A key part of Inland Norway University's contribution to CEFIMA is the allocation of PhD-level research fellowships. Two of these were announced in 2018, and a lot of excellent applications were submitted. Eventually, the projects belonging to documentary maker and transmedia producer Elin Festøy, and video game producer and designer Bendik Stang were chosen.
Festøy's project is titled "Numb", and is based upon the work on the internationally renowned game "My Child Lebensborn", which she developed with Sarepta Studio. "Numb" is also linked to the international network "Children Born of War", and will culminate in a VR documentary that unites mothers from different generations and countries, who all have in common that they've given birth to children whose fathers are soldiers from an invading force.
Stang will explore the use of artificial intelligence in interactive narratives. The Norwegian video game company Snowcastle Games is going to produce the game "Earthlock 2", and the project will utilize artificial intelligence as a vehicle to create a more expansive and satisfying narrative for the gamers.
In addition to these projects, DNF / CEFIMA has been granted funding from the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme. These funds go to the project "Queens Game", created by professor Maureen Thomas. Thomas has long experience with interactive storytelling, and through this project she will tell the story of the Danish princess Margrete (1353-1412), who became queen of a united Scandinavia. The story unfolds on several platforms, utilizing 3D game elements and location-based augmented and mixed reality.
Combined with Nadja Lipsyc and Cecilie Levy's projects, these will form the foundation of CEFIMA's future experimentation and development of new bachelor and master studies.
