FIVARS – About the Festival

The Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories is the world’s premier dedicated hybrid immersive story arts festival, launched in 2015 and now in its 12th year.

The Festival of International Virtual and Augmented Reality Stories focuses on curating the best immersive story-driven content from around the world with the aim of exploring and nurturing this platform for new narrative forms. FIVARS was the first Canadian festival of its kind, featuring many world premieres and content creators who have gone on to win awards from the Lumieres, Emmys, and Oscars.

What is “immersive content?” Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, dome projection, immersive interactive installations (where possible), 360/spherical video, interactive projection mapping, ambisonic audio, and other new innovations.

In 2020 FIVARS turned into a 3D WebXR world that hosted 35 experiences from over 15 countries, of which more than 50 percent were female directors. Qatar, Spain, France, Korea, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Lebanon were all represented.
In 2021 FIVARS launched its first in-person event in West Hollywood, California.
In 2022 FIVARS was nominated for Event of the Year at the Poly Awards.

In 2025 FIVARS returned to Toronto June 25–26, 2025 at OCAD University, taking place alongside the VRTO Spatial Media World Conference under the same roof for the first time in 11 years. The festival continues its hybrid format with both in-person installations and an expanded online catalogue accessible worldwide.

Listen to the Voices of VR Podcast describing the rich, complex online world that FIVARS built to host premium-quality 4K, 360, stereoscopic, VR-supported content directly in the browser:
https://voicesofvr.com/957-how-fivars-festival-is-using-webxr-to-deliver-360-video/

And here is another episode where Kent explores with festival director Keram why festivals like this are important to independent creators:
https://voicesofvr.com/1271-indie-immersive-narratives-at-fivars-the-fragility-of-xr-creation-distribution-open-source-ecosystems/

FIVARS also hosts interactive PCVR, AR, and virtual dome experiences with in-person events in multiple cities, as well as live performances in VR and over the phone.
Learn more about FIVARS history and previous Award Winners at the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_International_Virtual_%26_Augmented_Reality_Stories

Awards & Prizes

FIVARS Awards Categories

People’s Choice

Best Passive Immersive Experience

Best Interactive Immersive Experience

Impact Award
Excellence in Visual Design
Excellence in Sound Design
Excellence in Experience Design
Technical Achievement Award
Outstanding Performance
Grand Jury Prize

Check out past award winners at Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_International_Virtual_%26_Augmented_Reality_Stories

Rules & Terms

FIVARS 2026 – Submission Rules and Terms

The Festival of International Virtual and Augmented Reality Stories curates immersive VR, MR, and AR story-driven works. When these General Rules conflict with the Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions supersede them.

GENERAL FESTIVAL RULES
CATEGORY RULES

Rules for All Categories
The submitter must have consent from all required parties before submitting a Story to FIVARS. Read the Terms and Conditions before submission. Only VR/MR/AR projects are reviewed for final acceptance. If your piece is unusual but relevant, contact submissions@fivars.net
.

Categories

Passive Immersive Playback
Fixed-duration video or application content, including 360/spherical video, where the user is a passive viewer.

Interactive Stories
VR/MR/AR works where the user affects sequence, environment, or point of view. Includes immersive theatre and location-based content.

AWARDS

People’s Choice Award – Spherical Video

People’s Choice Award – Interactive Narrative

Impact Award

Excellence in Visual Design

Excellence in Sound Design

Excellence in Experience Design

Technical Achievement Award

Outstanding Performance

Grand Jury Prize

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Register and pay the submission fee on FilmFreeway.

Provide a digital submission link to submissions@fivars.net
(backup: fivarstories@gmail.com
). Preferred delivery is Google Drive or any non-expiring link.

FIVARS does not accept physical media.

Submission Requirements

Only one version of the Story will be reviewed. Updated versions may be accepted with written approval.

Non-English Stories must include English subtitles.

The digital file must be labeled with title and runtime (RT0:00).

Email must include:

Subject: <title>, <length>, <production company>
Body:
Phone Number
Address
Director
Country of Production
Logline
Equirectangular Poster Link
Website
Social Media Links
Date of Completion
Premiere Status (Toronto / Ontario / Canada / World)
Distribution Channels
Attachments: Equirectangular poster (jpg/png), Standard poster (jpg/png)

Applicants must verify that their submission plays correctly. FIVARS does not confirm receipt and is not responsible for misdirected files. Late submissions may be accepted with an added fee.

SELECTION PROCESS

FIVARS considers all eligible submissions but is not obligated to select any. FIVARS may consider works submitted through any channel. All selection decisions are final and no feedback is required to be provided.

Applicants are responsible for providing working contact information.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
I. Application of These Terms

These Terms govern the submission of a Story to FIVARS for consideration for the 2026 Festival. This document takes precedence over any conflicting document.

II. Submission Agreement

The Applicant certifies they have all required permissions. FIVARS may reject any submission that fails to comply, without obligation to refund fees.

III. Submission Eligibility and Requirements

FIVARS prefers Canadian premieres but will consider Stories already premiered in Canada.

A Story is ineligible for awards if:
a) It was completed before July 2025.
b) It was previously submitted to FIVARS.

All Stories must be submitted digitally.

IV. Additional Requirements

Stories must be submitted according to these procedures. FIVARS may disqualify non-compliant submissions.

V. Intellectual Property, Legal Claims, Indemnities

Submitting parties warrant that the Story is original or fully cleared for all content it includes; does not violate rights; is not in litigation; and that they have authority to submit it.
Submitting parties agree to indemnify FIVARS.
FIVARS takes reasonable anti-piracy precautions but accepts no liability for unauthorized access.

PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY (2026)

Accepted platforms include:

Quest 3

Google Cardboard–compatible devices

WebXR

Apple Vision Pro (creators may need to supply hardware; if unsure, contact FIVARS before submitting)

VIII. OTHER

FIVARS may rule on cases not covered here. Submission constitutes agreement to all Terms and Conditions.

Festival information:
https://fivars.net

Submission questions: submissions@fivars.net
(backup: fivarstories@gmail.com
)
28 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Simeone Scaramozzino

    FIVARS holds holds a rare balance between innovation and intimacy — a space where technology becomes a language of empathy and human depth. The curation is intentional, the communication heartfelt, and the team fosters a genuine sense of community. Every detail reflects respect for both artists and audiences.
    FIVARS reminds us why we create: to connect, to reflect, and to expand what it means to be human through story.

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Yuichi Watanabe

    I’m very happy to have joined this film festival. I truly enjoyed the experience and look forward to participating again next time.

    August 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your kind review and being an important part of the festival and medium!

  • Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández

    It was our first foray into the indie festival world, and we discovered a truly enriching and unexpected surprise. A great team, with extraordinary work and dedication. Congratulations!

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your extraordinary work and for raising the bar. Your evangelism of what is possible with spatial media is essential

  • Pat Clark

    I had the privilege of presenting my work at FIVARS and it stood out for its support of diverse media, strong organization, and genuine respect for both artists and audiences. Their experience with Virtual and Augmented Reality was clear and they embraced all formats and platforms equally. I’d be thrilled to share my work with FIVARS again.

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks so much for your important work and for your kind comment. We love to show the work of innovators around the world, like you are doing.

  • Liminal Project

    I had the privilege of participating in FIVARS last year as a creator presenting my work. While I have only participated in a handful of festivals with work submitted, I'll tell you quite honestly that FIVARS set a bar for me regarding their acceptance of different forms of media, general organization, and treatment of both audience and artists. They knew what they were doing when it came to structuring a festival around many different formats of Virtual and Augmented Reality and there's little wonder, having done so for a decade! I felt as though my work was just as important as the other work being shown, regardless of the format it was in, the platform it was on, or how it was being presented. The FIVARS team was so open and accommodating to whatever it was that was required to best showcase the work and simply allowed the work to happen. No fuss. No muss. Not a single boundary was overstepped. I was extremely impressed and I hope that I'll be able to show my work again with FIVARS in the future!

    January 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for entrusting us to handle such a profound and artisanal work to our global audiences, and working tirelessly to ensure everyone had a frictionless experience.