Michel van der Aa’s From Dust Wins Best Immersive Work at Cannes 2025

The 78th Festival de Cannes has awarded the Best Immersive Work Prize to From Dust by Michel van der Aa, a groundbreaking creation that redefined the boundaries of narrative, spatial design, and emotional engagement. The award was announced today during the closing ceremony of the Immersive Competition, held for the second consecutive year at the iconic Carlton Hotel.

Directed by van der Aa and produced by the doubleA Foundation, From Dust was praised for its poetic interplay between presence and perception, offering an experience where technology becomes a vessel for memory, fragility, and transformation. The work stood out among a selection of 16 immersive pieces from 9 countries, including 9 in competition, 2 out of competition, and 5 from the Luxembourg-focused Immersive Selection – Focus.

Jury Applauds a Bold Vision

The 2025 Immersive Jury, led by Oscar-winning filmmaker Luc Jacquet, included an eclectic and world-renowned panel:

• Multimedia legend Laurie Anderson

• French writer and performer Tania de Montaigne

• British director and visual artist Martha Fiennes

• Japanese video game pioneer Tetsuya Mizuguchi

Together, the jurors navigated a landscape of diverse narrative forms — from virtual reality and motion capture to AI-generated and mixed-reality storytelling.

“We are witnessing the emergence of a new narrative form,” said Jury President Luc Jacquet. “As a jury, we were asked to engage with these bold, forward-looking voices and select one among them — never an easy task. But From Dust spoke to us across disciplines.”

A New Era of Art and Audience

Now in its second year, the Immersive Competition has quickly become one of Cannes’ most exciting new initiatives, drawing over 5,000 bookings in 2025 alone. Transcending the passive nature of traditional cinema, the immersive works allow audiences to step into the story, making each experience uniquely personal and profoundly sensory.

“The Immersive Competition is about creating space for new ways of storytelling,” said Elie Levasseur, Head of Immersive. “These works explore how immersion can shape perception and open up different kinds of artistic engagement.”

For director Michel van der Aa, the honor came with visible emotion:

“It’s a great honor for me to be nominated for this prestigious Festival and an even greater honor to win. It’s truly out of this world!”

The Future Takes Shape

With From Dust, the Festival de Cannes not only celebrates a singular achievement in immersive art but also underscores its commitment to supporting the evolving language of cinematic expression. As immersive storytelling continues to evolve, Cannes remains a vital platform for works that challenge how we think, feel, and experience the art of narrative.