Immersive dome cinema launched as 5th MEGA Festival commences

On 18 December 2025, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)’s Academy of Film and Creative Technology officially launched its immersive dome cinema, as well as kicked off the fifth MEGA International Creative Media Festival, and announced the establishment of the International Immersive Media Creation Alliance (IMMCA).

Together, the three initiatives mark a significant step in advancing immersive media education, creative practice, and industry collaboration at the University.

Event on site at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang)

The immersive dome cinema

Pioneering immersive media space

A key highlight of the day was the opening of the immersive dome cinema at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang). Featuring an 18m-diameter dome with 8K resolution imagery and a fully enveloping sound system, the space offers a highly immersive digital environment.

The dome cinema is equipped with a self-illuminating LED display, providing a 110°×180° wraparound field of view. It supports a wide range of applications, including scientific data visualisation, engineering simulation, and digital art creation.

The cinema’s official launch

Professor Qian Liu, Dean of the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, said: “The immersive display environment enables abstract ideas that were previously difficult to convey to become intuitive and tangible. As a facility at the international forefront and a pioneering initiative within higher education, the dome cinema will provide an important platform for cross-disciplinary teaching, research, and creative practice.”

Professor Qian Lu

Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, added that the dome cinema introduces a new spatial paradigm for creative expression, enabling staff and students to explore a deeper relationship between humans and technology.

Professor Youmin Xi

MEGA International Creative Media Festival records highest-ever submissions

Held alongside the launch of the dome cinema, the fifth MEGA International Creative Media Festival was themed “Immersion”. Focusing on film, digital media arts and creative technology, the festival provided an international platform for exchange through screenings, competitions, and a themed summit.

New categories for AI-generated content and short-form video were introduced this year. The festival received 1,384 submissions from 14 countries and regions, representing a 67% increase compared with the previous edition and marking a record high. Fourteen teams and individual creators were recognised with awards. The opening ceremony livestream attracted more than 2.07 million views, reflecting the festival’s growing international reach.

The themed summit, titled “Immersive Future: Scene Revolution and Value Innovation Driven by Immersive Media”, brought together experts from universities, industry, and creative institutions to discuss how immersive technologies are reshaping content creation, spatial experience and future application scenarios.

A panel discussion on immersive media

International Immersive Media Creation Alliance officially established

On the same day, the International Immersive Media Creation Alliance (IMMCA), initiated by the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, was officially established. The alliance brings together partners across the digital content production chain, spanning display technologies, system platforms, content creation, and application scenarios, to support collaborative innovation in immersive media.

Official launch of the International Immersive Media Creation Alliance (IMMCA)

Professor Liu noted that the alliance builds on long-term cross-institutional collaboration and aims to further strengthen academic–industry partnerships in the immersive media sector.

“Rather than following existing industry models, the alliance seeks to contribute to defining future media formats,” he said.

Initial members of the alliance include XJTLU’s Academy of Film and Creative Technology, Nanjing Lopu Co., Ltd., Beijing Lanview Technology Co., Ltd., Tiantu Wanjing Technology Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou Creative Cloud Network Technology Co., Ltd., MANA Global New Media Art Platform, and Beijing Xinhe Jingcheng Technology Co., Ltd.

Professor Liu added: “By launching these three initiatives together, the Academy demonstrates its commitment to advancing global digital audiovisual content creation and to driving innovation in immersive media through education, research and industry engagement.”

By Wenzhen Li
Translated by Xiangyin Han
Edited by Patricia Pieterse