Will there be any cinemas left by 2030?
How are we going to watch films in 2030? Will there be cinemas any more? The above are the questions we are asking this year at Tofifest. The reason being that there is a serious threat of virtual reality making all cinemas close down.
On Wednesday, the Festival Centre in Od Nowa became the place where the audience can see exhibition stands with the so-called video glasses, which are alternatively called Oculus, or Virtual Reality headsets. The exhibition is open to all – you do not need tickets to Tofifest to drop by and experience first hand the operation of a device that may bring down classic cinemas, in mere 15 years.
It is shocking to see the development of the technology behind the moving pictures we see on screen. Only a few years ago, tablets were considered luxurious, but today there are just "old gadgets". The market is under a massive invasion of the so-called "wearable" solutions, which make it possible for our clothes to connect with the Internet and keep us updated on everything. The other invading force is the Internet of Things. Our refrigerators will restock their supplies all by themselves, buying the things they need in on-line shops... This is our reality, which is far from being virtual.
However, regarding the methods of watching films, the greatest of the revolutions we are facing is the already mentioned video glasses. Now, why would they suck audiences out of cinemas, great multiplexes in particular? Because video glasses make us see a huge screen right in front of our eyes (it is only 5cm away from our face, after all), and headphones provide audio feed of the highest quality. So, we can sit down on a sofa at home, take popcorn out of the microwave, and watch... Why bother going out and spending money? Will this method overcome our need to sit together in a dark cinema room and taste cinema in the traditional way?
Who will triumph? We cannot say how we are going to watch films in 2030. Therefore, feel invited to come and experience the exhibition provided by BIVROST and CMOAR, at our Festival Centre. The partner companies of Tofifest have provided four exhibition stands for all interested people to dive deep into the world of virtual reality, for free. Will that be the reality of cinema in 2030?
Our pondering on the future of cinema comes to an end on Sunday afternoon. That day, we are going to show you the ground-breaking film technology from 33 years before, i.e. Tron (1982) directed by Steven Lisberger (USA, 96', at 4.00 p.m., Od Nowa club). The film will be followed by an open debate titled "How are we going to watch films in 2030?” with the following guests attending: Wieslaw Kot film critic), Maciej Zasada founder of Le Polish Bureau, which is a Polish branch of the UNIT9 interactive production company), Pawel Surgiel (founder and General Manager of Vizao – interactive multimedia), and Arkadiusz Tomiak (cinematographer).
Feel invited to visit the Big Stage at the Od Nowa club – admission is free.
We cannot escape the future.
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