Venice Immersive is back once more in Italy next week, highlighting nearly 70 XR projects from across the globe.

Running from August 27 until September 6, Venice Immersive is the XR segment for this year’s Venice International Film Festival. It’s an in-person event with a wide slate of different projects from 27 countries. 30 of these are in competition for three awards. 34 of these are being featured but remain out of competition, while Best of Worlds is showcasing 23 projects created in VRChat.

Much like 2023 and 2024, we’ll be attending once more for Venice Immersive 2025, so you can expect a full report, news stories, and individual hands-on impressions once the festival begins. So, what exactly is being shown this time around? You can find the full program here for more details.

Otherwise, here are seven XR projects currently at the top of our list to check out in alphabetical order.

Alien Perspective

Described as an exploration into never-before-seen work from acclaimed Italian special effects artist/technician Carlo Rambaldi, Alien Perspective is co-produced by his granddaughter Cristina Rambaldi and director Jung Ah Suh. This focuses on the painting Città Spaziale 2 through a fully immersive world, turning this artwork into a living environment.

Asteroid

Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Asteroid is an original 180° short film being developed for Google’s Android XR platform. A high-stakes action thriller, this story sees a group of strangers risk everything by flying an old Russian Soyuz rocket to mine a near-Earth asteroid for untold wealth. This brings you into the story after you receive an SOS from NFL player DK Metcalf (played by himself), someone left for dead on the asteroid.

Black Cats & Chequered Flags

An interactive VR and MR experience, Black Cats & Chequered Flags by Elisabetta Rotolo and Siobhan McDonnell focuses on one of Formula 1’s earliest champions, Alberto Ascari. Winning both the 1952 and 1953 championships with Ferrari, this tribute to Italy’s most successful F1 driver looks back at his relationship with his father and childhood, his superstitious nature, and his rise to fame.

Creation of the Worlds

Directly inspired by M.K. Čiurlionis, Creation of the Worlds by co-directors Kristina Buožytė and Vitalijus Žukas promises a poetic exploration of the famed Lithuanian artist’s works. This sees you become the caretaker of his works across evolving worlds based on over 60 of his paintings, aiming to reimagine mythic creation through a contemporary lens.

Face Jumping

Developed by Tender Claws, who previously released Virtual Virtual Reality and Stranger Things VR, Face Jumping is a short surrealist VR experience where you leap between the minds of other humans, animals, objects, and more. You swap perspectives through eye tracking detection after meeting someone else’s gaze, aiming to explore a journey of rebirth and evolution.

Face Jumping Promises Eye-Tracked Surrealism From The Stranger Things VR Studio

Face Jumping is a surrealist new experience from the Stranger Things VR studio, where you swap perspectives with others via eye tracking.

Reflections of Little Red Dot

Created by Chloé Lee, Reflections of Little Red Dot is a mixed reality experience that explores time, memory, diaspora, and place in Singapore through “intimate conversations” and personal stories. Using archival footage throughout this 3D environment, this experience explores how rapid urban development has affected Singaporean communities.

Sense of Nowhere

Created by Hsin-Hsuan Yeh, Sense of Nowhere is an interactive journey with multiple inspirations like the Way of Taoism, the Illusion of Buddhism, and Jung’s practice of Active Imagination. Asking the question of “Where do we go when we zone out?”, it calls itself an invitation for audiences to explore their subconscious as the lines between the inner world and reality blur.