The coronavirus, (COVID-19) pandemic is having a devastating impact on film festivals with many postponing or cancelling outright. Major festivals such as San Francisco International Film Festival and RiverRun International Film Festival have canceled, while others such as Richmond International Film Festival and Florida Film Festival have been postponed until the Summer or Fall.
Amman International Film Festival Postponed
The inaugural edition of the Amman International Film Festival (AIFF), which was due to take place in the capital of Jordan from April 13 to 18, has been postponed. The festival has set tentative new dates of August 20 to 25, 2020. In an official statement, Princess Rym Ali, President of the AIFF, said: “We are saddened to share this news and are working now on adjusting to this unprecedented situation. The festival has been tentatively rescheduled for 20 – 25 August 2020, in the hope that the world health crisis will be resolved by then.”
Ankara International Film Festival Postponed
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the 31st Ankara International Film Festival, which set for June 4-14 2020, has been postponed to a later date.
Ann Arbor Film Festival to be Live-streamed
All in-person events for the 58th Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) that was set to happen March 24-March 29, 2020 have been suspended. The Festival (AAFF) will be presented as a free live-streamed six-day event March 24-March 29, 2020.
Annapolis Film Festival Continues as Virtual Event
The 2020 Annapolis Film Festival scheduled for March 27-29, will continue as virtual event. “Most of our 2020 programming will be available on the Annapolis Film Festival Channel in partnership with FilmFestivalFlix.com.”
American Black Film Festival Postponed
The 24th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) scheduled to take place June 17 – 21 in Miami Beach has been rescheduled for October 21-25, 2020.
Asbury Park Music and Film Festival Postponed
The Asbury Park Music and Film Festival scheduled for April 23 to 26 has been postponed. The festival is working to reschedule its events for this summer.
Ashland Independent Film Festival Goes Virtual
The 19th annual Ashland Independent Film Festival originally slated for April 16-20, will be a virtual film festival rescheduled for May 22 – June 14.
Atlanta Film Festival Postponed
Updated (March 26, 2020): The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) announced that the 44th annual event will now take place from Thursday, September 17 – Sunday, September 27, 2020.
The 44th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF), originally slated for April 30 – May 10, 2020 is postponed. The festival stated, “We remain committed to presenting ATLFF in 2020 in a way that the city can be proud of, and recognize that with recent guidelines by both the City of Atlanta and the CDC, it is no longer possible on the previously announced dates. We are already in the process of selecting new dates for later in the year, which we hope to announce very soon.”
Belfast Film Festival Postponed
The 20th Belfast Film Festival which was due to start on April 1st, will now be postponed until the autumn.
Berkshire International Film Festival Moves to Fall
The Berkshire International Film Festival has moved its 15th annual festival to September 10th through the 13th. In a statement, the festival announced, “We have made the very difficult decision to move BIFF to the weekend after Labor Day. The new dates are September 10, 11, 12 and 13, 2020. Like our peer Berkshire organizations, our aim is to ensure the health and well-being of our community, visitors, volunteers and staff during this unprecedented time. “
Bermuda International Film Festival Postponed
The Bermuda International Film Festival announced that the 2020 edition due to take place from March 20th to the 26th, has been postponed. In a statement posted on Facebook, the festival emphasized, “Although Bermuda has had no confirmed cases to date we must put the health and well being of our Sponsors, Patrons, guests from overseas and all local festival supporters first.” The festival hopes to reschedule in the fall of this year.
BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival Canceled
BFI announced that it has “taken the very difficult decision” to cancel the 2020 edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, just days before it was scheduled to open. The festival was set to run March 18-29.
Bigfork Independent Film Festival Postponed to October
The 4th Annual Bigfork Independent Film Festival (BIFF 2020), scheduled to take place April 3-5, has now been postponed until October 2-4.
Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival Postponed to Fall
Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York City has decided to postpone the 17th annual film festival. The new festival dates are October 28-31, 2020. This year’s festival had initially been scheduled to take place April 8-11.
Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival Canceled
The Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA) Film Festival’s 10th anniversary festival scheduled to run from May 1 to 3, has been cancelled. “We are gutted that this iconic year in the life of BOFA should be cancelled but we all felt that the health of our audiences and the need for them to focus on their well-being came first,” says Festival Director, Owen Tilbury.
Calgary Underground Film Festival Postponed
The Calgary Underground Film Festival announced that it “has made the necessary and heartbreaking decision” to postpone the 17th Annual Film Festival originally scheduled to run April 20-26, 2020.
Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival Canceled
The 60th Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival – FICCI is canceled.
Cine Las Americas is Cancelled
Cine Las Americas’ board of directors and staff have announced that the 23rd annual film festival, scheduled for May 6-10, will be cancelled. At a later date, Cine Las Americas will announce its plans moving forward for 2020. While nothing has been set or confirmed, the organization is considering presenting an online showcase of films that would have been screened at this year’s film festival.
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival Postponed
The 16th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival set for Friday, August 7 to Sunday, August 16 in the Philippines will be postponed.
Cinetopia Film Festival Postponed
The 2020 Cinetopia Film Festival currently scheduled for May 8-17 will be rescheduled to August 21-30, 2020. Cinetopia Film Festival Director Sarah Escalante says: “We are very appreciative of all the support we have received from our partners and sponsors as we made this difficult decision, and we understand how lucky we are to be able to reschedule Cinetopia.”
CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival Goes Digital
This year’s CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival is going digital. The festival has partnered with Festival Scope to make an online film and talk program available for a local audience.
Doc Edge Festival Goes Virtual
“Doc Edge has decided not to postpone, not to cancel, but to deliver its full festival and industry event program online this June.”
“Over 1400 films were submitted to Doc Edge Festival this year, so we want to honor the filmmakers for all the effort, time and love they and their film crews have poured into each and every one of those titles.”
Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Postponed
The 17th Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Ukraine, scheduled for March 20-29, has been postponed. “We plan to postpone the festival until at least the second half of April. However, this is not determined for sure and will depend on the future epidemiological situation in Ukraine and the world. “
Ebertfest Canceled
The 22nd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as “Ebertfest,” scheduled for April 14-17, 2021, at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign has been canceled. The University of Illinois announced on Wednesday that all university-sponsored events with more than 50 attendees – which include the film festival – would be suspended indefinitely, effective Friday, March 13.
Edinburgh International Children’s Festival Canceled
Organizers have canceled the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival which was due to be held from May 20-31 , 2020.
Edinburgh International Film Festival Postponed
The 74th Edinburgh International Film Festival due to take place in June is postponed. CEO of Edinburgh International Film Festival, Ken Hay said: “It is with huge regret that we have taken the necessary decision to postpone the 74th Edinburgh International Film Festival.” He continued, “We are looking at which elements of the Festival may be delivered later in the year and we will keep you informed as plans develop.”
Filmfest Dresden International Short Film Festival Postponed
32 Filmfest Dresden International Short Film Festival scheduled for April 21 – 26, 2020 is postponed to September 8 to 13, 2020. “Whether the festival program in September will take place as planned or with restrictions due to the change is currently being examined in detail by the festival organizers.”
FilmOut San Diego Postponed
FilmOut San Diego has decided to postpone the upcoming scheduled film festival from April 30–May 3, 2020, to a later date in the fall.
Florida Film Festival Postponed – Not Canceled
This year’s Florida Film Festival, scheduled for April 17 – 26, has been postponed. Festival staff members are tentatively aiming to reschedule for August 2020. Exact dates are still to be determined. In its statement, the festival reiterated, “the festival is NOT canceled; It is postponed.”
Frameline44 San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival Postponed
Originally set to take place June 18–28, 2020, Frameline44 San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is now scheduled to take place in Fall 2020. “Since its inception in 1977, Frameline has welcomed audiences to celebrate the power of queer cinema alongside Pride celebrations in the month of June. While Pride month remains the spiritual home of the festival, we look forward to bringing the community together at a later date, to connect with the most vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ storytellers in film,” said Frameline Executive Director James Woolley. “ The safety of our beloved audience, staff, filmmakers and community partners must come first.”
French Riviera Film Festival Rescheduled To June
The French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) announced that the second annual edition of the festival will be rescheduled to June 8 and 9, 2020 with screenings at Laemmle Film Center in Santa Monica, California.
Garden State Film Festival Goes Live Streamed
The 18th Annual Garden State Film Festival (“GSFF”), will run as scheduled March 26-29, 2020 but will be LIVE STREAMED. The 2020 Festival which brings over 25,000 attendees annually, was set to take place over 5 days in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Glasgow Short Film Festival Postponed
Glasgow Short Film Festival 2020 has been postponed, and will now take from August 19 to 23. In the meantime, thanks to the generosity of the filmmakers, the festival is bringing a taste of the GSFF20 program online. From today, Wednesday 18 March, the festivlal will post two films per day from the program, each making their online premiere here.
Greenpoint Film Festival Postponed to Summer
Greenpoint Film Festival set for May 7-10, 2020 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY is postponed to the summer. “First and foremost we hope that everyone is safe and well. We have been monitoring the pandemic that we are all involved in currently and in spite of our festival being a month away, we believe that postponing the festival to the summer is the best option. We are sorry for any inconvenience this might hold to some of you. We are currently looking into new dates and will be in touch soon.”
Greenwich International Film Festival Goes Virtual
Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF) has postponed all physical events. However, GIFF 2020 set for April 29 to May 3, will now become the the first-ever Virtual Greenwich International Film Festival. “It is our pleasure to invite all of our supporters to attend the first-ever Virtual Greenwich International Film Festival, May 1st to 3rd, bringing the Festival experience into the homes of our audience members.”
Guadalajara International Film Festival Postponed
Guadalajara International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara) (FICG) has decided to postpone its 35th edition, scheduled to take place March 20-27,2020.
Hebden Bridge Film Festival Postponed
The 2020 Hebden Bridge Film Festival has been postponed. Organizers hope to host a revised program on the last weekend of September (25 – 27)
Hot Docs Postponed
Hot Docs will be postponing this year’s Festival, which was scheduled for April 30-May 10 in Toronto. The festival said in a statement, ” We remain committed to bringing these outstanding documentary films to our audiences and are currently investigating ways that we can do so at a later date.”
Houston Latino Film Festival Postponed
Houston Latino Film Festival set for March 19-22 has been postponed. Announcement of new dates for 2020 Houston Latino Film Festival will be made online on the Festival’s website and Facebook.
IFFBoston Postponed
The IFFBoston previously scheduled for April 22-29, 2020 is postponed.
Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti Postponed
Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti in Ypsilanti, Michigan set to run April 16, 2020 – April 18, 2020 at Riverside Arts Center has been postponed. Organizers are working on rescheduling sometime in Fall 2020.
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Postponed
The 18th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles set to run April 1st-5th is postponed to a later, to-be-determined date in 2020. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation for the best timing to reschedule the festival later this year.” – Christina Marouda, IFFLAChair of the Board
Indie Grits Festival
The 14th Annual Indie Grits Festival scheduled for March 26, 2020 – March 27, 2020 has been canceled.
Inside Out LGBTQ Film Festival Posponed
This year’s 30th anniversary edition of Inside Out – Canada’s largest LGBTQ film festival previously scheduled for May 21-31, 2020 is postponed to October 1-11, 2020.
i-Represent International Documentary Film Festival Postponed
i-Represent International Documentary Film Festival, Nigeria’s largest documentary film, has postpone the 2020 festival scheduled for March 19-22, 2020.
Istanbul Film Festival Postponed
The 39th Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and scheduled to take place on April 10-21, is postponed. New dates will be announced later.
Kinoteka Polish Film Festival
Organizers announced that the 18th Kinoteka Polish Film Festival in London, set to run March 19 – April 5, is not cancelled, but postponed. “With this in mind, we assure you that the 18th Kinoteka Film Festival is not cancelled, but postponed. While we are not able now to give you the exact new date for the Festival to take place, we are hoping to be able to celebrate the Polish Film with Kinoteka in the months to come and as soon as the situation with COVID-19 pandemic gets under control.”
Krakow Film Festival Goes Online
The 60th Krakow Film Festival will take place as scheduled on May 31 – June 7, 2020, but will be moved entirely online. “We do realize that nothing can compare to the festival atmosphere, the collective experience of an audience in a cinema theatre or backstage meetings. However, as we’re facing an uncertain future, we’ve decided to organize the Festival in this new formula. We do it out of respect for the filmmakers who are impatiently waiting to present their most recent work to the festival jury and the audience, but also for the audience itself – we want to give them a worthy escape from the worries of everyday life and restore a tiny bit of normality in this trying times” – Krzysztof Gierat, the director of the Krakow Film Festival, explains.
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Rescheduled
The 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival originally slated for April 30 – May 8, 2020 is rescheduled to later this year. In a statement, the Festival noted, “We acknowledge that this virus has been racialized and has incited hateful acts towards our communities. While we are seeing anti-Asian sentiments that perpetuate perilous narratives, Visual Communications and the Festival will continue to be a space for expression, engagement, and empowerment. We look forward to celebrating our artists and stories with you at a later time.”
Maine Jewish Film Festival
The 23rd Maine Jewish Film Festival scheduled for From March 28 – April 5, 2020 has been postponed. In a statement, the Festival said, “We do plan to hold events this Fall and will have announcements about this as soon as we can. Unfortunately, .”
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Postponed – New Dates
The sixth edition of the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival which was slated to take place over Memorial Day weekend, will now be held September 16 – 20, 2020. “Our hearts go out to all of those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. After careful consideration, we have decided to postpone this year’s festival to a time we can reasonably hope this situation will be behind us,” said Festival Director Shira Dubrovner.
Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown Postponed
The 9th Annual Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown which was originally slated for March 27-29, 2020 is being postponed, the president of the festival Nicole Houser told WDVM.
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival Postponed
The MSP Film Society has postponed the 2020 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) until further notice. “We’re of course deeply saddened,” said Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director of the MSP Film Society.
Moscow International Film Festival Postponed
“Due to an order of the government of the Russian Federation restricting the entry of foreign citizens to Russia until May 1, 2020, the Moscow International film festival, which was scheduled to take place from April 22 to April 29, is postponed. The new dates of the festival will be announced later. “
Mountainfilm in Telluride Goes Online
Mountainfilm has made the decision to move the 42nd annual festival to an online platform. In an emailed message, the festival said “We ask for your patience as we work to figure out the details of this new festival experience, and will send updates as soon as they are available.”
NatureTrack Film Festival Postponed
The 3rd Annual NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) in Los Olivos, California, has been postponed from March 20-22, 2020 to October 9-11, 2020. “We are greatly looking forward to our rescheduled dates in October when we will proceed with the same incredible slate of films we had cued up for this month. ”
Newport Beach Film Festival Postponed to Summer
The 21st Annual Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) which was initially scheduled for April 23-30, will now be held August 6-13. In its statement, the festival said “We hope that all of our patrons and partners stay healthy and safe during this worldwide pandemic and we look forward to seeing you all in August.”
NYC Independent Film Festival Postponed
New York City Independent Film Festival is moving the festival to new dates: May 31 to June 7, 2020. The Festival is also “looking at offering digital options for those who cannot make it to NYC no matter what dates we hold the festival this year.”
NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival is Still On
The 18th NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival is scheduled to run in a reduced capacity in Wanaka from June 26 to 28. The Queenstown Festival has been cancelled at this time. The platform, size and scope of the event will be confirmed in May, 2020.
Overlook Film Festival Postponed
The 2020 edition of the Overlook Film Festival has been postponed until later this year. “It is with a heavy heart that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must postpone the 2020 Overlook Film Festival to a date later this year.”
Philadelphia Film Festival SpringFest Canceled
The Philadelphia Film Festival SpringFest, previously scheduled for April 24 – 26 at the Philadelphia Film Center is canceled. “While it will not be rescheduled, we will be looking at some special programming around new independent films once we have greater clarity on when we might be permitted to reopen, along with potential virtual screening opportunities in the interim.”
Popcorn Frights Film Festival Rescheduled to October
Popcorn Frights Film Festival has rescheduled its sixth annual edition to October 1-4, 2020. “In light of this change, Popcorn Frights has extended its submission deadlines.”
Provincetown International Film Festival Canceled
The 22nd Annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), originally scheduled for June 17-21 is canceled. “We are deeply saddened to announce that we are not able to produce The 22nd Annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), originally scheduled for June 17-21. The health and safety of our staff, patrons, audience and everyone involved in bringing the festival to life is our highest priority.”
Queens World Film Festival to Stream Online
The 10th annual Queens World Film Festival will run as scheduled from March 19-29, but will stream its lineup of 220 films on DISCOVERED.TV
Revelation Perth International Film Festival Postponed
The 2020 Revelation Perth International Film Festival scheduled for July 2nd to 12th is postponed . “We’re not happy about it but there’s no way around it…Rev has been postponed until September 24-Oct 4, 2020. Who knows if we’ll be bumped again, but we’re still watching films and making plans. ” “This postponement includes Revelation Academic and XR:WA which will also take place Sept 24-27th at the Perth Cultural Centre.”
Richmond International Film Festival Postponed
In a statement, Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) said that it has made a very difficult, but necessary decision to postpone the 2020 festival. RIFF will postpone the festival until early summer or fall.
RiverRun International Film Festival Canceled
Citing the latest news and the request to not convene groups over 100, RiverRun International Film Festival has canceled the 2020 festival. The festival stated, “While we will greatly miss seeing everyone come together to celebrate the diverse global stories reflected in our films, we place a greater priority on the wellbeing of our constituents.”
San Diego Latino Film Festival Canceled
This year’s 27th San Diego Latino Film Festival set for March 12-22 has been canceled.
San Francisco International Film Festival Canceled
SFFILM announced that the 63rd San Francisco International Film Festival has been cancelled. In a statement, the organization said, “We are deeply saddened and disappointed to announce that we are canceling the 63rd San Francisco International Film Festival.” … “This is unprecedented in the 63-year history of this event, and we are devastated by this news.”
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Canceled
The 2020 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival scheduled for March 17-22 will not be happening as scheduled. In a statement, the festival expressed disappointment, saying, “We are incredibly sad to have to now convey this news.”
Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival
The Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival postponed the 2020 Festival to August 19-23, 2020 – same times, same location, same movies!
Seattle International Film Festival Canceled
The 46th Seattle International Film Festival scheduled to run May 14 to June 7, 2020 has been canceled. “We did not make this decision lightly.”
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival Postponed
The 13th annual Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival which was scheduled to run March 26 to 29, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SCA) and Rialto Cinemas in Sonoma, California, has been postponed.
Sidewalk Film Festival is Still On
The 22nd Annual Sidewalk Film Festival, August 24-30 is set to take place as scheduled. Sidewalk Cinema will be closing Thursday, March 12 with a target reopen date of Thursday, March 26, pending additional guidance from local authorities as well as the CDC and the World Health Organization.
Sonoma International film Festival Canceled
Kevin McNeely, executive director of the Sonoma International film Festival (SIFF), announced that this year’s festival scheduled for March 25-29 has been canceled. “We’ll be back!”
Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film Canceled
The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) scheduled for May 5 to 10, 2020 has been canceled. To provide a platform for the more than 1,800 films from around the world submitted for competitions, the festival is planning a digital version of ITFS for the Festival period from May 5 to 10, 2020, and to make competition entries available for streaming / as video-on-demand. The next Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film is set for May 4 to 9, 2021
Sun Valley Film Festival Canceled
The Sun Valley Film Festival (SVFF) is cancelling the 2020 Festival, scheduled for March 18-22. In a statement, the festival noted, “Though the March 2020 Festival will no longer take place as intended, the non-profit SVFF organization will continue to strive toward its mission as it looks forward to its 10th anniversary event in 2021. “
Sydney Film Festival Canceled
Sydney Film Festival board and management announced the cancellation of this year’s Festival, planned for June 14th as well as the Travelling Film Festival Tamworth planned for March 27th, 2020.
Taiwan International Documentary Festival Postponed to Spring 2021
The 12th Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF) due to take place on May 1-10, 2020, will be postponed to Spring 2021.
Valletta Film Festival Cancelled
The 2020 edition of the Valletta Film Festival will reportedly not take place due to COVID-19 restrictions and insufficient public support for the organisation of the festival.
Vilnius IFF Goes Digital
The 25th Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris scheduled to take place from March 19 to April 2 in Lithuania, will move its programming online.
Wisconsin Film Festival Canceled
The Wisconsin Film Festival is canceling the 2020 edition. The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently suspended Spring Semester classroom instruction and canceled events with more than 50 people through at least April 10. Tickets for the 2020 Wisconsin Film Festival will be refunded. The festival also announced that next year’s Festival will take place April 8–15, 2021.
Worldfest Houston International Film Festival Postponed
Worldfest Houston International Film Festival is postponing its upcoming 10-day fest due to begin April 17 through 26, 2020, reports Houston Chronicle. The festival hopes to re-schedule WorldFest-Houston 53 later in the summer.
More coronavirus related event updates
Tribeca Film Festival Postpones 2020 Edition
Cleveland and Full Frame Documentary Film Festivals Cancelled, Jeonju Postponed, Due to Coronavirus
Prague, Beijing, Malaga, Inwood Film Festivals Canceled Over Coronavirus Fears
AFI Postpones Julie Andrews Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute Due to Coronavirus
Bentonville Film Festival Reschedules 2020 Festival Due to Coronavirus Fears
SXSW 2020 Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Concerns
Hong Kong International Film Festival 2020 Postponed Due to Coronavirus Concerns