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The Korea National University of Arts (President Kim Dae-jin, hereinafter referred to as Han-Yejong) Convergence Arts Center, Art & Technology Lab (hereinafter referred to as AT Lab) won an award in the IMMERSIVE THEATRE category at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival for the interactive content ⟪Scarecrow: Rekindle⟫.

       ⟪Scarecrow:Rekindle)⟫ Poster

The Raindance Film Festival, founded in 1993, is an international independent film festival held in major cities including London, New York, and Vancouver. Notably, the Immersive Division, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, has been at the forefront of discovering and supporting experimental content that utilizes advanced technologies such as virtual reality and gaming.

The award-winning work ⟪Scarecrow:Rekindle⟫ is a reimagined version of a VR immersive piece originally produced by AT Lab in 2019 as part of the "IP Advancement Project." Set in a village devastated by evil birds, the work conveys a powerful message of revival and solidarity. Since its initial release at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the project has received critical acclaim from major international media outlets including Forbes, and has been described as “one of the most intense immersive experiences.”

⟪Scarecrow:Rekindle⟫ utilizes VRChat, a platform where users can access and experience content together, and it emphasizes collaborative interaction among audience members. In the story, participants join forces to break rocks, ignite the scarecrow’s heart, release blocked water, and gather crystals that bring life back to a barren land. This immersive direction carries a message of hope: “When we work together, we can comfort others—and rekindle hope in the world.”

  
                                           ⟪Scarecrow:Rekindle⟫ Still shot

In the festival’s official review, the Rain dance Film Festival stated: “⟪Scarecrow:Rekindle⟫ is an XR experience that deeply touches the emotions. It shows how vividly we can feel, how we can choose ourselves, and how deeply we can immerse in a story. It is a powerful demonstration of how immersive storytelling rooted in human vulnerability and sensitivity can be both impactful and effective.”

Park ark, a graduate of the Multimedia Department and co-director of the work, shared, “There was a time when I questioned the sustainability of media while working in VR, but this award gave me renewed encouragement.” Lim Min-jae, a student responsible for VRChat production, added, “⟪Scarecrow: Rekindle⟫ centers around user-driven storytelling. The process of collaboration and teamwork was a major learning experience for me.”

Lee Seung-moo, Director of AT Lab and producer of the project, explained, “The ‘IP Advancement Project’ is designed to reinterpret and evolve outstanding pre-existing works in response to technological developments and the shortening content life cycle. This project helps lay the foundation for content expansion across new formats. Ultimately, AT Lab aims to build a sustainable creative ecosystem for artists at the Korea National University of Arts.”

AT Lab at Korea National University of Arts serves as a creative production and research institute focused on the convergence of science and technology, culture and the arts, industry and education. The lab has received numerous major awards and recognitions. Furthermore, it has been selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency as the lead organization for the 2024 Global Culture Technology (CT) Professional Training Project and the Content One-Campus Construction and Operation Support Project, positioning it at the forefront of cultivating global and interdisciplinary creative talent in the field of cultural technology.