By: Robert Lovi By: Robert Lovi | January 18, 2023 | Culture, People, Entertainment,
O Cinema ushers in a new era by becoming a South Florida hub for the next generation of storytelling through virtual reality, mixed reality, and immersive experiences. The arthouse cinema pioneers creative, boundary-pushing forms of experiential art, such as "This is Not a Ceremony," which will be shown Saturdays and Sundays this winter at O Cinema's historic Art Deco location at 1130 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.
"This is Not a Ceremony" premiered to critical acclaim in 2022 at Sundance's New Frontier Fest. Guests use O Cinema VR headsets and immerse themselves in a stunning virtual reality cinematic experience created by Niitsitapi writer and director Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon). They become participants as they sit at the four corners of a medicine wheel and are transported to a realm of panoramic, absorbing experiences that include a fiery buffalo, tricksters, and other imagery from Van Loon's personal experiences of the darker side of indigenous life in Canada, such as the story of an indigenous elder who was left to die in a wheelchair in an ER waiting room.
The experience includes a VR headset for $5 on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at O Cinema South Beach; check the website for availability) and traveling as part of O Cinema on the Go. Throughout the winter, the VR installation travels to local libraries in Miami-Dade County for free showings, including:
Model City Branch Library Sat. 1/7/23, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
North Dade Regional Library Sat/ 1/28/23 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Westchester Regional Library Sat. 2/18/23 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Naranja Branch Library Sat. 3/18/23 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This initiative aligns with O Cinema's mission of making art available to a diverse audience in South Florida who would not otherwise be able to participate.
On the last Friday of each month, O Cinema hosts a global virtual reality event of curated shorts on AltSpace. Guests gather in the comfort of their own homes to watch short films curated in community in a virtual reality circus environment explicitly created for O Cinema by JC Fractal. Guests can participate using their own VR headsets or computers. The next free screening is on Jan. 20 at 8:00 p.m. It will feature Joel Richardson's dark and satirical short film "The Death & Mysteries of Raising Powerful Children." Tickets can be purchased by visiting the website.
Vivian Marthell is the director, creator, "protogeek," and VR evangelist at the helm of these efforts. She's invested in fostering creativity and community in Miami as the co-founder and director of O Cinema.
"I'm an early adopter and I've never been afraid to try new things, and I'm alright with saying 'Ok, that didn't work.' We've always been iterative, quirky, and edgy and I think that's why the community embraces us because Miami is definitely all of those things." She's excited about how VR can accelerate O Cinema's mission to bring art and film to diverse audiences," Marthell says.
She's excited about how virtual reality can help O Cinema's mission to bring art and film to a wider audience.
"Since the advent of digital tech, storytelling has become more available to more people and O Cinema is the home for that. Whether you are making or consuming stories, we want O Cinema to be the hub for how people in Miami participate in media. I think we have an important role to play in terms of making experiential and cinematic art accessible in South Florida, especially given how our independent cinema landscape has recently gotten even smaller," she continues.
Marthell takes the helm of O Cinema as co-founder Kareem Tabsch transitions to a full-time focus on film directing as part of the organization's exciting new direction. O Cinema was founded in 2008 by Tabsch and Marthell. They both developed their individual passions for storytelling through film while working on O Cinema. Tabsch most recently produced and directed the Emmy-nominated documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, which premiered at Sundance and is now available on Netflix. The New York Times named it one of the twenty most important Latinx films of the millennium. Tabsch decided to focus solely on filmmaking, but he remains involved with O Cinema as a member of its advisory committee.
"I speak for our team when I say how much Miami 'orgullo' we have for Kareem. We're so grateful for all that he's created with us at O Cinema and beyond in terms of storytelling, the arts, and film in South Florida. We're so excited about everything that's ahead for him on his new journey," Marthell adds.
Seasoned Actors, a quarterly tribute to a different actor, and Awake & Aware, a monthly brunch, film, and experience centered on wellness and spirituality, remain regular series at O Cinema. Tickets for Awake & Aware range from $20-$27 with brunch and $10-$12 without brunch.You can purchase tickets by clocking here.
Marthell has some exciting plans for O Cinema later this year, so stay tuned.
Photography by: Courtesy of O Cinema