Chinese VR Film Wins Venice Immersive Grand Prize
A Chinese virtual reality short film took the top honor in the immersive section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which closed Saturday on the Lido in Venice, Italy. The film, titled Ge Huan (the “Pigeon Ring”), won the Venice Immersive Grand Prize, the highest award in the festival’s immersive competition, according to Xinhua News.
Directed by Zhang Yuqi and Tao Shixin, Pigeon Ring follows a grandparent and grandchild as they search together for a lost pigeon ring. The film explores themes of memory and family affection within the setting of an ordinary Chinese household.
A Story That Crosses Borders
The film’s appeal, according to the section’s curators, lies in its emotional directness. Michel Reilhac, co-curator of Venice Immersive, said that although Pigeon Ring focuses on the “small” story of an ordinary family, it carries an emotional force that transcends cultural differences — one that international audiences can understand and connect with.
Reilhac also pointed to China’s broader technological advances, noting that recent progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital technology has helped Chinese creators produce increasingly sophisticated and finely crafted VR works, VRAR World reported.
Co-curator Liz Rosenthal singled out the film’s use of Gaussian Splatting technology, a technique for reconstructing three-dimensional scenes, saying it delivered a genuinely new immersive experience for viewers.
A Festival Defined by a Strong Year
The 83rd edition opened on September 2 and ran through September 12, spanning the main competition, Orizzonti, and Venice Immersive, among other sections. The main competition awards were announced at Friday evening’s closing ceremony.
Denmark’s May Tuki took the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize, for The Stranger. South Korean director Lee Chang-dong won the Grand Jury Prize for Possible Love, presented by Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, who served on the main competition jury. Ilya Khrzhanovsky was named Best Director for Lev Landau, while Mathilde Acel won Best Actress for The Stranger and John Malkovich took Best Actor for Mustang No. 9.
The Special Jury Prize went to NAZA, an Israeli documentary that interviews Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers and alleges Israel carried out what it describes as “industrialized slaughter” in the Gaza Strip. The film reportedly received a 25-minute standing ovation after its September 10 screening.
A Growing Chinese Presence
Venice Immersive has been an official section of the festival since it was established in 2016 and is described as one of the largest events of its kind globally. Chinese immersive works have appeared at Venice with increasing frequency in recent years, including MULAN2125, selected for the immersive competition at the 82nd edition, and Yingzao Huiyin, a VR work about the architect Lin Huiyin.
Beyond Pigeon Ring, several works by young Chinese artists were shown in this year’s immersive section, reflecting new explorations in storytelling and technology application.
The prize adds to the film’s momentum at the festival: Pigeon Ring had already drawn crowds of international viewers eager to try the experience at the immersive exhibition area near the Lido in the days before the closing ceremony.
What’s Next
The award marks another step in the international recognition of Chinese VR filmmaking, a field that Chinese creators and curators alike frame as increasingly competitive on the world stage. As immersive media continues to gain prominence at major festivals, works like Pigeon Ring — built around intimate, culturally specific stories — offer a template for reaching global audiences through technological craft and emotional resonance.