Conference The Road Ahead Visions of Change
ON SITE Turm Aalen Thursday, May 07, 17:00

Stop Asking for Permission: Building Arthouse IP Across XR, Film & Games

Reynard Films and Yaga Studio have been operating at the intersection of arthouse film, XR, and games since 2016. In this talk, we ask what happens when arthouse creators stop adapting to existing screens and systems—and start building their own infrastructure. How can XR become not just an artistic medium, but a sustainable economic model? And how can game engines, AI, and in-house R&D reshape how stories are developed, produced, and distributed across film, immersive media, and games?

Katharina Weser

Katharina Weser, Co-Founder, CEO, Reynard Films & Yoga Studio

Katharina Weser is a producer working at the intersection of arthouse cinema, XR, and games. She is the co-founder of Reynard Films and Yaga Studio, two companies operating across film production, immersive media, and real-time technologies.

Founded in 2016, Reynard Films focuses on international co-productions in auteur cinema, with works presented at major festivals such as Karlovy Vary, SXSW, and the Venice Biennale. Her work has received numerous international awards, including the Immersive Grand Jury Prize in Venice, the Audience Award at SXSW, a Special Mention in Karlovy Vary, and the International Producer’s Award at Filmfest Hamburg.

In 2024, Weser co-founded Yaga Studio as a creative and technological counterpart, developing interactive XR experiences, games, and immersive formats.

Together, both companies form a game engine–based ecosystem that bridges film, interactive media, and artistic research. Alongside their productions, they develop tools and workflows in real-time engines, VFX, and AI-driven pipelines—seeking scalable solutions across all formats. Their projects have received multiple awards and have been showcased internationally.