DomeFest Returns to New Mexico (9/25-27)

DomeFest Returns to New Mexico this Fall

ALBUQUERQUE -- DomeFest 2009, the global festival for fulldome, runs September 25-27 with its 2009 program of artistic and technological innovations for large-format, immersive digital dome theaters -- “fulldome.”

After sold-out shows during DomeFest 2008 when it premiered in Chicago during the International Planetarium Society’s biannual conference, in its sixth year, DomeFest returns to New Mexico with a program that celebrates the medium’s past, exciting new works and bright future.

“With all the major Hollywood studios now producing 3D content, continued improvements in processing power and projection capabilities the fulldome medium is reaching critical mass,” says DomeFest founder David Beining. “This year’s DomeFest will really define where we are now and the promise of the future.”

The 2009 festival includes Friday’s “Real-Time Rodeo” and the US Premiere of “DomeFest Retro5pective,” including some of the “best of” and audience favorites from previous DomeFest juried shows, Saturday’s global premiere of the DomeFest 2009 juried show and coveted “Domie” awards, and a special Sunday night performance of J-Walt’s new 3D “Omnicentric Universe” for DomeFest Plus attendees. Each day includes several other premieres and much unique content. Main shows and making of talks will be held at the NM Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS), Technical talks, discussions and Small Dome presentations will be held at UNM’s ARTS Lab.

The tentative schedule for DomeFest 2009 includes the following:

Friday, September 25:

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Making Of Talks; Shorts & Real-Time (NMMNHS)

1:30 - 4:30 PM

Small Domes, Talks and Technology Demonstrations (ARTS Lab)

6:00 - 10:00 PM

DomeFest Retro5pective; Real-Time Rodeo (NMMNHS)

Saturday, September 26:

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Making Of Talks; Shorts & Real-Time (NMMNHS)

1:30 - 4:30 PM

Small Domes, Talks and Technology Demonstrations (ARTS Lab)

6:00 - 10:00 PM

Juried Show & Domie Award Presentations (NMMNHS)

Sunday, September 27:

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Making Of Talks; Shorts & Real-Time (NMMNHS)

1:30 - 4:30 PM

Small Domes, Talks and Technology Demonstrations (ARTS Lab)

6:00 - 10:00 PM

“The Omnicentric Universe” J. Walt 3D Performance* (NMMNHS)


The festival is produced by the University of New Mexico’s ARTS Lab with support from Sky-Skan, Inc., the City of Albuquerque, IMERSA, Elumenati, Global Immersion, and others.

For those submitting work, submission details are at the domefest site. Deadline is August 21st. Another great world-class jury will be selecting pieces for the show on September 9th.

More information on the festival, including program details, registration, submission applications, sponsorship opportunities and more is available at www.domefest.org

WHEN: September 25-27, 2009

WHERE: NM Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS)

UNM ARTS Lab

COST: $175 DomeFest (Standard)

$195 DomeFest Plus (includes special J-Walt Show Sunday Night)

REGISTER: http://www.domefest.org

More information on public showings and performances will be posted soon.

DomeFest 2008 Comes Home: October 14th

The ARTS Lab produced juried show for fulldome work premiered to capacity crowds at Chicago's famed Adler Planetarium -- and has since been seen in cities around the world.

We're proud to share DomeFest with our friends at home, with the support of the City of Albuquerque and in association with Motion08 with public showings at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM; $10 suggested donation.
More info at: http://domefest.org/

What: DomeFest 2008
When: Tuesday, October 14th at 6:30 and 8:30 PM
Cost: $10 Suggested Donation
Where: NM Museum of Natural History and Science
1801 Mountain Road, NW
See Map Here

More DomeFest: NM Business Weekly Coverage

From the NM Business Weekly:
Peripheral Vision
New Mexico Business Weekly - by Megan Kamerick NMBW Staff

DomeFest, Albuquerque's homegrown digital media festival for full-dome theaters, has made its first debut outside its native soil.

The festival usually premiers in Albuquerque before hitting various venues around the world. But this year it premiered in Chicago at the nation's oldest planetarium, the Adler, following a July 3 meeting of the International Planetarium Society.

The timing seems just right for the festival to hit a bigger and more influential audience. DomeFest, the only worldwide festival devoted to content produced for full-dome (curved overhead screen) theaters, received a record 40 entries this year from all over the world. By tying the showcase to the biannual IPS conference, it has raised its profile significantly among the people looking for the content DomeFest provides: the 700-plus members of IPS from 35 countries around the world.

DomeFest and the related full dome summit packed the 270-seat Adler Planetarium for hours, said Hue Walker Bumgarner-Kirby, multimedia development specialist with the ARTS Lab at the University of New Mexico. The festival's jury selected 13 pieces for the final program and two alternates.

David Beining, founder of DomeFest, which is housed at the ARTS Lab, said the contacts he made in Chicago are already taking hold.

The DomeFest program is showing the week of July 5 in Germany, and it will show in at least two venues in the United Kingdom and in Montreal...

DomeFest 2008 will show in New Mexico on Oct. 14 as part of Motion08, an animation and digital media conference.

Visit the full article here: http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2008/07/14/story1.html?ana=e_ph

DomeFest 2008 Update: Playing Next in Hamburg

DomeFest 2008 continues to spread its wings. After selling out the fulldome conference sessions (held in association with the International Planetarium Society's biannual conference in Chicago), DomeFest 2008 played to overflow crowds at the famed Adler Planetarium.

Winners include both established names and some newcomers -- including the Best of Fest prize, which went to a student production (that's truly awesome, btw). More on all of that later.

For now though, if you're on the other side of the Atlantic this coming week (or have friends who are), the digital media festival bitfilm 08, will be having its closing events in Hamburg, including the EU premiere of DomeFest 08 at the Planetarium Hamburg on July 10th and 11th.

Thursday, July 10
6pm: Machinima
7pm: 3D Space 1
8pm: 360° - Domefest nominees
9pm: Best of 360°
10pm: FX Mix 1
11pm: Realtime

Friday, July 11
6pm: Flash
7pm: 3D Space 2
8pm: FX Mix 2
9pm: 360° - Domefest nominees
10pm: Best of 360°
11pm: 360° - Alien Action
12pm: Stuttgart Tricks - Highlights from the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film

More info available at bitfilm 08.