What will the digital narratives, interactive stories, and immersive story worlds of the future look like? Nine media professionals from seven countries – including film producers, writers, media scholars, journalists, photographers, communication designers, and content marketers – spent two years creatively exploring these questions in the »Digital Narratives« master’s programme at the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln. They explored innovative narrative forms in digital media and brought them to life in their own projects and formats.

On July 16, starting at 3 p.m., the graduates of the fifth cohort of the “Digital Narratives” master’s programme will present their inspiring final projects – including VR experiences, games, a digital performance, an interactive film, and an interactive graphic novel. In terms of content, the master’s projects also cover a broad spectrum of topics – ranging from the impact of artificial intelligence on artistic practice and identity, to neurodiversity and mental health, to questions of death, memory, migration, and cultural identity. All projects share a common academic research component. The prototypes of the master’s projects will be on display and can be tested following the presentation.
For more information on the final projects and their creators, visit: www.filmschule.de

The final presentation will kick off with two keynote speeches: »Why VR? Storytelling, Technology, and my Creative Process« by Naima Karim and »The Seduction of Multisensory Storytelling« by Prof. Toby Heys. Artist Naima Karim has received multiple nominations and awards for her VR experiences. Her interactive VR experience »Mirage« premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and won the Best #Experience Award at Laval Virtual 2026 in France. 
Toby Heys is a professor of digital media at the School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. His most recent work focuses on the acoustic, haptic, and interactive elements of immersive experiences.

The international master’s programme in Digital Narratives focuses on the critical examination and experimentation with narrative and production techniques for digital media. Media professionals and young creatives acquire the necessary theoretical and practical skills to critically engage with digital media, experiment with various formats, and develop and produce their own digital storytelling projects. With a special focus on immersive technologies, interactive storytelling, and the impact of AI on media production, the programme trains creative storytellers who have mastered the narrative methods and production techniques of new digital media in order to successfully develop innovative media formats—such as AR and VR experiences, web series, apps, interactive graphic novels, and AI-powered applications. The next cohort starts in the 2026–27 winter semester.
More information at www.filmschule.de