For its second edition, which will take place from 12 to 14 May in the NEXT pavilion of the Cannes Film Festival, the Beyond Cinema: the Swiss Digital Revolution event (supported by Pro Helvetia) will provide an opportunity for the many professionals at Cannes to enjoy the best that Swiss virtual reality has to offer. This is concentrated in three revolutionary projects famous the world over: Birdly, Real Virtuality and Spatial Stories, which were selected by the Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans, a trailblazing festival when it comes to new media, and by the Swiss Digital Alliance.

The lucky professionals bold enough to venture into the fantastical world of virtual reality will have the opportunity to spread their wings on the impressive flight simulator Birdly by Zurich-based start-up Somniacs, test visionary device Real Virtuality by Genevan company Artanim, which combines a 3D setting (that can be viewed using a virtual reality headset) with real-life trimmings to allow the user to see their own body, interact with objects and physically move around the virtual world, or explore the incredible Spatial Stories platform by Genevan company apelab, which, using a complex system of action triggers to animate people and objects as they become aware of the presence of the user.

The new addition to this year’s edition is the match-making service (which ranges from taking appointments to creating communication supports), supported by Engagement Migros, which allows companies at Cannes to meet potential clients or investors from all over the world.