The 24th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) scheduled to take place online from August 21-30th, due to the COVID19 pandemic, promises to continue the tradition of the live festival: featuring the best of independent Black cinema, studio premieres, conversations and panels, along with virtual networking events.
Lacci, directed by Daniele Luchetti (La nostra vita, Mio fratello è figlio unico, Il portaborse) starring Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi Lo Cascio, Laura Morante, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Adriano Giannini, Linda Caridi is the Opening Film, Out of Competition, of the 77th Venice International Film Festival (September 2 – 12 September, 2020).
River City Drumbeat will have its virtual cinema release on August 7th and will also run for two weeks in each city through at least August 21st, with expansion to follow.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) has canceled this year’s festival in response to the recent upsurge in local COVID-19 infected cases. HKIFFS Executive Director Albert Lee also confirmed the cancellation of Cine Fan’s September/October bi-monthly program. However, the 18th Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) will still take place online from August 26-28.
PBS’ Webby Award-nominated PBS Short Film Festival will return for a ninth year from July 13-24 to all PBS and station digital platforms, including PBS.org, YouTube and Facebook. The festival features 25 short-form independent films presented in five categories: culture, environment, family, humanity and race.
The 2020 Bentonville Film Festival co-founded by Academy Award®-winning actor Geena Davis, set to run August 10-16, announced their spotlight and competition program of independent feature films, shorts, and episodic titles. The 6th annual film festival will be presented as a hybrid structure, pairing digital screenings, panels and events alongside select on-the-ground premieres and conversations.
The world premiere of the film Focus, Grandma (Koncentrisi se, baba) by Bosnian director Pjer Žalica will open the 26th Sarajevo Film Festival which will be held from August 14th to 21st, 2020.
With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving portraits of immigrants, Immigration Nation offers a unique and nuanced view of the ongoing struggles in America’s broken immigration system, coming to Netflix on August 3rd.
The Virginia Film Festival announced that, in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation, their 5-day Film Festival will shift to a virtual format this fall. The VAFF will be presented on its originally-scheduled dates, October 21-25, and will feature a diverse slate of features, documentaries, and shorts alongside panels, Q&As, and a series of conversations with leading industry experts and artists.
Michael Covino’s The Climb, which had an original release date in March, will premiere in Los Angeles and New York theaters on October 9, 2020, with additional cities to follow. Written by Covino and Kyle Marvin, The Climb stars Covino, Marvin, Gayle Rankin, Talia Balsam, George Wendt, and Judith Godrèche.
The Tallgrass Film Association has announced that the 18th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival will go virtual this October, with extended dates and online film screenings, Q&As, parties, and other events. The original five-day event will be expanded to ten days from October 16 to 25, 2020.
Terrance Daye’s award-winning Ship is a beautiful short story that depicts the complexities of love, family, and grief within the Black household. In the thirteen-minute short, Jeremiah learns the contradicting lessons of manhood and masculinity on the day of his cousin’s funeral.