Astrea wants to make VR films more accessible

Many good virtual reality (VR) films are only released for VR platforms long after their festival premiere - or not at all. VR publisher Astrea wants to finally change that.

VR films have a hard time reaching the masses. Although there are more and more high-quality VR films, (including Swiss films such as Cave, which celebrated its world premiere in Venice and of which we recently reportedHowever, they often go unnoticed or are reserved for festivals, museums and arcades for a long time before they appear on a VR platform - if at all. This holds the young art form back.

VR films: more platforms, more languages

Now one of the most prominent production companies for VR films, Atlas V, has founded a sister company focussing on the distribution and marketing of VR films: Astra will oversee Atlas V projects as well as external VR films.

The aim is to release the works on as many platforms and in as many languages as possible and sensible. So that more people come into contact with V films.

Due to the fragmentation of the VR market, this is a major challenge: each platform has its own requirements in terms of performance and compatible hardware. Astrea wants to support VR filmmakers in this work.

Astrea: a large portfolio of VR films

Astrea wants to work closely with the press, Youtubers and platform operators such as Facebook and Valve to market the VR films.

The company manages 37 projects, including many acclaimed VR films such as Gloomy EyesSpheres and Battlescar. Five to ten new plants are to be contracted each year. The team currently consists of four employees working from London and Paris and is to be expanded in the coming months.