Thanks to the lockdown imposed in many parts of the world to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, film festivals, like most other events, are getting cancelled. At the time of such a crisis, YouTube and Tribeca Enterprises have come up with a global online film festival called We Are One: A Global Film Festival. It will run from 29 May through 7 June.
The digital film festival will see participation from 20 major film festivals across the world including Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Venice and Berlin. India will be represented in this mix by the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
According to a report in Variety.com, the festival will be free-to-watch. It will contain feature films, shorts, documentaries, music, comic acts and panel discussions. The list of films will be made available later.
Viewers will be asked to make a donation for coronavirus relief. Through these, YouTube and Tribeca Enterprises will help the World Heath Organization (WHO) and local organizations involved in relief work.
“We Are One: A Global Film Festival unites curators, artistes and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide. In working with our extraordinary festival partners and YouTube, we hope that everyone gets a taste of what makes each festival so unique and appreciates the art and power of film,” said Jane Rosenthal, head of Tribeca Enterprises and the Tribeca Film Festival.
The report also stated that the organizers made it clear that the online festival should not be considered a replacement for the various film festivals. The organizers of the Venice Film Festival have said they are planning to hold the physical event from 2 to 12 September provided the situation improves. Similarly, the Toronto International Film Festival is looking at the possibility of holding the event later this year.