MORE FILM AND TV FESTIVALS TO CANCEL OR POSTPONE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in various more festival cancellations and postponments. Plans for the Venice Film Festival to be postponed until 2-12 of September stand firm. During an interview with Italian news agency ANSA over the weekend, Venice Artistic Director Alberto Barbera confirmed that he is currently not weighing digital options like similar events are, such as SXSW and Tribeca, and possibly Cannes. “The Venice Film Festival cannot be replaced by an online event,” a Venice spokesman told Variety. “There is obviously the possibility that we use technology for some initiatives, but it’s too early for this to be decided.”

On Monday, organizers also released information about the festival’s final cut in Venice co-production workshop dedicated to supporting works from the Middle East and Africa, still currently scheduled to be held during the festival. Last month, the festival’s parent organization, the Veni Biennale, headed by film producer and former Cinecittà studios chief Robert Cicutto, moved the opening date of its Architecture Biennale as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The event was initially scheduled to open from 23 May to 29 August. 

Toronto Film Festival co-heads Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey assured that they are willing to adapt to the situation they’ve been presented with, stating that they were “looking at both on-site and digital innovations” for the event, which is scheduled to run Sept. 10-20, due to “uncertainty about what ‘people coming together again’ will look like come September.” The Melbourne International Film Festival, which would've been held in August was also canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. It’s the festival’s first time in 69 years that it’ had to cancel. Artistic Director Al Cossar said the decision was “very hard but plainly necessary, responsible and required given what we all face together at this moment”. Organizers added that, in the absence of a festival, they would consider “other means of continuing to engage audiences.” Organizers added that the 37 Degrees South Market and the Accelerator Lab would also be canceled.  “The thought of a winter without MIFF in our city is a disorienting one; deeply disappointing to both our organization, and I’m sure our community," Cossar said. "Our thoughts rush to those who make MIFF what it is year after year, and what it will return to be. To our partners, funders, venues, staff, suppliers, filmmakers and artists, volunteers, prized collaborators of all kinds, and our own uniquely MIFF audiences, we wish you safety and support; we will continue, together.” 

Cannes Film Festival, which had been due to run in May but was postponed until late June due to the disruption, remains one of the last events to still be scheduled to take place in spring/early summer. The 2020 edition of the Edinburgh TV Festival, initially scheduled to take place in August, has been canceled due to the pandemic and is set to be "reimagined online," according to organizers. The festival team said this year's digital offerings were "designed to support and connect the television community in light of what has become a very challenging year" and would still include the well-established event's main elements, including the keynote MacTaggart Lecture, the session with the U.K. broadcaster controllers and awards, together with its various talent schemes. “We have decided that in the best interests of everyone we would seek to bring together, educate and support, that we will not be staging the TV festival physically in Edinburgh this August," said Festival and TV Foundation Managing Director, Campbell Glennie. “However, our industry is based on creative innovation, and so too is the festival. For the past week we have been in consultation with our board, partners and supporters to re-examine not just what we could achieve this year, but more importantly what we should be doing to connect, discuss and find solutions to issues both perennial and particular to the evolving challenges we all face. Television’s vital role in our lives has never been so present, valued and cherished, and so the team will be doing everything we can in 2020 to keep the discussion flowing, talent supported and diversity encouraged. It will not be the festival we know, but it will still be the festival we love.”