Immigration Stories in Full Frame: A National, Crowdsourced, VR Filmmaking Collaborative

15 partners around the U.S are participating in the 2018 Immigration in Full Frame collaborative storytelling project

15 partners around the U.S are participating in the 2018 Immigration in Full Frame collaborative storytelling project

A national VR filmmaking collaborative project on the American diaspora and immigration to the U.S from 1620 to 2018.

A project of Brookline Interactive Group & the Public VR Lab

The Public VR Lab has launched the first national collaboration project around 360 filmmaking, immersive journalism, and community storytelling.

Project Description: With fourteen participant grantees from Alaska to Philadelphia, we’ve gathered a cohort of filmmakers, activists, storytellers, journalists, librarians, and community media arts organizations to work together over the next ten months to create the largest collaborative, immersive experience of immigration stories in 360/VR, stories collected from immigrant families arriving in 1620 to present-day America.

These stories will be gathered locally and distributed worldwide. This immersive storytelling project demonstrates the broad diversity and beauty of American immigration, the ways we might re-imagine migration, and outlines a visual narrative of where and how Americans came together.

We’ll also discuss the importance of when immigrants came to America, to show the inequity of American public policy over 400 years of immigration and how that has impacted each generation of immigrants differently. Along with a companion app, educational curriculum, and online content in WebVR, this innovative project scope will demonstrate the nuances of the American diaspora and provoke thought and dialogue about current immigration policies.

We have partnered with a number of complimentary immigration projects across the country and would love to connect with film festivals, other projects, and communities who value the careful collection and impactful distribution of these stories.

Please contact our program manager, Erin Kinney, erin [at] brooklineinteractive.org if you’d like to learn more about contributing stories, partnering or funding this project.

Check back soon for our project website, grantee bios, and an interactive map of where our immigration partner organizations are based!

Please note: 360 filmmaking training will be held on both east and west coasts in February in Philadelphia and in Portland, OR in March of 2018. Both trainings are open to the public and available for a low-cost registration fee.