The fulldome community gathered at CULTVR in Cardiff, Wales on March 25th for the highly anticipated Best of Earth Awards 2025 ceremony. This prestigious event showcased exceptional achievements in dome production across multiple categories, recognizing the creators pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling. For those unable to attend in person, the complete ceremony is available on the CULTVR YouTube channel.

The Winners

Best Feature Film

Secrets from a Forest (Dir. Neil Lucas, Prod. Bell Museum and Ravenwood Studios)

This captivating documentary explores the fascinating connection between Italy's Paneveggio Forest—home of the famed "singing spruce"—and the creation of Stradivarius violins. The dome format brilliantly captures both the grandeur of these ancient forests and the intricate craftsmanship in the violin maker's studio, culminating in breathtaking concert hall sequences that demonstrate the extraordinary sonic result of this centuries-old relationship between nature and human artistry.

Best Short Film

EROS (Dir./Prod. Daniel Tumbley and NSC Creative)

NSC Creative continues to demonstrate their mastery of the fulldome medium with this emotionally resonant short. "EROS" follows a deep space miner on a dangerous journey to honor a fallen comrade, utilizing the dome's immersive capabilities to create both vast cosmic landscapes and intimate moments of personal grief. The piece confirms Tumbley's growing reputation as a storyteller who understands how to harness the unique advantages of the dome environment.

Best Emerging Artists' Film

Bad Trip (Dir./Prod. Emese Pálovics and Bianca Faddi)

Newcomers Pálovics and Faddi demonstrate remarkable intuition for the dome space in this psychological exploration of memory. Their innovative use of the hemispheric canvas creates a truly immersive representation of a fractured psyche, with strange creatures guiding both protagonist and audience through increasingly surreal environments. "Bad Trip" signals exciting new voices entering the fulldome community.

Innovation Award

Dancing With Dead Animals (Dir./Prod. Maarten Isaak De Heer)

Perhaps the most conceptually daring project of the year, De Heer's experimental work bridges the gap between natural history, digital preservation, and artistic expression. By 3D scanning deceased animals found in his environment over six months and resurrecting them in a digital "paradise," the piece transforms the dome into a contemplative space that challenges our understanding of life, death, and digital existence. Technical teams will appreciate the innovative scanning methodology developed specifically for this project.

Best Sonic Experience Film

Recombination: The Fulldome Journey (Dir./Prod. Julius Horsthuis)

Horsthuis has crafted a sensory masterpiece that fully leverages the dome's spatial audio capabilities. This math-inspired journey through fractal landscapes demonstrates a perfect marriage of visual complexity and spatial sound design. Dome technicians at the ceremony particularly noted the sophisticated implementation of ambisonics and the careful attention to acoustic sweet spots throughout the presentation.

Best Art & Experiment Film

Local Dystopias in the Global Utopia (Dir./Prod. Sergey Prokofyev)

Prokofyev's ambitious multi-dome exploration of architectural dystopias represents a technical achievement that pushes the boundaries of synchronized dome production. The three distinct worlds—"High Rise Cult," "The Doomed City," and "Phygital Limbo"—challenge both audience perceptions and conventional dome programming approaches. This project will be of particular interest to facilities exploring multi-screen presentations and distributive dome networks.

Best Science and Education Film

Dark Biosphere (Dir./Prod. Javier Bollain, Render Area)

Fulfilling the educational potential of the dome format, "Dark Biosphere" takes audiences deep beneath Earth's crust to discover the remarkable microorganisms thriving in extreme environments. Render Area's technical expertise shines in microscopic visualizations that exploit the dome's ability to create meaningful scale shifts. The production features consultation with leading geomicrobiologists, ensuring scientific accuracy while maintaining audience engagement—a valuable addition to any science center's programming calendar.

Special Jury Selection Film

The Great Solar System Adventure (Dir. Max Crow, Prod. NSC Creative)

NSC Creative appears again in the winners' circle with this crowd-pleasing solar system tour guided by the theatrical "Great Schiaparelli." The production cleverly balances educational content with entertainment value, utilizing the dome's immersive qualities to create genuine moments of wonder and danger. The modular structure allows for potential customization to suit different dome diameters and audience demographics, demonstrating thoughtful consideration of the fulldome exhibition ecosystem.

Best Children's Film

Total Eclipse: Chasers of the Lost Sleep (Dir. François Guinaudeau and Sébastien Samyn)

Guinaudeau and Samyn deliver a charming astronomical adventure featuring Kentucky, an insomniac hen living on the Moon, and her android companion JOS. Their quest to find the perfect solar eclipse combines scientific accuracy with age-appropriate humor. The production features interactive elements that dome operators can easily implement, allowing for customized audience participation across different venues—a valuable consideration for institutions serving younger audiences.

Best Live Performance Experience

Arka Kinari: Artivism at Sea (Dir. Janire Najera and Matt Wright, Prod. 4Pi Productions)

4Pi Productions continues to explore the intersection of documentary filmmaking and dome presentation with this compelling portrait of the sailing ship Arka Kinari and its mission of climate activism through art. The production ingeniously adapts traditional documentary techniques to the immersive canvas, creating a sense of presence aboard the 70-ton vessel. Venues interested in programming content addressing environmental themes will find this a powerful addition to their offerings.

Looking Ahead

These award-winning productions represent the continuing evolution of the fulldome medium, demonstrating both artistic maturity and technical sophistication. From educational institutions to dedicated dome theaters, programming directors will find diverse content options among this year's winners to engage audiences across various demographics.

For detailed technical specifications, distribution information, and trailer links, visit the Best of Earth Awards website.