The Nantucket Film Festival was founded by brother and sister team Jill and Jonathan Burkhart in 1996. Nantucket’s virtual reality program was initially launched in 2016 in its Legacy Lounge, showcasing virtual reality demonstrations and experiences.
Nantucket Film Festival has become one of the premiere destination film festivals in the world. Visitors come from all over to experience our preview screenings, signature programs, and stand out hospitality on a magical island rich with history, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful sandy beaches.
Take a Peek at NFF’s ‘Enter the Story: Virtual Reality Experiences’
After unveiling our inaugural virtual reality demonstrations at the 21st NFF, we’ve continued exploring the frontier of storytelling every year. We’re proud to carry on this program in our Legacy Lounge in the Harborview Room each festival season, and aim to dazzle attendees with a showcase of new VR titles for years to come.
Program
12 SECONDS OF GUNFIRE: THE TRUE STORY OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING
Project Creators: Suzette Moyer, Seth Blanchard | Key Collaborators: The Washington Post, John Woodrow Cox, Wesley Allsbrook | USA / 2019 / 7 min / Animated
After a gunman shoots her best friend on the playground, a first-grade girl confronts a journey of trauma and loss after the Townville, South Carolina, school shooting.
ASHE ’68
Project Creators: Brad Lichtenstein | Key Collaborators: Beth Hubbard, Rex Miller, Jeff Fitzsimmons | USA / 2019 / 8 min / Documentary
Arthur Ashe emerged as an elite athlete who parlayed his fame as the first black man to win the US Open tennis championship into a lifetime devoted to fighting injustice.
THE ATOMIC TREE
Screenwriter: David Haskell | Project Creators: Adam Loften, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee | Narrated by: Peter Coyote | USA / 2019 / 10 min / Documentary
A journey into the memories of one of the most revered trees in the world—a 400-year-old Japanese white pine bonsai that witnessed, and survived, the atomic blast in Hiroshima.
ELLO
Screenwriter/Project Creator: Haodan Su | Key Collaborators: Zhiyuan Ma | China / 2019 / 16 min / Animated
A sweet story about loneliness and friendship. When people expect friendship or love, proactively pursuing rather than passively waiting may lead to a surprising outcome.
GIRL ICON
Director: Sadah Espii Proctor | Key Collaborators: Skye Von, Espii Studios, little GIANT Wolf, Oculus VR For Good, Malala Fund, Milaan Foundation | USA / 2019 / 8 min / Documentary
Rani is determined to finish school and go to college. As we follow her, she gives us an intimate glimpse of her hopes, frustrations, and dreams.
GYMNASIA
Directors: Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski | Project Creator: Clyde Henry Productions | Key Collaborators: The National Film Board of Canada, Felix & Paul Studios | Canada / 2019 / 6 min / Narrative
Step into a dream, where the ghostly ephemera of a lost childhood await you.
INCITEMENT
Director/Screenwriter: Wiebe van den Ende | Netherlands / 2019 / 10 min / Narrative
Sara returns from working abroad to boyfriend Luis. When she reveals that she has to leave again, Luis gets a big confession off his chest… with a very peculiar motive.
TRAVELING WHILE BLACK
Director: Roger Ross Williams; Co-Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël, Ayesha Nadarajah | Key Collaborators: Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, Stéphane Rituit, Ryan Horrigan, Jihan Robinson | USA / 2018 / 20 min / Documentary
The Green Book was a survival guide that African American travelers relied on to avoid brutal discrimination. Experience the reality of race and restricted movement in America, and afterward connect in an intimate booth at Ben’s Chili Bowl, which entered The Green Book in 1958.
WATER MELTS
Project Creators: Lilian Mehrel, Mary Evangelista | Key Collaborator: Ting Liu | USA / 2019 / 18 min / Narrative
A blue-hearted rom-com about people who are going to lose someone they love. Nobody knows what to say, so they bicker, laugh/cry, and get married. It’s a romantic comedy, after all.