For the ninth time, we invite you to take part in our international competition, which presents a selection of impressive 360° films. We push the boundaries of classic storytelling and offer you a visually captivating and experimental experience that you will remember for a long time. This year, we are swapping the familiar swivel chairs for comfortable cinema seats in our festival center, the former e-cinemas, while remaining true to our tried-and-tested concept: at the popular VR screenings, each audience member receives their own pair of glasses to experience the films together with the audience. Afterwards, everyone has the opportunity to vote for the best film, as the VR Storytelling Award remains a prize awarded by the audience.

All participants can vote for their favorites after each screening (with the exception of the screenings on Sunday at 5 and 9 p.m., when the award ceremony is already underway). The lucky winner will be the film that collects the most votes. The prize will then be awarded at the award ceremony, the closing event of the LICHTER Filmfest on Sunday, April 27, 2025. So it's worth being there!

Competing for the VR STORYTELLING AWARD 20205 is CALLS FROM HOME, a documentary about two music students who pursue their studies in tranquil Cologne while a devastating war of aggression rages in their home country. FUKUSHIMA NOW takes us through the contaminated exclusion zone surrounding the tragic reactor accident in Japan in spring 2011 and allows us to share the memories and thoughts of the former residents. SWEET END OF THE WORLD! reflects the dilemma of modern human existence with powerful imagery and mythological motifs, while LIMBOPHOBIA takes us on a virtual tour de force that pulls out all the stops.