French Immersion is a program initiated by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S. and developed to support emerging and innovative French creators.
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S., in partnership with UniFrance, the Institut Français, the CNC, with support from Florence Gould Foundation and Air France, launched this program of FACE Foundation in 2018 to support producers and creators of VR projects and immersive experiences including 360 videos, augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR or XR), video games, location-based VR projects and art projects involving new technologies.
Find out more about our partners
French Immersion Mobility Grant
French Immersion brings French creators or producers to the US on the occasion of a screening or presentation of their work during a significant festival identified by the Cultural Services team.
The program offers a grant ($1,000 / project leader, 2 people maximum for each selected project) and partnership & communication support.
- Check your eligibility and learn more about our guidelines
- Apply for the French Immersion Mobility grant
Online Distribution Grant
As our cultural practices become more and more digital—even more so during the pandemic —the promotion and distribution of media projects has been redefined. That is why, in September 2020, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, alongside the other French Immersion partners decided to launch a new grant to promote immersive experiences online. In 2020 alone, 15 projects received grants from the program.
In 2021, the program continues with grants offered to French producers seeking to explore innovative strategies to promote and broadcast projects to American audiences through promotion on video game platforms, online events, influencer marketing, and more. More information here. Applications closed.
FR//XR: A Handbook for Immersive Producers
Following a 10-month piloting period, French Immersion partners and Kaleidoscope presented “FR//XR: A HANDBOOK FOR IMMERSIVE PRODUCERS” in January 2021, highlighting insights from some of the most influential voices of the XR industry.
By writing this handbook, the French Immersion partners wanted to identify the main opportunities and challenges of building a successful collaboration between the French and American XR ecosystems. They aimed to inspire immersive producers to fund and distribute their content in different ways, reaching out to new partners, and introducing new collaboration and sales strategies.
Mapping: XR in the United States
In 2020, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States worked to identify the main actors of immersion (XR) in the U.S.. This mapping presents more than 100 organizations, into seven categories: Tech companies, location-based-entertainement & art venues, studios, universities, events and festivals, NGOs and public organizations, labs & incubators.
Digital Thursday
Technologies reshape the way we create, fund, and access artistic experiences. Digital Thursday is a series of events to gather artists, producers, and experts in interactive and immersive experiences. One Thursday a month, a conversation with inspiring guests explores artistic works and production models, from VA/AR to video game to podcast and more!
French Festivals for New Media
Immersive experiences, podcasts, video games, innovation in museums, etc. Here is a list of French festivals for those who want to promote their work or attend these major event on new media.
Image : "Eclipse" created by Jonathan Astruc and Aymeric Favre; produced by Backlight
