisor for “SHREK FOREVER AFTER” and “THE CROODS” and recently celebrated 20 years of employment at DreamWorks.  Valerie also co-teaches a UCLA MFA animation class at the School of Theater/Film and Television where students create an animated short film.

Ms Lettera-Spletzer will be discussing 3D CGI films underway at Dreamworks under her supervision. 

SHREK FOREVER AFTER The opening shot to "Shrek Forever After" starts on a book that opens to reveal a few pairs of 2D running horses pulling a carriage. 

DRAGON 2 A long traveling shot that starts on an ice cliff and dives past a fleet of Viking ships and  soldiers settling on the ground at the foot of the main villain.  

Heather Paul – The Immortal Turtle (Student) 

(3D Conversion Cell Animation Short)

www.epicheather.com instagram.com/epicheather

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Heather Paul is now pursuing her MFA in Animation at UCLA’s Animation Workshop. Her films and artwork often have global influences, and tackle environmental, social, and philosophical issues.

This is the first act of the animatic for my thesis film, “The Immortal Turtle.” The film focuses on an immortal turtle and her struggle to find happiness in the middle of overwhelming tragedy.

Amanda Tasse – The Reality Clock 

(Stop Motion Animation Short)

http://www.amandatasse.com/ http://therealityclock.com/ 

twitter: @atasse

Amanda Tasse develops transmedia narratives spanning live-action, animation, video games, visualizations, and stereoscopic 3D. Her films have won a Student Academy Award Gold Medal, an HBO Films Student Competition Award, numerous festival awards and screened internationally. Her video game, Miralab, recently won Best Educational Game from the Serious Game Play Awards. She's been granted two Sloan Science Film Grants and was a finalist for the 2015 Sundance Screenwriting Lab. Amanda's background is in animation & she's finishing up a PhD in Media Arts + Practice at USC.

The Reality Clock is an experimental animated portrait of an elderly watchmaker as he struggles to accept the influence of early stage Dementia on his identity and sense of time. Shot in full stereoscopic 3D, using time-lapse photography, pixelation, live-action, and stop-motion animation, The Reality Clock immerses the viewer in the internal experience of the character, expressed through metaphors of a clock, house, and morphing landscapes.

Awards: 2012 Student Academy Award Best Short Number of Best in Fests for Animation & Student Short

Claudia Kunin – Spectre of Memory 

(C3D Conversion Fine Art Short)

http://claudiakunin.com

work is available through Alex Novak: http://www.aipad.com/members/?id=22096056

Internationally acclaimed for her work addressing the intersection of memory, history, and spirit, Miss Kunin creates 3-D photographic montages. Her most recent work transposes these stills into moving animated imagery.

For her 3-D animated short “Spectre of Memory”, she received the prize for Best Experimental Film at the 2014 BeFilm Festival in New York. She also received the Ray Zone Award for Innovation, as well as taking 2nd place overall in the 2014 Los Angeles 3D Film Festival. In Spring 2015, Claudia presented “Spectre Of Memory” at the LISA salon for arts and technology, as well as the Penumbra Foundation, and SVA in New York City. In late March, the Film Foundation under the auspices of the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences featured the film in Hollywood. In Spring, 2015 she was the sole American artist to be feted at an Arts Festival in Odessa, Ukraine at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy. In the Fall of 2015 “Spectre of Memory” was featured at the Jewish Museum Vienna in Austria as well as the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. Her art has been extensively published, as well as receiving numerous awards. Previous exhibitions at various prestigious institutions include the Annenberg Space for Photography, the Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Ms. Kunin’s work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, the Getty Research Institute, and the Museum of Photographic Arts. Her archive will be housed in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History’s Photographic Collection.

“Spectre Of Memory” is an animated film pieced together from the fabric of my mother's past to tell the story of how she survived as a Jew in occupied Austria during WWII, met and fell in love with my father, an American soldier, and emigrated to America as a war bride. The photographs and letters that comprise the source material have been layered, montaged together, then animated and made 3D resulting in a short film that runs approximately 22 minutes in length.

"My mother was a quilter. It was a big part of her life, and how she expressed herself creatively. Like a quilt that has been made from pieces of clothing from a family’s past, the film has been sewn together as a tribute, a symbolic representation of one woman’s personal history, reanimating her journey from war-torn Europe to America."

Awards: “Spectre Of Memory” Best Experimental Film at the 2014 BeFilm Festival in New York Ray Zone award for Innovation 2nd place overall in the 2014 Los Angeles 3D Film Festival

Melissa Garza – Captured Melody 

(Live Action/Animation Short)

Captured Melody: http://youtu.be/Veogum6kzMU Captured Melody 3D: http://youtu.be/_gVcDAZDKQo

Melissa Garza resides in Los Angeles, CA. She holds an MFA from Chapman University in Film Production where she created an emphasis in digital arts and motion capture. She has worked in the VFX industry on such films such as Avatar, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and Tron: Legacy. She has also worked on theme park attractions such as Donkey Live! and Dora & Diego’s 4D Adventure. Her thesis film “Captured Melody” took home the Audience Award for Best 3D Film at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival in 2013. Melissa works as a Producer, Assistant Director, and Production Manager in the film industry.

Depressed over her first rejection in love on Valentine’s Day, 12 year old Beth Callahan finds herself stuck listening while her Grandma Rose attempts to cheer her up with a story. With her prized music box in hand, Rose tells of how the little ceramic fairy inside was cursed by an evil fairy prince. Beth doesn’t buy the story, but her curiosity gets the best of her, and she sneaks a closer look at the music box. When, unexpectedly, Beth’s touch brings the fairy figurine to life, and the evil prince returns to regain his captive. With the chaos that follows, it is up to Beth to find a way to defeat the prince and return the fairy world to its right order while at the same time discovering truths about her own identity and the real meaning of love.

Screenings: 2013 Big Bear Lake International Film Festival Audience Award for Best 3D Film 2013 LA 3D Movie Festival 2013 International Stereoscopic Union/National Stereoscopic Association Convention

Chanel Samson - Little Red Dot (Native 3D Green Screen/3D Conversion Paintings Music Video)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChanelandtheChenanigans/?fref=ts Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChanelSamson 

www.chanelsamsonmusic.com www.yoursecretcircus.com 

FB Community Page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Secret-Circus-1521710084753237/?fref=ts

"I am a songwriter, artist, and innovator and am always looking for ways to tap into communities and people’s hearts. I put on a cabaret called ’The Secret Circus' and perform with my band ‘Chanel & the Circus' to bring people together and to express points of self love for those who don’t fit in. I'm always looking for the next challenge and the next idea, so when Shannon told me about the world of 3D I hopped on board! We decided to make a full 3D music video for Little Red Dot, a song I wrote about waiting to get your period after you’ve had sex with someone. The idea of having a theatrical piece in 3D was simply perfect because the audience could now feel like they were actually in the theatre with me and I could connect on a completely new level, give them a full performance in their bedrooms."

Little Red Dot, written and performed by Chanel and the Circus is a comical and classic song about waiting to get your period after you've had sex with someone. The music video is styled in Black & White, and Red, taking you back to the 20’s and traveling through time into the 50’s . Being a theatrical piece, the video is shot in 3D and gives the audience a sense of actually being on stage with songstress Chanel Samson.

Katelyn McCarney – Little Red Dot (Artist)

bestorybound.com 

Instagram: @bestorybound

Katelyn works with all kinds of storytelling through her company, Storybound. Projects run the gamut from scripts, story development, and event production, to design, concept illustration, show writing, direction, and here, art direction. She follows great stories through every new adventure.

This is her first 3D project, and she is very much enjoying the layered process of seeing Chanel's world and story are brought to light through this new-to-her medium.

Artist Statement: Who I am Katelyn... I'm a story adventurer. The projects I work on cover different mediums, among them art, but it's always story first with my work. Art is one of the many outlets I use to tell stories, to bring the world of a given story to a particular audience.

Shannon Benna – Moderator

Shannon Benna is a 3D Producer and Stereoscopic consultant. She has produced several indie 3D projects including music videos, shorts, programming for 3DTV, web & mobile devices. She has also produced several 3D showcase events including tech demos, workshops and the 2008 3D Indie Film Expo.

In 2010 she produced Discovery’s 3NET Upfront campaign, including programming, pipeline and technology development to facilitate emerging ENG style 3D production. She has since worked with Avatar’s Chuck Comisky in 2D>3D conversion and was Hollywood’s First Female Feature Stereographer for the 2011 film “A Haunting in Salem”.

Also in 2011, she founded “Stereo Sisters” 3D Woman’s Community dedicated to educational outreach and support for women in tech. The 3D Image Festival in Łódź, Poland gives out the Stereo Sisters Women’s 3D Film award. The Stereo Sisters Golden Mirror Award for Excellence, a 3D Student Film Award, has been awarded 2 years running at the LA3D Move Fest.

In her efforts to support 3D growth, Shannon teaches at University of Texas, Austin in the UT3D program. She has also lectured on for Google, TED X, Museum of Contemporary Art – Los Angeles; Levi’s Film Workshops, Indiana U, 3D Image Festival and taught hands-on 3D for the UCLA Masters program, Grass Valley’s 3 Days of 3D and RED Studios digital cinema Camp RED.

About Stereo Sisters: Stereo Sisters is a point of convergence for women who work, live and love - in 3D! Dedicated to bringing more women and girls into STEM via the visual bridge of 3D, our focus is to synergize women in 3D disciplines of all industries by promoting mentorship, education, networking, and community.

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Green Screen scout for new #3D #musicvideo #LittleRedDot by @chanelnofive #commingsoon2016 @StereoSisters3D #girlpower (at EVS (Express Video Supply))

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#EpicBattle #theforceawakens (at Pershing Square)

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12th Annual LA 3-D Movie Festival Announces Winners

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2015 3-D SPACE, Stereo Sisters, and the LA 3-D Club are pleased to announce the winners of The 12th Annual LA 3-D Movie Festival. The festival’s mission is to showcase the best independent stereoscopic 3-D filmmaking from around the world. This year’s fest took place on Dec 12th-13th, 2015 at the Downtown Independent theater in Los Angeles. The festival featured over 30 independent 3-D short films, 14 student produced films, 5 stereoscopic feature motion pictures, including the world theatrical premiere of the 3-D Film Archive’s digital restoration of 1954 war drama DRAGONFLY SQUADRON​, an Emerging Technologies and Virtual Reality showcase, and the 56th Hollywood International Exhibition of Stereoscopic Photography. 

Awards were announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, Dec 13th, by LA 3-D Movie Festival director and 3-D SPACE executive director Eric Kurland, Stereo Sisters founder Shannon Benna, and LA 3-D Club president Shyam Kannapurakkaran. Top films were selected by audience ballot and by special jury. Award winners were presented with the traditional Ro-Man trophy of the LA 3-D Movie Festival, Stereo Sisters’ Golden Mirror Trophy and an assortment of valuable prizes from festival sponsors Sony Creative Software and the London Stereoscopic Company. 

The Best 3-D Feature Award winner was IM KRIEG (INSIDE THE WAR) written and directed by Nikolai Vialkowitsch. This German production utilized a treasure trove of over 20,000 photographs taken during WWI and unpublished for decades, to provide the basis for this historical documentary which brings to the screen for the first time ever these 3-D pictures. These striking images are merged with quotes taken from diaries and letters telling of love and hate, brutal killing and deep friendship. 

The Best 3-D Short Award went to Carta de la Muerte a Frida (A Letter For Frida From Death)​, directed by Ana Leticia Reyes and co-directed by Diego Sandoval Espinoza. This short film from Mexico is an illustrated poem that evokes the relationship of Death in the life of Frida Kahlo, the well-known Mexican artist (1907-1954) who lived a very dramatic life because of an accident she suffered in her youth. Death was always present in her thoughts and paintings, and this film illustrates the Mexican traditions she passionately embraced. 

VALOR CAT by Ben Reicher was the recipient of this year’s Ray Zone Award for Excellence in 3-DIY. Named for festival co-founder Ray “3-D” Zone, who passed away in 2012, the award celebrates what Zone described as “fiercely independent do-it-yourself 3-D filmmaking.” VALOR CAT is a seven and a half minute superhero musical/opera/comedy. Reicher is an animation student at the California Institute of The Arts, and is responsible for all visuals in the film. He also wrote the screenplay and lyrics, constructed all CGI sets and characters, and performs the voice of the main character. 

The Stereo Sisters Golden Mirror Awards for Excellence in Student 3-D were awarded to a stereo pair of students from University of Texas Austin's UT3D program. Brenda Szwejbka's fantastical music video LA DOULEUR EXQUISE explores the topic of unrequited love as experienced by a melancholy rabbit enamoured with a handsome fox. Set against a surreal backdrop comprised of everyday landscapes, but enhanced by abstracted perspectives, this delightful video features music also expertly written and performed by the filmmaker. Issac Cardenas's A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE utilizes 1st person POV, single take perspective to place audience members into the filmmaker's childhood environment. As we explore the private world of a child's backyard, we share memories of his deceased father, now played out as black and white ghosts punctuating an otherwise colorful and eclectic, although abandoned, workshop. Selected from a field of over a dozen entries by a jury of 3-D educators, these two pieces demonstrated superlative use of 3-D by enhancing the story through adding depth, and executing stereoscopic principles with technical precision & artistic merit. 

The LA 3-D Club in association with Unofficial Cardboard hosted an evening of virtual reality demos at the 12th Annual LA 3-D Movie Festival, featuring work from established studios and students. The presenters were Greg Katano from Unofficial Cardboard, Scott Conolly from The Astronauts Guild, Jonathan Yomayuza from Emblematic Group, Kevin Mack and Snow Mack from Shape Space VR, John Dewar from Studio Transcendent, Steve Berezin from Berezin Stereo Photography Products and Cameron Feather and Dainius Bukauskas from CalARTS. The presenters shared their inspiration and processes in the creation of the bodies of work they exhibited. The semi formal gathering gave attendees and presenters a chance to share information and get inspired for future projects. 

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS: 

3-D SPACE: The Center For Stereoscopic Photography, Art, Cinema, and Education is a Los Angeles based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the history of stereoscopic imaging and the advancement of current and future 3-D arts and sciences. 3-D SPACE has implemented an ongoing program of public presentations, classes and workshops in stereoscopic 3-D content creation, from 3-D photography and filmmaking to immersive virtual reality. www.3-DSPACE.org The LA 3-D Club was established in the Greater Los Angeles area in 1955 by a dedicated group of 3-D stereo photographers to further the art and science of stereoscopic photography. For six decades members have been meeting monthly to share images created through stereoscopic photography, computer generated imagery, and film and video. For more info, visit www.LA3DClub.com 

Stereo Sisters is a point of convergence for Women who work, live & love in 3D! Our focus is synergy among Women in 3D via mentorship, education & community. We are directors, stereographers, editors, producers, writers, photographers, and artists - and we welcome all women who have a passion for exploring this new dimension of entertainment! www.StereoSisters.com 

ABOUT THE VENUE 

The Downtown Independent Theater is downtown Los Angeles' premiere venue for screening independent film and video. The modern facility features 236 Stadium style seats including 16 reclining sofa seats, digital and 35mm projection, and a lobby art gallery. For more info, visit www.downtownindependent.com 

### For more info: www.LA3DFest.com or call 818-636-1311 

e-mail: Eric Kurland at 3D@LA3DFest.com

[stereosisters]

Congratulations to @StereoSisters3D @celine_tricart for her interview article featured on the cover of this month's issue of #StereoWorld Get it now! http://stereoworld.org/stereo-world-magazine/

[stereosisters]

Mr and Mrs 3-DIY @3_diy @jodikurland from @la3dspace #LA3DFest @Downtownindie