The Agora Talking Heads event “XR Unlocked: An Introduction to New Realities in Production” took place on Wednesday March 12th at Pavlos Zannas theater, as part of the Agora of the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. On the occasion of the new AGORA XR Lab initiative, launched this year at the Festival’s Agora, the discussion focused on the production of Extended Reality (XR) films.
Distinguished professionals from the audiovisual industry shared their experiences and insights on the transition from traditional storytelling to immersive experiences. At the same time, they explored emerging technologies and new narrative techniques, highlighting both the latest production challenges and the most recent distribution strategies that have been developed. The discussion featured Arnaud Colinart (Producer, ATLAS V), Kathrine Fremming (Head of Cultural Partnerships and Brand Innovation, Khora VR), and Konstantina Stavrianou (Producer, Graal), and was moderated by Vassiliki Khonsari (Creative Producer, Writer, and Founder of iNK Stories).
The event was prefaced by Angeliki Vergou, Head of Agora, who presented the panel and the moderator, and thanked EKOME-Creative Greece for supporting the discussion. She then gave the floor to Lazaros Boudakidis, Head of the Immersive: All Around Cinema Competition. Mr. Boudakidis gave a short presentation of the Immersive Competition, which was established as a competitive section in 2018. He also elaborated on the wide-ranging terminology of XR technology, explaining that XR is an umbrella term encompassing VR, AR, and MR. Finally, he referred to the new AGORA XR Lab initiative, launched during this year’s 27th edition, before handing over to moderator Vassiliki Khonsari.
“I’m truly excited to be here. I was recently watching an interview with Alfred Hitchcock, where he said: ‘In the future, we will have the ability to edit our memories’. I believe no medium has come closer to realizing that vision than XR. We are talking about an industry that is rapidly growing and projected to exceed 100 billion dollars in value by 2030. These new tools are reshaping human connection. XR technology has the power to anchor us in the present moment, creating worlds that feel both real and imaginary. Through this process, it unlocks the infinite human capacity for empathy and communication. These are new sparks, giving us brand-new ways to use existing media to tell stories. The incredible speakers next to me will share how we can harness this momentum to advance XR storytelling,” noted Ms. Khonsari.
Arnaud Colinart, producer at the French company ATLAS V, which specializes in immersive projects, began by emphasizing the importance of international co-productions: “We are at the dawn of a new era of co-productions. As a company, we focus on creating original stories, and we’ve had the chance to collaborate with a wide range of renowned actors, such as Colin Farrell, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, and Léa Seydoux, people it would have been much harder to approach within a more traditional filmmaking environment. To anyone wondering, ‘Why should I pursue a career in XR?’, my answer is that it offers absolute freedom. We would never have had the opportunity to work with such talented individuals otherwise. Innovation is a tough field to work in, but that’s the price of freedom,’ he noted.
He then referred to the production cycle and the constant risks that XR professionals are called to take, describing XR as “a blend of cinema and performing arts, an opportunity to share one’s vision.” He also emphasized the importance of his role as a mediator, as he conveys the director’s vision to a large team of developers, artists, and music and set designers: “Very often, people coming from the world of fiction filmmaking feel like they’re losing control because they are forced to work with such a large team,” he noted, while also stressing the importance of collaborating with directors who are open to new experiences.
At that point, Vassiliki Khonsari gave the floor to Kathrine Fremming, Head of Cultural Partnerships and Brand Innovation at Khora VR, based in Copenhagen: “We are a large team of diverse experts, producing various types of XR projects. We started in 2015, excited by the prospects of the XR experience, creating works that range from digital diseases to our galaxy and the urgent need to care for our planet. Immersive experiences take up a significant space in our world today, with most brands showing a tendency toward modernization and a desire to innovate in how they communicate and express their mission,” she initially stated.
She went on to discuss how interest has progressively shifted toward the need for a new digital spatial reality: “We are indeed witnessing a growing interest in immersive projects, while also observing a shift of focus from interactive documentaries to the field of video games. Funders now want to see interactive games. Although the industry is still relatively small, we are doing something truly fascinating: combining performing arts with technology. It seems that Europe is investing in new ways for people to come together in shared spaces, even if these are digital. As professionals, we are constantly adapting to this new digital ecosystem, investing countless working hours in exploring new ways of creating through AI. I believe that immersive experiences are showing us the way forward for the future of communication,” she concluded.
The moderator then gave the floor to Konstantina Stavrianou, producer at Graal: “Thank you for including me in today’s panel. I’m new to the world of XR. I founded my company 25 years ago and have produced more than 70 film projects, but I only recently experienced XR from a producer’s perspective. Two years ago, I was captivated by Yolanda Markopoulou’s presentation of Paradise Lost. At first, I had absolutely no involvement in the production. Gradually, as I learned more about what she was creating, I was deeply moved by the personal story she was telling through the project, and I decided to get involved as a producer. I started spending a lot of time exploring XR storytelling, which was completely new to me, and I was fascinated. I knew from the start that funding would be extremely difficult, as there is absolutely no solid infrastructure for XR production financing. I reached out to many friends, acquaintances, and collaborators from the film industry, but they all refused to support the project, it was too new and too strange for their taste. Thankfully, we managed to secure the funding needed for the project to begin its journey into the world. The funding landscape for XR projects in Greece is still in its infancy. There is hardly any support for such productions. To be honest, this difficulty is widespread across the film industry in general. Personally, I remain optimistic and believe that where there’s a will, there’s a way. I truly think that XR can have a bright future in Greece,” she concluded.
When asked by Ms. Khonsari which artistic fields offer the best foundation for professionals wishing to transition into XR, Arnaud Colinart pointed to animation professionals, while Kathrine Fremming highlighted theater artists, who are already accustomed to working with interaction, a view that Konstantina Stavrianou also agreed with. Arnaud Colinart then advised those interested in XR to hold on to the aspects of their personality that will help them thrive and make their voice stand out. For her part, Konstantina Stavrianou emphasized the importance of thoroughly researching what already exists in the XR field, while Kathrine Fremming added: “Try to find the right medium to tell your story, and not the other way around.”
When asked by the audience whether XR will make cinema obsolete, Konstantina Stavrianou expressed her certainty that this will not happen, as the two mediums will find a way to coexist. Concluding the discussion, Vassiliki Khonsari remarked that the XR community is small and approachable, allowing people to meet others who are willing to help and share valuable advice. She expressed her conviction that, while we are indeed moving toward a new spatial reality, cinema will continue to flourish and evolve.
