Cinema enters a new age of immersive filmmaking
- Chris McMillan
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
Xinhua
23rd May 2026
Cinema enters a new age of immersive filmmaking
With a virtual reality headset strapped over her eyes, a 9-year-old girl surnamed Zhao stepped into a shimmering cinematic world, where she moved her small hands with purpose through the air as she learned sign language to help a character in an animated VR film.
In similar immersive experiences, audiences are no longer mere viewers but active participants. As more people flock to VR films, drawn by blockbuster intellectual properties or the promise of unique experiences, VR cinema is emerging as a new frontier in storytelling.
"The interactive and immersive experiences really captivated her," said the girl's father, Zhao Tianyi. "She loves the immersive section so much that she has come back for three years in a row, and now she even skips lunch."

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