BFI London Film Festival is set to move all of its programming online for the Oct. 2020 festival. All of the festival’s programming, including its film screenings, will not be held in-person in anticipation of potential problems regarding the coronavirus.
The London Film Festival is following in the footsteps of Cannes and Sundance Film Festival, which have all moved online to avoid any issues with Covid-19.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle said, “Like many other live events around the world, we’ve had to make changes to our plans in response to a global pandemic, factoring in safety concerns and restrictions — some known, some still unclear. But as we’ve undergone this planning we’ve also witnessed historical international protests, an urgent reminder of just how much we need to do to combat racism and inequality… The Virtual LFF programs and these cinema screenings take the festival out across the U.K., giving people opportunities to engage in different ways.”
The festival is occurring from Oct. 7-18, and while many of the lockdown precautions will be lifted by then, the festival is preparing for the worst.
Tuttle added, “This year has also given us an opportunity to think creatively about how we make the festival more accessible. It was vital to us that we get back to cinemas, and are looking forward to working with independent and cultural venues across the U.K. who are such an essential part of our film ecosystem.”
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