Liz Rosenthal
Curator | Executive Producer | Pioneer of Immersive Arts and Digital Media
Curator
Executive Producer
Advisor & Strategist
Public Speaker
Boards & Juries
Press & Publications
Bio
Book 1:1
©2026 Liz Rosenthal
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Venice Immersive 2025
82nd Venice International Film Festival (27 Aug – 6 Sep 2025). Curated 69 projects from 27 countries across immersive video, virtual and mixed reality, virtual worlds, and XR installations on the Venice Immersive Island.
Venice Immersive 2024
81st Venice International Film Festival (28 Aug – 7 Sep 2024). Curated 62 projects from 25 countries including 360° videos, standalone XR works, installations, and VRChat worlds.
GLOW 2024
GLOW: Illuminating Innovation at King's College London (8 Mar – 20 Apr 2024). Curated 12 VR experiences by leading women creators, presented free at The Arcade, Bush House on London's Strand.
Venice Immersive 2023
80th Venice International Film Festival (30 Aug – 9 Sep 2023). Curated 43 projects from 25 countries and 24 worlds in the Worlds Gallery on the Venice Immersive Island.
Red Sea Immersive 2022
Curator of XR section at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Jeddah (2–8 Dec 2022). Curated ten VR works in competition for the Gold and Silver Yusr Awards alongside four projects from Ithra's Creative Solutions Program.
Liz curated Red Sea Immersive for the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2021 and 2022, designing the festival’s dedicated programme for virtual reality and immersive artworks. The exhibition presented more than 20 international VR experiences at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah, bringing together artists, filmmakers and technologists working at the intersection of cinema, gaming, installation art and interactive storytelling.
Rosenthal’s curatorial approach focuses on expanding cinematic language beyond the screen, showcasing works that place the audience inside the narrative through spatial environments and interactive story worlds. The programme included award-winning XR projects such as Goliath: Playing with Reality, Le Bal de Paris, and The Book of Distance, demonstrating the breadth of contemporary immersive storytelling, from documentary and animation to interative performance.
Venice Immersive 2022
Curator XR section of the 79th Venice International Film Festival (31 Aug – 10 Sep 2022). Curated 44 projects from 19 countries, returning in person to the Lazzaretto Vecchio island with a Worlds Gallery of 30 VRChat worlds.
Red Sea Immersive 2021
Curator Virtual reality programme at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival, hosted at Hayy Jameel, Jeddah (7–15 Dec 2021). Curated 21 VR experiences, with 13 works competing for the Golden Yusr Immersive Award.
Venice Virtual Reality Expanded 2021
Curator VR section of the 78th Venice International Film Festival (1–19 Sep 2021). Curated 37 projects from 21 countries and 35 VRChat worlds, presented online and at satellite venues across ten countries worldwide.
Venice Virtual Reality Expanded 2020
Curator VR section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival (2–12 Sep 2020). Curated 44 immersive projects from 24 countries for the first fully online edition, accessible globally via VR headsets and satellite cultural institutions.
Venice Virtual Reality 2019
Curator VR competition of the 76th Venice International Film Festival (29 Aug – 7 Sep 2019). Curated the third in-person edition on the Lazzaretto Vecchio island, the world's first VR competition at an A-list film festival.
Venice Virtual Reality 2018
Curator VR section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival. Curated 40 projects on the Lazzaretto Vecchio island, with an extended online viewing window via the VRrOOm platform.
Venice Virtual Reality 2017
Launched the first-ever competition for Virtual Reality works at an A-list international film festival, at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio.
Venice Virtual Reality 2016
Developed the inaugural VR Theatre at the Venice International Film Festival, generating significant interest among Venice Production Bridge participants and establishing the foundation for the competition launched the following year.