Fulldome Film Festival Takes Viewers on Immersive Journey

Viewers were immersed in nine short films from Oct. 3 to 6 during the inaugural fulldome film festival in the HP Digitarium at the Pierce Planetarium.

Real Imagined: A Festival of Short Fulldome Films wasn’t just a first for Highland Park High School. As far as the team at the Moody Innovation Institute knows, it was the first of its kind to be held at any high school in the world, the institute’s executive director Geoffrey Orsak said.

Films were projected onto the digitarium’s entire dome, creating the illusion that viewers were flying through the air, moving through shades and geometric figures, or becoming part of a world of dreams.

The films were divided into two groups, those inspired by the past and by the future. Though they ranged in length from just four to 10 minutes, they were visually intense with powerful messaging. One dealt with the ongoing transformation of energy and nature, while another gave a bird’s-eye view of exhausted and exploited landscapes during migration.

The event also featured performances of poetry and music, including readings by Dallas Poet Laureate Mag Gabbert, Youth Poet Laureate Naisha Randhar, and Lisa Huffaker, as well as music from clarinetist Benjamin Baldwin and HPHS ensemble Saturn Factory. 

Showings on Oct. 3 and 4 were reserved for students at Highland Park High School, which added an additional screening due to demand. The event was open to the public on Oct. 5 and 6.

“It’s great to experience seeing artistic films here in our digitarium,” said Alita Conoley-Wurzbach, who brought her two sons to the festival Saturday afternoon. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for kids in the community to come out and experience this.”

The event was presented by the HP Digitarium at Pierce Planetarium and the team at the Moody Innovation Institute, with support from La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas and HP Arts. The program was introduced by Glenys Quick, HP’s digitarium specialist and main groups lead, who worked prior to the event to become a self-taught film festival expert.

Orsak said the high school may have events involving the fast-moving art form in future years. He said the films exposed audiences to types of expression they don’t typically see, and viewers left still processing the experience.

“I hope they walk away with a little bit of wonderment,” Orsak said. “And a few ideas that are powerful.”