The annual Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Congress 2020 will be hosted in a new virtual world this October.
Participating delegates will be loaned a VR headset or provided access to a desktop app which allows their avatar entry into the NEWF Congress.
“NEWF is known for the sense of community felt at the Congress and so we chose not to offer an online platform and decided to host NEWF2020 in a virtual world,” says Pragna Parsotam-Kok, Executive Director, NEWF Congress.
“We are using Social VR which allows the avatars of delegates to literally attend in various locations - for example, networking will take place at a watering hole; the panel discussions will be at an outdoor amphitheatre in a forest.
“Film screenings will be held in a cinema, with glass windows through which you can see the starry night sky and we are honoured to host the National Geographic Photo Ark exhibition in an underground cave.
“We have been working with great developers at Habitat XR who have designed and created an array of lifelike “worlds” for our avatars to inhabit.”
NEWF is the only platform in Africa aimed at bringing together nature, environment and wildlife filmmakers, scientists, conservationists and broadcast media to engage, contribute and connect whilst creating a path to conservation through film - amplifying the challenges faced by the natural world and driving solutions through impactful creative science communication.
NEWF2020 - Community Re-Imagined from NEWF on Vimeo.
Through an integrated slate of programmes, NEWF is inspiring and incubating emerging science, nature, wildlife and conservation storytellers in digital media in Africa.
Dedicated to discovering the next generation of filmmakers, the N.E.W pitch competition will once again be held at NEWF2020 where five young film-makers will each win R 50 000 to produce a short film.
NEWF Film Festival with broadcast on People’s Weather (DSTV channel 108), Africa's first and only free 24/7 weather, environmental news and lifestyle channel during the week of #NEWF2020.
#NEWF2020 will take place from Sunday, October 25 till Friday, October 30.
Click here for more information.