The BFI London Film Festival finds itself experiencing many of the issues that are plaguing the 2020 festival circuit. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many events to close this year and with the fall shaping up to be only a slight bit better than the spring and summer, events like the LFF are having to adapt. And that means the 2020 event is going to go virtual, at least partially.
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According to the organizers of the BFI London Film Festival, circumstances are forcing this year’s fest to be quite a bit different than previous editions. For this year, the event will select 50 films to take part, each being shown to audiences virtually, accompanied by intros and Q&As. In addition, the event will feature free-to-access additional works such as an international short film program, Screen Talks with major filmmakers and actors, salons and roundtables, and a brand new Virtual Exhibition of XR and Immersive Art.
And even though the idea of a physical aspect to the festival might seem a bit premature, the LFF is hoping to showcase 12 features as previews across the UK, specifically in partnership with cinemas that support “great independent and cultural films.”
“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,” said BFI London Film Festival Director, Tricia Tuttle. “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.”
She continued, “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 UK who are such an essential part of our film ecosystem. The Virtual LFF programs and these cinema screenings take the Festival out across the UK, giving people opportunities to engage in different ways. It’s a pleasure each year to speak with audiences who share the ways filmmakers have made them laugh, think, weep, or shifted their way of seeing. Through a number of partnerships and platforms, we can’t wait to share many of this year’s extraordinary new films – from around the world, from artists of different backgrounds and with many bold distinctive filmmaking voices.”
Yet another change to this “one-off” version of the festival is the replacement of the traditional jury awards. With the virtual component of this year’s event, LFF will rely on audiences to help decide the winners with Audience Awards in four categories: Best Fiction Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Short Film, and Best XR.
The full program of features will be announced on September 8, with the event scheduled to begin on October 7.