Film festivals are fun, entertaining, and a great way to see art you otherwise wouldn’t have. This is a crazy time, but if you love film and want to support film festivals, we’ve got you covered! Here are some great film festivals that have moved online during the pandemic.
1. SXSW
The major film festival South By Southwest was one of the first industry casualties of COVID-19, originally supposed to be held March 13-22 in Austin, Texas.
Lucky for us, SXSW has decided to move some of its programming online to be viewed by the public! With a just-announced launch date of April 27, some SXSW films will be available to view online on Amazon Prime! We can’t wait to screen future indie hits and gems at home in our sweats.
The famed Tribeca Film Festival is no stranger to adversity -- Robert DeNiro founded it in the wake of 9/11. Although many of its online screenings will be industry-only private screenings, the festival has announced that it will bring some programming online, including innovative VR films and brand awards. You can screen their daily short films, like this one about whales!
Lincoln Center in New York may be closed, but it is still offering great film screenings of new international releases for small fees.
If you’re tired of watching American films over and over (Going for that fifth watch of Dirty Dancing? We feel you.), screen Bacurau from Brazil, or The Whistlers from Romania!
4. D.C. Environmental Film Festival
If you’re in the mood to virtually go outside, the D.C. Environmental Film Festival is offering a wide slate of films available online!
Watch films about great migrations, wildlife rehabilitation, or urban birdwatching. Even if you can’t go outside, you can still marvel at the natural world around us!
5. Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival, usually held in France, has been postponed. In its wake, agents at CAA are planning a virtual film market, which will make films available to screen for buyers and companies.
Although these screenings may not be public, they will still push the film industry forward and result in great films in the future!