With physical events for SXSW and Tribeca canceled (both moving partially online) and Cannes seemingly next in line to do the same, we are already looking towards the fall festivals to see if the film industry will be ready to go by then or if the COVID-19 pandemic will still be wreaking havoc. The Toronto International Film Festival has already released a statement about where it stands, showcasing the event’s interest in adapting to whatever situation presented. But in the case of the Venice Film Festival, it appears that the event is only going to happen if people can physically attend.
Speaking to Variety, a spokesperson for the Venice Film Festival shot down the notion of turning into a digital event if COVID-19 forces folks to continue to stay indoors and avoid large crowds. In fact, there’s absolutely no way Venice will become an online event because it just can’t.
“The Venice Film Festival cannot be replaced by an online event,” a spokesman said, adding “there is obviously the possibility that we use technology for some initiatives” but noted, “it’s too early for this to be decided.”
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This comment is obviously made in light of the recent announcement by SXSW that the festival has teamed with Amazon Prime Video to release a selection of films for free on the platform, as well as the message released by the TIFF directors hinting that online initiatives could be used if the fall festival isn’t able to be held in person.
Speaking directly about that latter announcement, Venice boss Alberto Barbera said, “Toronto is a different type of festival, not comparable to Cannes or Venice.”
He added that while he and his team “are working just the same as in past years,” at present, “we cannot provide specifics about the future,” but did stress that canceling the physical aspect of the festival is not a possibility.
Of course, many people are hoping that the whole COVID-19 pandemic is, at least, in its final stages by the fall, but it’s awfully bold to hear the folks at Venice act so defiantly about the possibility of an online festival. It echoes the sentiment of early messages from the people at Cannes. And as we saw, eventually, the idea of canceling the festival has become a very real possibility, though an online aspect has yet to be announced.
READ MORE: Tribeca 2020 To Move Online With Select Content Open To The Public
If Cannes does end up canceling the physical festival, it would be interesting to see if it adopts any online platforms to showcase the films. And if it does, would Venice follow? Obviously, Barbera feels that Cannes and Venice are very distinct and shouldn’t be compared to TIFF and its ilk.
TL;DR—Venice is confident that everything will be fine and is definitely against turning into a digital event. But we’ll just have to wait and see if that tune changes as we enter the summer.
