NEW YORK – The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced plans that select programming from the 19th annual Festival will be presented online.
Tribeca is dedicated to supporting filmmakers, creators, and artists that breathe life into the Festival, the New York community, and the industry. It is excited to bring new work from incredible storytellers to an audience eager to connect with their stories. Since its inception, Tribeca has pushed the boundaries of storytelling and innovative ways to connect with audiences. This online program is the latest iteration of that commitment.
Among the films that debuted in this festival is Lutaw VR, a Philippine-based story that highlights the students that swim between the small islands in order to travel to the nearest elementary or high schools in their remote areas. It follows young Geramy, a scrappy, budding inventor, who is trying to find a better way to commute to school with her rambunctious little brother, Isko.
The 3D animated virtual reality project is made possible by the partnership between Oculus VR for Good program and the Filipino non-profit named Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.
A note from Jay Jaboneta, the founder of The Yellow Boat of Hope:
“In the Philippines, children face difficult challenges just to be able to go to school. Some children even have to swim to school with their school bags and uniforms getting wet in the process. And some of them don’t have even the option to swim as they live in remote areas or far-flung islands or they are forced to work to help their families survive.
The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation started when we found out there are children in the south of the Philippines who have to swim to school. We got inspired by the concept of the yellow school bus and applied it to water. Thus, the yellow (school) boat was born. But we didn’t stop there, we are now building classrooms and schools, dormitories that serve as half-way houses, childcare facilities and other structures to ensure no child is left behind.
The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation works to improve children’s access to education and make it easier for them to go to school and stay in school.”
Through the remote Tribeca360 program, the project was viewed free of charge from April 17th – 25th via Oculus TV for both Oculus Go and Oculus Quest headsets.
