More than 20 film festivals around the world have joined together to stream movies for free on YouTube after the coronavirus pandemic closed cinemas and forced the cancellation of annual showcases in Cannes and New York.
The 10-day We Are One: A Global Film Festival will feature content curated by the Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca and Venice film festivals, among others, starting on 29 May, the organisers Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube said in a statement on Monday 27 April.
The festival will showcase films, documentaries, music, comedy and conversations. No details of the programming were announced and it is unlikely that major new movies that generally launch at film festivals would be included.
The cancellation of the May Cannes film festival in France and uncertainty around festivals in Venice and Toronto in September has robbed film-makers and movie studios of crucial windows to promote their new releases to the media and the public.
The organisers of the Cannes film festival said on Monday they were proud to join in the YouTube event “to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival”.
Jane Rosenthal, a co-founder of the cancelled Tribeca film festival in New York, said the idea was to inspire and unite people across borders during the pandemic. “All of the world needs healing right now,” Rosenthal said.
Other festivals taking part include those in Jerusalem, Mumbai, Sarajevo, Sydney, Tokyo and London.
While the festival will stream for free, viewers will be asked to donate to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund.
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