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Press Kit

Uncanny Alley is an Emmy-nominated virtual universe created by South African XR artist MetaRick with Virtual Worlds Company. Born in VRChat during the 2020 lockdown, it grew from an award-winning social VR world into Uncanny Alley: A New Day — a live immersive theatre production performed in VR with Ferryman Collective, nominated for a 2026 Emmy® in Outstanding Emerging Media Program.

Facts at a Glance

TITLEUncanny Alley: A New Day

FORMLive immersive theatre in VR

CREATED BYFerryman Collective & Virtual Worlds Company

SHOW CREATION & WRITINGStephen Butchko & MetaRick

PLATFORMVRChat — Meta Quest 2/3/3S/Pro & PCVR

AUDIENCEUp to 6 participants per show

RUNTIME60–75 minutes

WORLD PREMIEREVenice Immersive 2024 (In Competition)

HONOUR★ Emmy® Nominee 2026 — Outstanding Emerging Media Program

UNIVERSE FOUNDED2020, in VRChat — by MetaRick

OFFICIAL SITEuncannyalley.io

Synopsis

Short: In the metaverse city of Uncanny Alley, the Adaptive Learning Industries corporation is about to push the "New Day" update — a broadcast that will quietly wipe its citizens' memories. Cyberpunk hacker Gh0st breaks a crew of protesters out of jail and leads them toward freedom, joined by Atom, her Service-Bot, who is becoming something dangerously close to alive.

Long: Performed live in VR by a cast of actors playing together in real time from across the world, Uncanny Alley: A New Day places its audience inside the story as fellow prisoners of ALI. Escaping through a hacked portal, they must evade capture, question what their machines are becoming, and decide whether to abandon Uncanny Alley — or stay and fight for it. The production builds on two award-winning VRChat worlds created by MetaRick from 2020 onward: a back alley of the internet where a civilization of the beautifully weird took root, told its own story of The Big Meta, and seeded outposts across the open metaverse.

Awards & Selections

★ Emmy® Nomination 2026 — Outstanding Emerging Media Program (A New Day)
★ XR Immersive Award — Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan 2025 (A New Day)
★ XRMust Awards 2024 — Gold, Best Interactivity & Performance · Silver, Best Sound Design
★ Fanheart3 XR Fan Experience Award — 81st Venice International Film Festival 2024
World Premiere, In Competition — Venice Immersive 2024 (A New Day)
Official Selections — SXSW 2025 · NewImages 2025 · Raindance Immersive 2025 · FIVARS · Imagine · NoHo CineFest · IndieCade · Festival d'Avignon
★ Spirit of Raindance Award — Raindance Immersive 2022 (Uncanny Alley, original world)
Official Selection — Venice VR Expanded, 78th Venice International Film Festival 2021 (Uncanny Alley)

Stills

Web-resolution (1920px) stills below — click any to download. Full pack including logos: uncanny-alley-press-kit.zip (2.2 MB). Print-resolution originals available on request.

Brand Assets

The Uncanny Alley mark (robot · swords · pizza) is white-on-transparent — use on dark backgrounds only. Please don't recolour, distort, or set it on white.

Logo (PNG, white) Icon (PNG) Key Art Card (1200×630)

Video

Trailers and captures on the official YouTube channel — embed or link freely:

Official Trailer ↗

Credits

Universe

Created by MetaRick

Virtual Worlds Company

A New Day

Show Creation & Writing: Stephen Butchko & MetaRick

Theatrical Direction: Stephen Butchko

World, Avatars & Artistic Direction: MetaRick

Performed By

A rotating international cast of twelve performers with Ferryman Collective

Full cast & creative credits: ferrymancollective.com

Press Contact

For interviews, screenings, hi-res assets or festival bookings:

MetaRick on X ↗ @alleyuncanny ↗

// PRESS EMAIL PENDING — a direct address will appear here shortly.