Yahoo News Telluride Film Festival Still Happening, Adds Extra Day as Safety Precaution
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The Telluride Film Festival is still on.
The 47th edition of the prestigious fest will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3, a day earlier than the usual first Friday of the month.
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“We’re contacting you today to let you know we’re hard at work to provide a safe and joyous environment that will include an extra day to allow more space within and between screenings, along with all of the necessary safety tweaks and adjustments you’ve become very familiar with, regardless of where you call home,” said a festival email sent to the media.
The festival has traditionally been one of the key festivals for launching a film’s awards campaign. Renée Zellweger began her road to her second Oscar with the world premiere of “Judy” at last year’s installment of the Telluride festival.
“Ford v. Ferrari” and “The Two Popes” also had world premieres at the festival before becoming contenders.
Known for its more casual atmosphere — there are no red carpets or photo lines at the premieres — the fest attracts about 5,000 people. The program typically includes about 20 films.
Telluride’s official announcement comes on the heels of the news that Venice is moving forwards with its annual plans from Sept. 2-12.
Read more of the Telluride email below:
From the very beginning, the founders of the Telluride Film Festival declined to call it an “annual” event. Like most things with the SHOW, this was intentional. There was an understanding that life is indeed full of uncertainty. Maybe there wouldn’t be a festival every year…and it has made each eventual Labor Day celebration that much sweeter.
We see clearly the obstacles that are cruelly, tragically and stubbornly in our way this year in orders of magnitude our dear founders might not ever have envisioned.
But there has been a determination to proceed, in large part fueled by the voices in our community. This community understands that movies really are empathy machines, that when we assemble to witness the glories of cinema together, something magical happens. We humbly suggest that our world needs the light of cinema and its beautiful by-products of compassion and emotional storytelling alchemy like never before.
We are not ignorant of the devastation facing the world. We feel the fear and distress too. This is why we are committed to observing all guidance as suggested by the consensus of voices of the scientific community with whom we are consulting now. This will not be a business as usual event. Things will look and feel very different.
We’re contacting you today to let you know we’re hard at work to provide a safe and joyous environment that will include an extra day to allow more space within and between screenings, along with all of the necessary safety tweaks and adjustments you’ve become very familiar with, regardless of where you call home…
Your comfort and safety are the most important things to us. A defining characteristic of our community and especially of the dedicated volunteers who bring you the SHOW, is remarkable willpower – and grit. We promise to marshal these qualities to create the most secure environment possible for all of us.
For those of you who opt to not join us, we absolutely understand and support this decision. Your reasons surely involve heightened personal health concerns and you must do what is the very best for you. We trust and hope you’ll be back with us the next time we can provide optimal conditions for the SHOW. May that be soon.
In the meantime, we will let you know additional and specific information in the coming weeks.
For every gesture of support you have shown us, we thank you- very, very much.
FIAT LUX!
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