Eloise Singer’s Lucy Liu-narrated The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters is among eight works selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s third Immersive Competition, the lineup of which was announced on Friday.

It is the latest instalment in London-based Singer Studios’ award-winning Pirate Queen story-world inspired by the true story of Cheng Shih, the woman who commanded the largest pirate fleet in history.
 
Singer previously explored this world in 2024 VR experience The Pirate Queen, which went onto to be nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Emerging Media Program.

This year’s selection, ranging from large-scale video projections to virtual reality experiences, will be available to be experienced from May 12 to 22 in a newly reconfigured demo space in the Carlton Hotel which is able to host 80 to 225 participants simultaneously.

Further world premieres include Spanish creators David Bardos and Damià Ferràndiz’s Banijay Live and Univrse produced work The Black Mirror Experience, combining AI and virtual reality, as well as Lúcido in which a young man learns to control his dreams with the help of his boyfriend.

Lineup of the 2026 Immersive Competition
 
GAWD V. THE PEOPLE
World Premiere
Yamil Rodriguez, Ivan Alejandro Diaz Cardenas, Stephen Henderson
Produced by Nilor Studio
Country United Kingdom
 
KATÁBASIS
World Premiere
Ugo Arsac
Produced by Zorba
Cast Terry Williams
Country France
 
LÚCIDO
World Premiere
Vier
Produced by COLA Animation
Cast Tadeu Faustino, Rafael Gomes, Joshua Dowden, José Maria Forjaz
Country Portugal
 
PLAYING WITH FIRE
International Premiere
Pierre-Alain Giraud
Produced by VIVE Arts, Atlas V
Cast Yuja Wang
United Kingdom, France, Taiwan
 
RED PLANET 3009
International Premiere
Mariano Leotta, Francesco Fiore / Skycon
Produced by Alter Agent
Cast Jane Perry
Country Italy
 
THE BLACK MIRROR EXPERIENCE
World Premiere
David Bardos, Damià Ferràndiz
Produced by Banijay Live, Univrse
France, Spain
 
THE PIRATE QUEEN: NO SAFE WATERS
World Premiere
Eloise Singer
Produced by Singer Studios
Cast Lucy Liu
United Kingdom
 
VOOOOOO—PEEEEEE—
International Premiere
Hyeunjoo Woo, Jiyun Park
Produced by Ubac Studio
Cast Hyeunjoo Woo, Jiyun Park
Country South Korea
 
YELLOWFIN
World Premiere
E del Mundo
Produced by Screen Asia, Create Cinema
Cast Eduardo Kawasan Jr., Aly Cabral
Country Philippines