Bear Damen's short film Synthesize Me (prod. Couscous Films, sales: New Europe Film Sales) is part of the Narrative Short Competition presented by Vimeo. The story is set in April 1989, in a liminal town near Mexico City, where a young teenage girl accidentally causes a power outage while trying to reconnect with her deceased mother. SEE NL spoke to Bear Damen right before the festival, you can read the interview here.

Multiple Dutch immersive works made it to the selection of the festival in Austin. In the XR Experience Competition is Shelter* by Sjors Swierstra & Ivanna Khitsinska. The VR doc offers an intimate look at the war in Ukraine.

Five Dutch works are part of the XR Experience Spotlight:

• Anouschka (AR Mobile Game) by Tamara Shogaolu / prod. Ado Ato Pictures
• The Ancestors (interactive smartphone experience) by Steye Hallema / prod. The Smartphone Orchestra
• Future Botanica* (AR app) by Marcel van Brakel & Hazal Ertürkan
• Sweet! (AI installation) by Dropstuff
• The Art of Change by Simone Fougnier & Vincent Rooijers / min. co-prod.

Find out more about SXSW here.

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund