International Film Festival Rotterdam goes on-line resulting from Dutch lockdown
By IANS
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) shall be moved on-line in 2022 for the second consecutive 12 months resulting from rising issues over the unfold of the Omicron Covid variant throughout Europe.
It’s the primary main European movie pageant to take the digital route in 2022, experiences selection.com.
The resolution comes 4 days after the Dutch authorities introduced {that a} strict nationwide lockdown shall be enforced beginning December 19.
All non-essential outlets – in addition to cinemas, faculties, museums and catering institutions – will stay closed till not less than mid-January.
Under the web format, the programme of the 51st version, together with the film roster and IFFR Talks, shall be accessible on IFFR.com. As beforehand introduced, IFFR Pro trade occasions CineMart and Rotterdam Lab will even happen on-line, experiences selection.com.
More particulars on the tailored line-up shall be introduced throughout a press convention in early January.
“In light of the current concerns and unpredictable circumstances of the global health crisis, IFFR has made the decision to host a scaled-down festival programme online,” mentioned the pageant in a press release.
“The festival’s previous announcements outlined plans for an ambitious on-site programme for IFFR 2022 that is now no longer possible.”
Added the pageant: “Even in the case the current restrictions are lifted after January 14, the sheer scale of the festival is no longer compatible with a last-minute transition to an in-person event in Rotterdam.”
IFFR, which is understood for celebrating cinema and offering a platform for filmmakers from throughout the globe, mentioned it “acknowledges that the impact of this critical decision is widely felt – most prominently affecting the filmmaking community and audiences which IFFR continually sets out to support and connect with.”
The pageant’s training programmes shall be tailored or postponed till later within the 12 months to supply college students entry to IFFR-curated cinema.