Cyber Shorts: A VR Film Festival Coming June 6th
The Cyber Shorts: A VR Film Festival is a short film festival organized and programmed by the volunteer staff of Rise Up Daily and is open to the public. The festival programming will include two hours of short films, all 15 minutes or less, followed by one hour of a filmmaker Q&A. Awards will also be given in three categories: Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
The jury consists of: Kelly Schwarze, an Emmy ® Nominated film director and producer; Kristy Strouse, a contributor and Operations Manager for Film Inquiry; and Blake Collier, a freelance film critic and editor.
Save the date! We hope you'll join us on Saturday, June 6 at Noon Pacific for the inaugural Cyber Shorts indie film festival hosted on @AltspaceVR. More details coming soon! https://t.co/5tlKTLPsAe
— Cyber Shorts: A VR Film Festival (@CyberShorts) May 1, 2020
The Cyber Shorts: A VR Film Festival came into being during the COVID-19 pandemic, days after the Festival Directors Darryl A. Armstrong and Shahab Zargari facilitated a successful AltspaceVR event for novelist Matt Ruff.
The submission deadline has now passed and the selection committee is busy viewing the short films that will be sent to the jury and make it into the program on June 6th.
Cyber Shorts is sponsored by Compendia Pictures (www.compendiapictures.com), and organized and programmed by the volunteer staff of Rise Up Daily (www.riseupdaily.com).
More info: Cybershorts
MORE CULTURE:
VIM: You’ve worn many hats as a model, actor, director, podcaster, and photographer. What has driven you to pursue such a wide variety of creative roles?
Ali The Gran Finali: Probably my ADHD. JK. Like most artists/creatives, it is something we start as a child. Being creative is in our blood. There is no life without creating.
VIM: Can you share how your journey in the entertainment industry began? Was there a pivotal moment that inspired you to dive into multiple creative outlets?
Ali The Gran Finali: My journey began when I decided to leave active duty in 2021. My mom thought I was crazy to leave the military during the COVID shutdown, but I could not be swayed from my decision. I was ready to pursue the life child me always wanted. As to what inspired me to dive into so many multiple creative outlets is the fact that it takes a while to build any stability in one creative field. So, to keep the creative juices flowing you pivot a little but stay in the field of creating.
VIM: What role do you feel most at home in—model, actor, director, podcaster, or photographer? Or is there a way they all complement each other for you?
Ali The Gran Finali: They all compliment each other. Acting came first as a kid who took drama classes and participated in local theater. But once I left for college that was all put away to pursue“adulthood.” Modeling came when I moved to Las Vegas and after COVID. Modeling helped me feel at ease in front of the camera. Then acting came back into my life, which helped me be a director because I understood what it takes to be on both sides of the camera at that point. Being a photographer helps me visualize shots, composition, and lighting which is helpful with filmmaking. Podcasting helps me be social and provides a way to build community. It also helps me network and find other creatives andfilmmakers to work with and make cool projects.
VIM: As someone with such a varied career, how do you balance all these creative pursuits? Do you find it challenging to switch from one to the other?
Ali The Gran Finali: I find it easy to switch from one to the other since they are all creative pursuits. I’d say juggling them all is more of a challenge.
VIM: You’re launching a film festival this fall—what inspired you to create this event, and what do you hope to bring to the Las Vegas arts scene?
Ali The Gran Finali: This is our second year running. We launched in 2024. We were inspired by the active indie film community here in Las Vegas. Our mission is to educate and elevate so we provide workshops and meetups to support our fellow filmmakers and provide more opportunities for their work to be screened in theaters.
VIM: What kind of films are you most excited to showcase at the festival? Will there be a particular focus on certain genres or themes?
Ali The Gran Finali: We really enjoy highlighting our local Las Vegas filmmakers and student filmmakers. We also have a filmmaker’s challenge wherein teams compete to make a film in 48 hours.
The challenge lets those who are curious about filmmaking get to try it out and see their work in a theater.
VIM: As a filmmaker yourself, how does being a creator inform your vision for the festival? Are you hoping to highlight new voices or innovative storytelling?
Ali The Gran Finali: As a creator, it is always a dream come true to see your vision come to life. I hope by providing these opportunities through our film festival, more people are inspired to make films and bring more stories to the forefront of our world. There are so many creative and talented people in this world that just need a chance to try and be seen.
VIM: What do you think is the most exciting thing about short films compared to feature-length films?
Ali The Gran FInali: Short films manage to tell interesting parts of a larger story in a concise way. You get snapshots with short films while full features take you on longer journeys. They each have their pros and cons.
VIM: How do you envision the festival evolving in the coming years? What are some of your long-term goals for it?
Ali The Gran Finali: One of our long-term goals is to become an Oscar qualifying film festival. We would love to bring speakers and top industry professionals to our events to help educate and elevate our filmmaker community.