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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 24

QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

At Kaufman Astoria Studios, Neha Lohia

Introduces a New Era of Immersive Cinema

as ‘HOME’ Wows a Sold-Out Audience

OUR BUREAU

New York, NY
n a sold-out screening at the his-
toric Kaufman Astoria Studios’
IZukor Theater, filmmaker Neha
Lohia premiered her VR-based short
film HOME as part of the Queens
World Film Festival 2025, delivering
a milestone moment not only for her
own artistic journey but for the wid-
er conversation about the evolution
of cinema, consciousness, and im-
mersive storytelling. The audience
response was immediate and electric:
during the Q&A session, three out
of five questions focused entirely on
HOME, prompting Lohia to stand
on stage with her VR headset and re-
flect on the process that brought her
film to life.

“We shot this entire film inside
360-degree virtual worlds,”
she explained. “The game are-
na has changed, but the rules

remain the same — you use timelines blurring.” Lohia is actively exploring emerging stepping into a continuum of story-
the same solid film foundations, Lohia brings to the immer- cinematic languages: immersive di- telling… You still rely on emotion,
sive space more than two decades
but now in the meta-world. The of experience across India and the rection, virtual production, AI-driv- composition, performance, rhythm,
en narrative structures, and ava-
only now the canvas of creation is
craft is the same with some United States. Her creative toolkit tar-based world-building. She sees limitless.”
spans traditional filmmaking, com-
Queens World Film Festival
added nuances of the new me- mercial storytelling, spiritual narra- these tools not as accessories but as leadership praised her originality.
foundational technologies that will
dium, and the canvas is now tives, and now frontier technologies shape how stories are conceived and Executive Director Katha Cato not-
truly infinite.” including VR, XR, spatial comput- experienced in the coming decade. ed, “Neha doesn’t use new technolo-
ing, metaverse world-building, and HOME, originally created in a gy as spectacle. She uses it as a vessel
AI-assisted creation. Her industry VR storytelling course led by Pro- for emotional truth. Her work re-
For an emerging VR filmmaker, background includes work with 20th fessor Jason Moore, is the product minds us that courage and curiosity
screening her first immersive work Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Reliance of this fusion of classical craft and are the engines of great filmmaking.”
in a venue touched by early giants Entertainment, and Alliance Media, next-generation technique. The film Artistic Director Don Cato, one of
such as Martin Scorsese, Francis with contributions to major titles has already built an impressive festi- Lohia’s former professors, added,
Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen such as Avatar, the Ice Age series, val trajectory: winner of the Creative “She brings classical cinema disci-
felt otherworldly. “Showing my film and My Name is Khan, as well as col- Achievement Award at the CUNY pline into frontier landscapes most
at Kaufman Astoria was surreal,” laborations with Karan Johar, Vishal CSI Film Festival, an official selec- artists hesitate to enter. That balance
Lohia said. “This is where legends Bhardwaj, and the Bachchan family. tion at India’s Jagran Film Festival, of experience and exploration is rare,
once stood and created their earli- Her academic journey at CUNY and now a celebrated entry at the and it’s what pushes the medium for-
est works. To screen my first VR film New York — where she is complet- Queens World Film Festival. Pre- ward.”
here felt magical — like the torch of ing her film degree — reflects not a senting the film in the same building Lohia also spoke passionately
storytelling was being passed across return to basics but a deliberate pivot where American cinematic pioneers about VR as a tool with applications
generations and technologies. I felt into the future of global storytelling. once worked felt, for Lohia, “like Continued on next page... >>

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