Dome Under Film Festival 2026

The Umbra Mission

Canada | 12 min | dir. Mathieu Baptista, Tiphaine Roustang & Silvano Mercado

Designed as a playful science experiment on the human condition, this film takes the viewer on an immersive flight through the earth’s stratosphere, 30,000 meters above our planet.

Unseen Earth

Czech Republic | 28 min | dir. Ondrej Kamensky

What does Earth look like? When you close your eyes, you imagine it as a blue planet – yet this image is surprisingly recent. Since the first picture of our earth from space continuous advances in space exploration have been providing entirely new perspectives. This show reveals how Earth observation programs allows us to observe our planet differently, helping us quickly and effectively respond to Earth's ongoing changes.

Encounters in the Milky Way

USA | 25 min | Dir. Carter Emmart

Discover the chance encounters that have shaped our place in the universe.

Reaching billions of years into the past and peering millions of years into the future, Encounters in the Milky Way is a time-traveling journey about the cosmic movements that shape our galactic neighbourhood.

Narrated by Pedro Pascal, witness spectacular moments in our solar system's past and future, and a dramatic, ongoing merger of our galaxy with a smaller satellite galaxy.

Encounters in the Milky Way is made possible by data from one of the most transformative projects of the past century: ESA’s Gaia mission, dubbed the "billion-star survey”.

Secrets From a Forest

USA | 25 min | dir. Neil Lucas

Secrets from a Forest tells an inspiring story of the intimate relationship between artistic expression and the natural world. Audiences explore the “singing spruce” in Italy’s Paneveggio Forest, the source of wood for the Stradivarius violin, encounter the creation of this remarkable instrument inside a violin maker’s studio, and are transported to a concert hall to hear the thrilling and powerful result of this delicate dance between human beings and nature.

Everest: Opera in the Planetarium

USA | 68 min | dir. Brian Staufenbiel

Everest follows the true story of three climbers—Rob Hall, Doug Hansen, and Beck Weathers—during the ill-fated 1996 Mount Everest expedition. As the mountain crackles with wind and ice, we move between their present struggle for survival and memories of loved ones far below. Rob, the expedition leader, summits thirty minutes past the safe turnaround time while Doug collapses nearby. Beck, stranded lower on the mountain, drifts between consciousness and visions of his daughter in Texas. As a violent storm descends, the climbers face impossible odds, revealing the fragility of life, the endurance of love, and the power of human conviction. 

Hermy’s Secret Full-Moon Hideout

Japan | 21 min | dir. Seki Naoyuki

Hermy lives happily on the beautiful ocean floor.

As he searches with his friends, Shelly and Breamy, they discover a sparkling blue and beautiful cave!

“Alright! Let’s make this our secret hideout!”

Time flies by as they have fun.

The surroundings turn crimson with the setting sun, and it’s time to go home. However, they cannot leave the secret hideout. The sea water has receded, making it impossible to reach the entrance.

What a dilemma! The sea water continues to decrease. If this keeps up, Breamy will be in great trouble.

How will Hermy and his friends overcome this crisis?

Radiance: A Journey to the Edge of the Galaxy

Thailand | 5 min | dir. Arkadiy Grigoryants

Captain Sirius accidentally enters a portal meant for cargo ships and finds himself on the distant planet Lunacor, located at the edge of the galaxy. With his fuel nearly depleted, his only chance to return home is to take part in a thrilling challenge: flying through a series of glowing rings scattered across breathtaking landscapes. Guiding him is Radiance—a charismatic holographic assistant who leads

Captain Sirius through this incredible journey.

INAZMA DELIVERY: Bytheway’s Earth Exploration?! - Close Encounters of the Aurora

Japan | 25 min | dir. Aguri Miyazaki

A young alien named Bytheway arrives on Earth to see its legendary sharks. But just as he begins his exploration, all the city lights suddenly go out, and communication is lost!

In the southern sky, massive thunderclouds loom, while in the north, a mysterious red light flickers. What could be happening?

Alpes Azur Mercantour

Canada | 7 min | dir. Sebastien Gauthier

Located in the Alpes-Maritimes in the south of France, the International Dark Sky Reserve, Alpes Azur Mercantour is a one-of-a-kind place. The dark night is preserved not only to allow people to witness some of the most breathtaking skies in Europe but also to protect an exceptional nocturnal biodiversity.

Bats, fireflies and other night owls share the spotlight with the spectacular starry nights of the reserve in this film by award-winning director and cinematographer Sébastien Gauthier.

Starry Animals: Mountain, sea and river constellations in Colombian skies

Colombia | 23 min | dir. Parque Explora Planetario de Medellín

Accompanied by the light of ancient and distant stars, we will walk sideways with the BLUE CRAB mom through the mangroves of Colombia, we will submerge into the Cauca River to swim along the STRIPED CATFISH mom on her journey to navigate against the river’s murky current, and we will travel across the hazy Paramo Del Sol while we follow the path moulded by the PUMA mom’s footprints.

Among forests of water that speak with the sky, murky and torrential river streams, and mountains that dwell among clouds, we will witness their luminous apparitions in the dome of the Planetarium.

One Step Beyond

UK | 25 min | dir. Aaron Bradbury

One small step was just the beginning. Now, we take one step beyond - driven by curiosity, bound for Mars, and ready to write the boldest chapter in human exploration.

Experience the thrill of launch, the challenges of life in space, the cutting-edge technology of NASA’s Artemis program, and the search for life that could transform how we see our planet, our past, and our place in the cosmos - as we prepare for humanity’s biggest step yet: setting foot on Mars.

Architecture of the Void

Canada | 4 min | dir. Francis TiND Theberge, Francis Pineau

Architecture of the Void is a film that explores the hidden geometry of emptiness. Blurring the line between physical space and digital abstraction, it invites viewers into a shifting environment where light, sound, and movement construct — and deconstruct — impossible structures. As horizons dissolve and walls fold inward, the film transports us through a virtual wasteland, cold and desolate. Inside the ruins of this collapsed world, scattered within the void, a broken path is discovered, a road to nowhere is found. 

Wormhole

UK/Serbia | 7 min | dir. Misha Aizek

How can we represent three-dimensional objects on a flat surface, or four-dimensional ones within three dimensions? Wormhole explores higher dimensions by showing the fourth as “slices” of reality. Inspired by the idea that all space and time exist at once, it invites viewers to imagine a universe with up to 11 dimensions.

Entropy - Track 1: "Blue Deep"

Colombia | 4 min | dir. Daniela Carrascal Grisales

"Blue Deep" combines Camilo Posada's original music with Double Dome Films' visual prowess, this is the first track of a video Album called "Entropy". This video album takes the viewer through the inevitable and overwhelming future fate of the cosmos, ruled by physical laws. This narrative explores human and life insignificance in the face of the immensity of a universe full of entropy.

Eternal Habitat

Germany | 6 min | dir. Sergey Prokofyev

Our surroundings are not just static backdrops—they are dynamic units of time and space, quietly carrying us through the imperceptible temporal flow of life. Eternal Habitat explores the profound connection between humans and the living spaces that shape them. Through a seamless spatial experience the film reveals the subtle, unspoken movement of space through time. It invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between the environments we inhabit, the transformations they undergo, and the fleeting moments of our lives spent within them.

Future Proof

USA | 5 mins | dir. Michael J. Saul

In a world obsessed with dystopia, Future Proof provides a positive look at the future with glistening buildings, colorful lights and positive vibes.

Stratum

USA | 6 min | dir. Eric Hanson

Stratum is a short solely utilising digital scans of a myriad of remote and esoteric locations, contrasting rational human perception against non-euclidlian topologies present in ancient layered geologies. The soundtrack sources from the French-Tunisian artist Azu Tiwaline, and anchors both the tone and propulsion of the film. 

The Eye and I

France | 30 min | Hsin-Chien Huang, Jean-Michel Jarre

The Eye & I is a musical odyssey through the evolution of surveillance and control at a crucial moment in human history. In this exploration, Jean-Michel Jarre & Hsin-Chien Huang’ The Eye and I share a fascination for the notion of surveillance with its influence and presence throughout the ages in art, family, politics, social organization, and technology. Jarre’s exclusive music composition enhances this dome experience, creating a singular experience for the mind and senses.

Le parfum, l'encens de Syrie

Canada | 4 min | dir. Arnaud Lescure

A poet dreams of his faraway homeland.

The Roar Hills a Tale of Sounds

Mexico | 6 min | Alejandro Casales Navarrete

The Roar Hills a Tale of Sounds is a visual music artwork that will transform the modes of visual and auditory reception through the combination of images to depict sounds.

The dome will be a living theatre where the art of the immersion becomes an intellectually stimulating process to the visual perception of an environment that involves the emotions created by sounds.

Disolución — "Pulso Ancestral"

Uruguay | 4 min | dir. Mauro Cosenza

Dissolution explores matter, perspective, and pulse in a sensorial fusion that traverses a resilient triad: fall, fragmentation, and recomposition. The piece confronts apparent solidity and suspension; the ancestral rhythm, the throb of wood and leather, is diluted in modular loops and electronic signals.

La Méthode des moments

Canada | 10 min | dir. Lydia Yakonowsky

This film transposes the method of moments, a statistical technique, into the artistic realm. The visual language of statistics is diverted to create representations that no longer describe numerical data, but rather the cycles of life, the passage of time, and the resonance of nostalgia. Through these reinvented graphs, the artist illustrates a universal human experience.

SCΔLΔ

France | 8 min | dir. Clement Gamgie Rignault & Diana Medina

SCΔLΔ explores the scale relationships that shape our reality. Hidden within every fragment of existence lies the cosmos: atoms echo planetary systems, flowers mirror black holes, and neural networks resemble cosmic filaments. The universe repeats itself, in fractals, at every scale.

Born from an exploration between France and Colombia, at the crossroads of science and poetry, SCΔLΔ is a surreal journey inviting us to feel the invisible symmetry of reality, where everything reflects everything.

Chrysalis

Australia | 7 min | dir. Lachlan Plain

Chrysalis is an animated meditation on metamorphosis – on how things are constantly becoming other things. The moon is waxing and waning, cells are dividing, babies growing and grubs becoming butterflies. Nick Wilson (Sound Fossil) brings to life Lachlan Plain’s rudimentary handcrafted animation with a mesmerizing composition for guitar and prayer bowl.

Up

Poland | 4 min | dir. Agata Staszczuk

Up is a short, tense, parable-like story about determination, persistence, and the thin line between striving for a goal and losing yourself in the process. Viewers are drawn into a surreal world where the main character climbs winding concrete stairs that seem to stretch on forever. These endless steps become a metaphor for life’s journey, full of struggle and sacrifice. The climb is long and tiring, and each step takes more effort than the last. It feels as if the hero is fighting not just his own fatigue and doubts, but something deeper. What really is the goal he’s chasing? And will his efforts bring the reward he seeks?

Flicker and Gambol

Canada | 3 min | dir. Tara Rose Morris

Onwards and upwards. Unmask, unwind, untether. Dance as the sun and the moon go by. Music by Graham Steinman.

Have a Safe Trip

Belgium | 34 min | Dir. Jaak de Digitale

An audiovisual experience that merges the work of renowned Jacques Hurtubise with the psychedelic sounds of Hippie Hourrah’s tribute to the late Quebecois painter. Prepare to hear colours and see music in a multi-sensory experience that brings the artist’s very brush strokes to life — an immersion into the act of creation.

Light in Bloom, Life in Flow

Taiwan | 4 min | dir. Kuan Wen Liu

This work explores light as a theme, examining how humanity, guided by nature, has developed civilization while reflecting on ways to live in harmony with the environment. From early reverence for natural cycles to today’s technological transformation of the world, it traces the evolution of human understanding. Each advancement signifies progress yet reminds us to respect nature and strive for a sustainable future, inviting audiences to reflect on civilization’s path and the balance between humans and the natural world.

Close Encounters

South Africa | 30 min | dir. Telmo dos Reis

A film that takes audiences on a virtual safari, bringing them face-to-face with Africa’s most iconic animals. A unique perspective on nature and conservation through immersive storytelling.

Life, The Greatest Story

UK | 26 min | dir. Tommy Howell

The only place in the entire universe where we know for certain that life exists is our home planet – Earth. Explore the origins of life on Earth, from bacteria deep in the ocean, to the evolution of plants, fungi and animals before asking the big question: does life exist anywhere else? Join us for the greatest story of all – the story of Life.

Edge of the Sky

Czech Republic | 33 min | dir. Tomas Tichy & Pavel Karas

A pilot, an astronomer, and a little girl – three people with three perspectives on the sky. Their stories meet in a full-dome experience that surrounds you with 360° imagery. You may feel you’re flying among storm clouds or floating in the peace and quiet of the stratosphere.

And it will be no illusion: the filmmakers flew in gliders over the Tatra Mountains and hauled cameras through Patagonia’s wild winds. You will also visit the driest place on the planet, where clouds are a rare phenomenon and a scientific object of study. And when you think you cannot go any higher, you will rise to 35 km above Earth – to the edge of the sky.

Orbital

USA | 23 min | dir. Guy Reid

Voyage beyond the planet and experience our home through the eyes of astronauts. Orbital is an epic journey from the Big Bang, to the flourishing of life on Earth, to low Earth orbit. A new film by Guy Reid and Planetary Collective, Orbital transports you through an abstract landscape of light, inspired by bioluminescent earthly beings and atmospheric aurorae. Guided by the voices of the astronauts and cosmonauts of Constellation Coalition who have looked back and experienced the awe of our place in the universe, you will feel your own “Overview Effect” as you meditate on our planet.

Space Explorers: The ISS Experience (EP02: Advance)

Canada | 30 min | dir. Félix & Paul Studios

The daily workload of conducting pioneering scientific experiments continues on the Space Station as the crew prepares for the departure of three astronauts who have completed their six months stay. A changing of the guard offers an opportunity to reflect on the vital role of women in space.

Texada

Canada | 17 min | dir. Josephine Anderson & Claire Sanford

This animation of ancient geological upheavals, combined with video of a contemporary mining community, offers a poetic virtual reality experience.

Traveler’s Introspection

Canada | 8 min | dir. Pascal Lavallée

A mystical being, neither man nor god, traverses a series of worlds suspended between life and memory. Guided by an instinctive quest, he slides from painting to painting in search of a forgotten harmony. Each world represents a universal emotion, a phase of existence, or a collective archetype. The viewer, immersed in these visions, becomes a witness to the Traveler's inner metamorphosis.

Drifted

Canada | 5 min | dir. Sean Caruso

Two lovers mid-flight. Memories of their time together are just whispers, imagined from each heart’s perspective. Feelings of the beauty, memory and longing. Will their souls find each other again, or remain adrift in the currents of time?

The Rift

Wales | 8 min | dir. Janire Najera & Matt Wright

The Rift is an evocative fusion of contemporary dance, cinematic imagery and immersive sound, with water as its unifying element. Set across Zimbabwe’s diverse landscapes, the film brings together multiple dancers in a shared choreography where the boundaries between natural and built environments dissolve, forming a poetic symphony of movement, texture and rhythm.

She Whom the Moon Ruled

Australia | 5 min | prod. Melbourne Planetarium

Caroline Herschel is regarded as one of the first female astronomers. Yet, Caroline stood in the shadows of her brother William Herschel who was also an astronomer, famous for locating and correctly classifying the planet Uranus.

2026 Dome Under Film Festival Awards Ceremony

The Dome Under Film Festival Jury will present five awards for Best Science Film, Best Children’s Film, Best Narrative Film, Best Art Film and Best Short Film (approximately 25 min).

The Frontiers of Infinity

Canada | 38 min | dir. Michel D.T. Lam

The Frontiers of Infinity explores humanity's mysterious quest for knowledge. To understand the infinity of the cosmos, we must also understand the most precious tool that is the foundation of all exploration: our brain. This film, both instructive and poetic, connects space exploration and neuroscience through interviews with scientists who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.