As the world continues to remain in lockdown, event after event has been canceled or postponed. Festivals, concerts, conventions, and celebrations have all been put on hold as the world anxiously awaits for the novel coronavirus to cease. Some events have chosen to go virtual in an attempt to make create a little normalcy in an uncertain time. Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival is excited to announce their decision to move forward with the festival as a cutting edge cyber cinematic spectacular this August!
To bring the festival to the world wide web, Fantasia will be working with Festival Scope and Shift72 via their new state-of-the-art, MPAA compliant, online festival platform. Several of Fantasia’s 2020 screenings will be presented in real-time access with a strong focus on re-creating the unique energy and connectedness that make festivals such a popular experience. Going virtual has created the opportunity for Fantasia to program top-tier genre films that may not have otherwise considered an online launch or premiere.
Fantasia co-director Mitch Davis commented, “While we’re saddened not to be able to put on the larger-than-life physical event that we’d been planning for this year, we’re extremely excited to be working with Festival Scope and Shift72 on an unconventional virtual edition. They’ve enthusiastically embraced every challenge we’ve thrown their way, particularly when it comes to making so many of our screenings be real-time, live events instead of the usual streaming approach. It’s going to make things so much more exciting and will go a long way towards keeping the intensity and engagement of the in-person experience vibrant in an online realm”.
Some of the content to be offered include filmmaker intros and audience-involved Q&As, live panels, and workshops. Additionally, festival staples such as short film showcases, juried competitions, and audience awards will remain in place. The virtual line-up will include a wide array of international film screenings, including titles from the canceled SXSW and Tribeca Film Festivals. Fantasia’s virtual film festival is scheduled to run August 20 through September 2, 2020. The first wave of titles for the festival will be revealed in late May. For all the details, visit Fantasia’s website.
