At this point, if you’re concerned about Cannes actually happening this summer, you’re a bit behind the eight ball, so to speak. That festival is likely not going to happen, as many in the film industry fully expect this summer to be a wash, when it comes to public events. Now, all eyes are on Venice and the Toronto International Film Festival, both scheduled for September, to see which might be the first major film event after the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a new interview, Variety spoke to TIFF executive director and co-head Joana Vicente and artistic director Cameron Bailey about the future of their festival in September and what precautions will be taken to ensure that the event will go off without a hitch.
Vicente explained, “Postponing is definitely not a possibility on the table right now. [Based on] everything that we are learning, things might get worse in October or November if there is a second wave.”
The TIFF executive director added that the physical aspect of the festival will likely face similar regulations that we recently heard explained by Venice Film Festival organizers. She said, “We know that there are a lot of industry members and delegates that will not be able to travel to Toronto because they are coming from all over the world. It’s going to be a modified version of the festival. We’re going to look at doing some kind of social distancing. Maybe it’s not six feet [of separation], but maybe there’s a seat in between.”
Bailey reiterated the fact that the festival will go on.
“We are absolutely planning for a public festival and a strong industry component,” he said. “We are going to follow what happens with public health guidelines, of course, and that will determine more. We hope that by the middle of June, say, we’ll be able to make a call [as to] which way we are leaning. But we will deliver a festival this year.”
And much like Venice, which is also set to begin in September, Vicente confirmed that there will be a digital aspect of the festival, considering many attendees won’t be able to physically be in Toronto. However, it’s unclear, right now, “how big that digital component is and what it looks like.”
Considering TIFF is still months away from happening, if it happens at all, there’s still plenty of time to figure out the details. That being said, Vicente thinks that this year’s festival will have a bit of an added importance due to the global pandemic.
“If we get lucky and have the festival in September — which we are obviously hoping for and planning for — we really see it as a moment to celebrate films, to celebrate the filmmakers, to support the industry, to bring audiences back. That’s the thing that people love about Toronto, it’s the Toronto audiences,” she explained.
As of now, TIFF 2020 is expected to begin on September 10.