Crafting a Market for Independent Extended Reality (XR)

Quebec/Canada XR unveils the international study results of Crafting a Market for Independent Extended Reality (XR)

Montréal, Wednesday, May 25, 2022 – After an unveiling at SODEC's pavillon Québec créatif in the heart of the International Village of the Marché du Film of the Festival de Cannes, the Québec/Canada XR study Crafting a Market for Independent XR was officially launched during the NUMIX LAB at École NAD.

This in-depth study, written and led by Dr. Sandra Rodriguez, set out to interview key players from around the world involved in the production, distribution and curation of independent XR experiences. It aims to take a unique look at the current state of the XR ecosystem. As a result, the study provides an up-to-date portrait of trends, emerging business models, distribution challenges, and opportunities for independent XR productions.

“The respondents we have met in the context of this study noted the considerable adaptations they have had to sustain to align with new distribution and circulation opportunities, and they share an optimistic vision for what they feel are the new doors that are opening.”

- Sandra Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Author and Research Lead of the study
XR/AI Director and Producer, Sociologist of New Media Technology

The full study and key learnings are available on the independent-xr-market.org platform. Several articles will also provide food for thought in the coming weeks.

Throughout the past year, a series of quantitative market studies, nineteen interviews and two surveys of XR professionals in Québec, Canada and internationally were conducted primarily by Monique Simard, Chairwoman of the Boards — Québecor Fund and Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles.

Respondents included:

• Eddie Lou, Founder – Sandbox Immersive Festival, Sandman Studios (Beijing, China)

• Eleanor (Nell) Whitley, Executive Producer – Marshmallow Laser Feast (London, UK)

• Ingrid Kopp, Co-founder – Electric South (Cape Town, South Africa)

• Michel Reilhac, Co-curator – Venice VR, Head of Studies – Venice Biennale College Cinema and Cinema VR; Founder – MELANGE (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

• Ricardo Laganaro, XR Director – ARVORE (São Paulo, Brasil)

• Shari Frilot, Chief Curator – Sundance New Frontier (Park City, USA)

• Stéphane Rituit, Co-founder and CEO – Felix & Paul Studios (Montréal, Québec, Canada)

• Yelena Rachitsky, Executive Producer Media AR/VR – Meta [Oculus] (San Francisco, USA)

The Crafting a Market for Independent XR study is an initiative of Québec/Canada XR, in partnership with MUTEK, Xn Québec, PHI, Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC), and Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM). The project was made possible by the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the City of Montreal as part of their cultural funding agreement with the Government of Quebec. The production and translation of the executive summary of the study were made possible thanks to the financial support of the SODEC.

XR/AI Director and Producer, and Sociologist of New Media Technology Sandra Rodriguez, Ph. D. is the author and research lead of the study. The research team was composed of Monique Simard, Producer and Cultural Manager, Chairwoman of the Board — Québecor Fund, Chairwoman of the Board — Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles; Philippe Bédard, Ph. D., Project Lead — Québec/Canada XR; Coline Delbaere, Producer of Immersive Experiences and Touring Exhibitions — PHI, and Jesse Damiani, Founder — Postreality Labs.

About Sandra Rodriguez
Sandra Rodriguez is an award-winning director and producer of XR and AI content and a sociologist of new media technologies. Exploring new media forms for two decades, her work spans from film, interactive animation, webdocs, virtual and mixed reality, to now AI-led experiences, immersive theatre, and large-scale XR/AI exhibits. Her work has garnered multiple awards, including a Peabody, best immersive experience (IDFA DocLab 2016; Leipzig DokNeuland 2018, Numix 2018), best storytelling (UNVR and World Economic Forum tour 2018), and the first Golden Nica award given to a VR project at Ars Electronica (2019). She is a Sundance New Frontier Fellow and a Sundance Institute/MacArthur grantee, and has showcased independent XR experiences at SXSW, Sundance New Frontier, Tribeca, IDFA, Cannes, Rotterdam Film Festival, Busan and more.

About Québec/Canada XR
Launched in 2019 at Cannes XR, Québec/Canada XR is a think tank aiming to support and interconnect the institutions and various players active in the independent XR ecosystem, while also establishing connections with education, journalism, museums, and art and culture in general. Québec/Canada XR is an initiative of MUTEK, Xn Québec, PHI, Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC), and Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM). It was made possible by the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the City of Montreal as part of their cultural funding agreement with the Government of Quebec.