Venice Film Festival Embraces the Future with Immersive XR Storytelling on Haunted Island

The Venice Film Festival, renowned as the oldest film festival in the world, continues to solidify its reputation as a beacon of cinematic innovation. While the main festival venue hosts premieres like Guillermo del Toro’s lavish adaptation of *Frankenstein*—a tale of a scientist playing God with monstrous consequences—a quieter revolution is unfolding just behind it. On the small, ruined island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, the Venice Immersive section is redefining storytelling through extended reality (XR), offering a glimpse into the future of cinema. This year, 69 unique XR projects invite visitors to step into novels, nightclubs, and even outer space, blending technology with art in ways that both captivate and provoke. Lazzaretto Vecchio, now home to Venice Immersive since 2017, carries a storied and eerie history. Once a plague quarantine zone and later a storage facility, the island’s past is as haunting as the immersive experiences it now hosts. Jury president Eliza McNitt, who oversees this year’s XR lineup, recalls a moment during the island’s preparation when builders uncovered human bones in the ground, forcing a pause in work. “There’s something haunting about the fact that we come to the oldest film festival in the world to present this new form of cinema,” McNitt reflects. “We’re exploring the medium of the future, but we’re also in conversation with ghosts.” This juxtaposition of history and innovation is at the heart of Venice Immersive. The section, dedicated to showcasing and supporting XR storytelling, transforms the island into a playground for cutting-edge creativity. Visitors can engage with a diverse array of experiences, from spacious walk-through installations to intricate virtual worlds explored through headsets. These projects push the boundaries of traditional cinema, allowing audiences to not just watch a story but to live within it. Whether it’s stepping into the pages of a novel or dancing in a virtual nightclub, the immersive nature of XR offers a deeply personal and interactive form of entertainment. Yet, much like the story of *Frankenstein*—where a technological breakthrough leads to unforeseen consequences—XR storytelling is not without its detractors. At the premiere of del Toro’s film, a character decries the reanimation of a dead body as “an abomination, an obscenity,” a sentiment that echoes broader societal concerns about emerging technologies. McNitt acknowledges that immersive art often gets lumped together with artificial intelligence (AI) in the public consciousness, folded into fears of runaway technology that could consume or control us. “Immersive storytelling is a completely different conversation,” she insists, emphasizing the distinction between XR as a creative medium and the broader ethical debates surrounding AI. Still, the parallel to *Frankenstein* is hard to ignore. Just as Victor Frankenstein’s creation turned on its creator, there is an undercurrent of unease about where immersive technology might lead. Every technological breakthrough, as the festival subtly reminds us, opens a Pandora’s box. What crawls out—and where it chooses to go—remains uncertain. For now, however, Venice Immersive is focused on harnessing XR for artistic expression, offering a platform for creators to experiment with how stories can be told in three-dimensional, interactive spaces. The scale of this year’s lineup is a testament to the growing interest in XR as a medium. With 69 projects on display, the island buzzes with innovation, drawing festival-goers eager to experience the next frontier of cinema. These works range from expansive installations that visitors can physically walk through to virtual environments that require a headset to explore. Each piece challenges conventional notions of narrative, inviting participants to become active players in the story rather than passive observers. The setting of Lazzaretto Vecchio adds a layer of intrigue to the experience. Once a place of isolation and death during plague outbreaks, the island now teems with life and creativity. Yet, its past lingers in the air, a reminder of the fragility of human endeavors in the face of larger forces. McNitt’s observation about being “in conversation with ghosts” feels particularly apt here, as the festival bridges the ancient and the futuristic, the tangible and the virtual. Venice Immersive is more than just a showcase; it’s a statement about the direction of cinema. As traditional filmmaking continues to dominate the main festival, XR offers a parallel path—one that could redefine how we engage with stories in the decades to come. The technology allows for unprecedented immersion, letting users meet their descendants, encounter their future selves, or explore alien worlds. It’s a medium that doesn’t just tell a story but builds a world around the viewer, making them a part of it. However, the road ahead for XR storytelling is not without challenges. Public perception, often colored by broader anxieties about technology, remains a hurdle. The association with AI and other disruptive innovations means that immersive art must continually prove its value as a distinct and meaningful form of expression. McNitt and her fellow creators are aware of these concerns, yet they remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what cinema can be. As the Venice Film Festival continues to honor its legacy as a pioneer in the cinematic arts, Venice Immersive stands as a bold experiment in storytelling. On the haunted grounds of Lazzaretto Vecchio, the ghosts of the past watch as the future unfolds. Whether XR will become a monster that turns on its creators or a transformative force for good remains to be seen. For now, it offers festival-goers a chance to step into the unknown, to experience stories in ways they never thought possible, and to witness the birth of a new era in cinema.