Istanbul Cinema Office — Open Academy | June 6, 2026
As part of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Istanbul Cinema Office's Open Academy program, I held an event titled "Beyond the Frame: The New Reality of Cinema: Virtual Reality (VR) and the New Cinema Experience" on Saturday evening, June 6, 2026.
In the first part of the event, we discussed with the participants what changes when cinema steps outside the rectangular framework it has existed within for over a century. We explored a wide range of topics, from the distinction between 360-degree video and interactive VR, to how the viewer transforms from a mere "spectator" into a participant positioned within the experience; from the sense of presence to the new responsibilities that constructing a narrative in VR places on the director. Using examples from my doctoral research and my work on VR film, we discussed where this new form of expression diverges from, and where it continues to engage with, traditional film language.
The second part of the evening was hands-on at the Mini Cinema. Participants experienced selected works firsthand using VR headsets; since the image from the headset was simultaneously projected onto the screen, those in the audience could follow the gaze of the person experiencing the film. The juxtaposition of the viewer looking at the screen in the cinema hall and the viewer choosing their own viewing direction inside the headset created a moment that concretized many of the concepts we discussed in the talk.
I would like to thank all the participants who enriched the discussion with their questions, objections, and curiosity; and the Istanbul Cinema Office and the IMM Culture team for hosting this meeting.
