Venice Immersive turns ten with 68 XR projects and A-list talent
Venice Immersive turns ten this year — the Extended Reality competition that runs alongside the Venice Film Festival, and the first XR competition ever held at an A-list film festival when it launched in 2017.
Venice Immersive turns ten this year — the Extended Reality competition that runs alongside the Venice Film Festival, and the first XR competition ever held at an A-list film festival when it launched in 2017.
The 2026 edition runs through September 12 on Lazzaretto Vecchio island: 68 projects from 26 countries selected, 30 of them in competition. The attached talent now includes Margot Robbie, Mark Ruffalo, Daisy Ridley, Omar Sy, Andy Serkis, Isabelle Huppert and composer A.R. Rahman.
That is the signal worth reading. A decade ago, XR content lived at tech demos and gaming booths. Now it draws the same names that headline the main slate, competing for critical attention rather than novelty points.
When a century-old film festival and A-list talent both commit to a medium, the money and craft that follow raise the floor for everyone building in immersive — not just the projects with famous names attached.
