Film Madrid Noir was awarded the Emmy for Best Interactive Media Film at the first edition of the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. Directed by James Castillo of Spain, this 46-minute short film was created by studio No Ghost & Atlas V in partnership with Oculus, Epic Games, Creative XR and CNC.

Madrid Noir was developed thanks to Unreal technology, into a truly impressive interactive Virtual Reality experience where the classic aesthetic of film Noir is combined in a very special way with animated expressiveness.

Presented as an impressive 46-minute theatrical production, “Madrid Noir” takes place in Madrid in the 1930s, the plot takes place in the city’s lively alleys at night. And in the words of the director, the film is a tribute to Madrid, “a vibrant city that we rarely see in movies.” In the Spanish version of the film, actors Fernando Guillén Cuervo and Godeliv Van Den Brandt voice the film’s protagonists.

Madrid Noir emerges from Madrid Noir: Prologue developed in 2018 with British studio No Ghost and the young Spanish director won numerous awards, including the award for best virtual reality revelation film in 2018 at Madrid Raindance, Britain’s largest independent Film Festival.

Plan

Madrid Noir tells how a disillusioned young woman arrives in Madrid to vacate the apartment she inherited after the death of her enigmatic uncle. Little by little, her childhood memories begin to unravel their elusive trail and Lola, the protagonist, will try to piece together the pieces of her mysterious past.

About James Castillo

James Castillo was born in Madrid and after completing his studies in Singapore he started his career as a designer working in video games, advertising and film. His first experience with VR led to the award-winning art direction Melita (2017), a project which nurtured his interest in combining animation with new technologies, and he has worked for companies such as Paramount Pictures, Sony or Netflix. He currently resides in London where he is regarded as one of the most promising young directors in the European animation audiovisual scene.