A World First Breakthrough for Second Life Machinima?

Voyaging the virtual world, 'Encre' come across the sun dial at UWA's Sunken Gardens

An Australia-France partnership between the founder of the University of Western Australia presence in Second Life and a multi-award winning French filmmaker living in India has seemingly broken through a barrier that has long separated the animated film and machinima film worlds, as their creation, 'Metaphor', about the various masks people wear has triumphed with a world first at the Eugene International Film Festival in Oregon, USA, taking out the title of Best Animated Short Film.

It is believed that no other Second Life machinima has previously won the top prize in open competition against 'conventional' animated short films from across the spectrum. The victory made even sweeter by the quality of the other Official Selections that will be shown at Eugene, Oregon between the 9th - 11 of November 2018, which includes the much heralded iRony, which has been selected for more than 260 international film festivals, winning more than 120 awards and shortlisted for 5 Academy Award Qualifying festivals.

Film director Basile Vignes, speaking from Pondicherry, India where he is currently based shared, "I am very proud and honoured that 'Metaphor'  won this award for best animation. This in competition with a selection of films each of which could have had the first prize. A big thank you to the jury who chose my film and congratulations for your excellent movie Festival."

Producer, Jay Jay Jegathesan of the University of Western Australia paid tribute to Basile, "Over the years as Festival Director for numerous UWA machinima film challenges, Basile proved to be among the finest exponents of this genre, along with his chief animator, Tutsy Navarathna, and when the thought came to me to try and take second life machinima across the globe on the international film festival circuit, I could think of no one better to partner with on this endeavour. This is the very first win for Metaphor, and I do hope that its not the last. I also look forward to the film's Australian premiere next month at the Perfect Light Film Festival in Broken Hill, New South Wales"

Metaphor Synopsis:
As with every story, every person has two faces. The one we choose to reveal, and the one we keep hidden from view.

The protagonist in this film, uses the avatar and handle 'Fallen God' when accessing social media and virtual worlds. In his virtual journeys, he comes across the mysterious, beautiful and enchanting 'Encre'. Will this encounter turn into a relationship touched by the spark of the infinite? This animated French-Australian film, based on true events that happened 2017 explores the many masks we wear along with the question of identity and relationships in the modern world in all its shapes and forms