Global film festivals canceled due to coronavirus join forces in virtual experience for movie lovers

Record ID: 1555018

  • Title: Global film festivals canceled due to coronavirus join forces in virtual experience for movie lovers
  • Date: 26th May 2020
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - APRIL 21, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTRESS ELISABETH MOSS AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - APRIL 26, 2017) (REUTERS) ACTOR TOM HANKS AND WIFE RITA WILSON AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 23, 2020) (REUTERS) EGYPTIAN THE
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2020 00:35
  • Keywords: Berlin Cannes Jane Rosenthal Kaleem Aftab Sundance Venice We Are One: A Global Film Festival YouTube film festivals international online
  • Location: UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS; NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES; LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM; CANNES, FRANCE; VENICE, ITALY; PARK CITY, UTAH, COLORADO; BERLIN, GERMANY; INTERNET
  • City: UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS; NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES; LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM; CANNES, FRANCE; VENICE, ITALY; PARK CITY, UTAH, COLORADO; BERLIN, GERMANY; INTERNET
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA004CFKJTJH
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Cannes film festival was canceled and the September jamborees in Venice and Toronto are uncertain but this week movie lovers are being offered a taste of the film festival experience from the comfort of their homes.
    The 10-day "We Are One: A Global Film Festival," starting Friday (May 29) on YouTube, will feature new and classic movies, talks with directors, and music and comedy curated by 21 festivals including those in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto and New York.
    The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of multiple cultural events where independent movies are first launched.
    "We Are One" will stream more than 100 movies representing 35 nations. The program includes the world premiere of documentary "Iron Hammer" about former Chinese Olympic volleyball star "Jenny" Lang Ping, talks with directors Bong Joon Ho and Guillermo del Toro, and a 20th anniversary reunion of the cast of "Almost Famous."
    Jane Rosenthal, who organized the global event admitted that while most people see film festivals for their red carpets, that's not the best part of them, saying "You get incredible conversations and dialogue and discourse and great arguments that only happen at a film festival so we're trying to peek behind the curtain, if you will, and let anyone in who is interested to take a look a look at what happens at these different film festivals.""
    Rosenthal said she wanted not just to celebrate film but also to reach out to people who have never been to a film festival.
    She said the idea sprang from the Tribeca film festival, which Rosenthal and actor Robert De Niro launched in 2002 to reinvigorate lower Manhattan after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
    However, film festival journalists such as Kaleem Aftab feel there are elements lacking from the set-up. He told Reuters "There are a couple of things I definitely think this film festival is lacking and one of them is there's no competition so we don't have a jury, we don't have people watching the films and the buzz and the weight of seeing and the anticipation of knowing what the jury is going to decide and believe what is the best film so we can all argue more about movies. I love that aspect of film festivals and so I'm really going to miss that. I'm going to miss perhaps the straight interaction we have. After many screenings, there's Q and A's where we can talk and discuss the films with the directors and it's not clear in the announcement whether there will be director Q and A's after each of the films. I very much hope there is but it's not clear and I hope that they do that."
    One thing Aftab and Rosenthal agree on is that they don't miss some of the more stringent rules of film festivals, like review posting and formal wear.
    Rosenthal said "I think we should all wear our slipper chic, our pajama chic but that would be fun to have everyone dress up and all get into a chat room or a Zoom room or a Google Hangout and watch films together. That would be fun. At least we don't have to wear uncomfortable shoes, that's for sure."
    While the festival will stream for free, viewers will be asked to donate to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
    (Production: Rollo Ross)
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