POP 02 SPEAKER SERIES - VIRTUALLY THERE: DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING IN VIRTUAL REALITY

In collaboration with THE VERGE. Supported by: Anne-Marie Canning In July, we are delving into the incredible power of VR to put people in other people's lives. And also the challenges and questions that come with that power. Storytellers are only beginning to explore the potential for virtual reality to put people inside other perspectives — and other lives. In our second POP, you'll get the chance to experience some of the best work that's been done to date, and also to question the limits of the technology and the ethical questions it raises. From escapist fun (take a drive around Mars! Wander an alien world!) to crushing and immersive VR documentaries to a one-of-a-kind room-scale augmented reality experience, you will leave this installation with some new views on things. ROSS MILLER CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING EDITOR, THE VERGE Ross Miller is a cofounder and Managing Editor of The Verge. For over a decade, he has covered technology, gaming, entertainment, and all aspects of modern storytelling. He has followed virtual reality since early 2012 when John Carmack showed him a very early Oculus Rift prototype. He honestly didn't get it at the time. He's also really bad at writing bios, especially in the third person. ADI ROBERTSON SENIOR REPORTER, THE VERGE Adi Robertson is a Senior Reporter for The Verge. She has followed virtual reality since the original Oculus Rift’s unveiling in 2012, and her work includes a definitive oral history of VR, along with coverage of the medium’s science, technology, and culture. Besides VR, she also writes about video games, biohacking, science fiction, policy, and gender. SPEAKERS PAUL RAPHAËL CO-FOUNDER/​CREATIVE DIRECTOR, FELIX & PAUL STUDIOS Paul is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Montreal. With a combined passion for cinematic storytelling, visual effects and technology, he teamed up with collaborator Félix Lajeunesse and created award-winning stereoscopic 3D films, multimedia installations and commercials presented across the world. The two directors founded Felix & Paul Studios, now recognized as a pioneer and key player in the fast-growing industry of virtual reality content. LISA JACKSON FILMMAKER Lisa Jackson comes from a documentary background and her work has played at festivals internationally — including the Berlinale, SXSW, London BFI, HotDocs, and Edinburgh — and been broadcast on CBC, CTV, TMN, Bravo!, Knowledge, SCN, and APTN. Jackson’s films have garnered numerous awards and in 2012 the ReelWorld Festival named her a Trailblazer. She is Anishinaabe, has a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University, has completed the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors’ Lab, and works in both fiction and documentary. She is the Director Mentor for the National Screen Institute's Aboriginal Documentary Training Program. ALEX WILLIAMS FILMMAKER Alex Williams is a Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist, working in documentary and narrative film, theatre, and still photography. His most recent film, The Pass System, is an investigative documentary into an illegal segregationist practice of the Canadian government that has played widely in festivals and communities across Canada, and was broadcast on CBC and APTN. Alex teaches video design at the National Theatre School of Canada, is a member of Canadian Actor’s Equity Association, the Documentary Organization of Canada. He is President of the artist-run centre Charles Street Video, and sits on the boards of Indigenous Theatre Company Article 11, and the Toronto Media Arts Centre (TMAC).