(Newswire.net— April 29, 2020) — Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube are teaming up to present a streaming event joining forces with 20 global festivals, including Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and Venice, Deadline reports.
The realization of this project began when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted many international events and completely halted the film industry.
This 10-day digital event will help the World Health Organization (WHO) raise funds to help combat Covid-19.
Twenty festivals from around the world including London, Jerusalem, Sundance and Tribeca, as well as Mumbai and Marrakech, will feature films that will be accessible via live stream. The New York Tribeca Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, has joined forces with major streaming companies to broadcast the event online, as it was decided to postpone these film events.
They hope to “bring together curators, artists, and storytellers to ease this situation and entertain audiences around the world.”
“We often talk about film’s uniquely powerful role in inspiring and uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world,” said Rosenthal.
“All of the world needs healing right now.”
It will be free to watch feature films, short films, documentaries, comedies, to stream music, and participate in talks after screenings. The full schedule will be available a few days before the start.
According to Deadline, it is expected that many films originally planned for screening in this year’s festivals will not be included in this event due to financial and legal reasons.
Cannes Festival president Pierre Lescure and general delegate Thierry Frémaux said they were “proud” to participate in this online event. Last month, the Cannes Festival was postponed due to curfew introduced stemming from a fear of COVID-19.
“We are proud to join with our partner festivals 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.”
In all likelihood, the revised versions of the annual festivals in Toronto, Venice, and London will not join this event, as they are in the fall, with the Berlin festival opening in February.