The Oxford Film Festival announced recently that its new Fest Forward section, set to debut in 2017, has received a $10,000 grant from the Mississippi Development Authority. The Fest Forward section, which includes a virtual reality exhibition and educational programming for youth, will allow the Oxford Film Festival to shine a spotlight on emerging technologies, where some of the most interesting evolutions in cinematic storytelling are taking place.

In addition to an exhibition of virtual reality (VR) and 360 video experiences and slate of films programmed with a younger audience in mind, this year’s Fest Forward program will offer hands-on workshops that will offer younger festival participants opportunities to learn about, experience, and explore film and VR/360 content.

“Fest Forward isn’t just about wowing the Oxford audience with the magic of virtual reality, it’s about bringing Oxford a curated selection of the best in current VR and 360, the same content that audiences at bigger fests like Sundance and Tribeca and SXSW have access to,” said Kim Voynar, Head Programmer of New Media.

Programming for the Fest Forward section will be announced with the rest of the 2017 Oxford Film Festival slate in December. The Oxford Film Festival programming team is currently reviewing submissions and will be accepting entries for Fest Forward through Nov. 15.