The XR installation *VOOOOOO-- -PEEEEEE---〉) has been selected for the official competition section of the Immersive Competition at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious film and art festivals.

The Cannes International Film Festival’s Immersive Competition is an official competition section dedicated to showcasing VR, XR, interactive video, and immersive content based on extended reality. As a key program highlighting futuristic forms of expression in contemporary film and media art, it showcases works that expand the possibilities of storytelling through new technologies and sensory experiences. This year’s competition features innovative immersive works from around the world, and *VOOOOOO---PEEEEEE---* by directors Woo Hyun-joo and Park Ji-yoon has garnered international attention by becoming the first Korean work to be selected for the official competition.

*VOOOOOO---PEEEEEE---* is an XR installation first unveiled at a solo exhibition last November. By combining VR cinema with a pneumatic wearable interface, it delivers a multisensory XR experience that transmits the “sense of volume” expanding within the virtual space as actual pressure to the audience’s bodies. Through this work, the two directors explore the gap between the virtual volume created by technology and the human body’s sensory perceptions, which cannot be fully captured within it.

Directors Woo Hyun-joo and Park Ji-yoon shared their thoughts, saying, “The numerous conversations, advice, and the close attention and support we received along the way were a great source of strength in bringing this work to fruition,” adding, “We are grateful to everyone who watched over us and cared for us.” The two directors plan to attend the festival in Cannes, France, to introduce their work in person and share Ubox Studio’s future direction and portfolio through various international meetings.

Directors Woo Hyun-ju and Park Ji-yun have been exploring various visual languages—including XR content, interactive media, immersive video, and Expanded Cinema—since their days as students in the Department of Visual Design at Kookmin University. This selection for the official competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival is highly significant as it marks international recognition of the two directors’ creative capabilities in the field of next-generation immersive content.

The Department of Visual Design at Kookmin University’s College of Art continues to pursue educational and creative activities that encompass the diverse intersections of contemporary visual arts, including design, film, animation, documentary, XR, Expanded Cinema, and Immersive Media. Recently, the department has consistently showcased the achievements of its current students and alumni through film festivals and exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, the Immersive Competition section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, May 12, to Friday, May 22, at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France.