Venice International Film Festival 2020: Italian Film Festival Will Continue As Planned

The world’s longest-running film festival will still take place from September 2-12, 2020

The Venice International Film Festival, the world’s longest-running film festival, is still on for its original dates of September 2-12, 2020.

Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region of Italy, confirmed that the festival will be allowed to go on. However, Zaia cautioned that “there will likely be fewer films this year”. This is probably a public health and structural precaution in a similar vein to the city’s Biennale of Architecture’s postponement. (The two events were originally scheduled to overlap, but the Biennale of Architecture has since been moved to 2021.)

Plans To Be Determined

Despite the date confirmation, Venice has yet to announce any specifics as to how their festival will operate this year. It’s unclear whether Cate Blanchett, who was selected as the festival’s Jury President back in January, will maintain her role. There also hasn’t been any comment on the possible collaboration with the postponed Cannes Film Festival, which itself still – technically speaking – hasn’t been cancelled.

The festival has reiterated that, outside of the potential for accredited screenings, they will not be going the virtual route.

Any changes to Venice this year will also have to comply with whatever government guidelines that Italy puts in place. According to Variety the country will open its borders to European travelers on June 3, but it’s unclear when overseas travel will be lifted. Italy has suffered major losses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, too, with over 32,000 related deaths to date. Such realities could put a damper on who attends – or even submits – to the storied film festival, despite the gradual reopening.

Community Outreach

Venice conducted a survey in early May to gauge the interest in still holding a physical festival this year. It was also a measurement of concerns and what the festival could do to assuage them for their attendees.

“We know that it would be simply impossible to plan a festival without knowing if you all are willing to use the Festival to give a new start and a strong sign for keeping cinema alive, even in these difficult times,” said Venice’s artistic director Alberto Barbera at the time. “[A]ny festival will not be able to take place exactly like it was in the past….[And] we will have to deal with a number of limitations and security measures…”

Further details for the 77th iteration of the Venice International Film Festival will likely be released in the coming weeks.

Leave your thoughts on the winners of 2020 Venice International Film Festival below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. For more Film Festival news coverage, photos, videos, and information, visit our Film Festival Page and our Film Festival Facebook Group Page. The 2020 Venice International Film Festival will take place in Venice, Veneto Region, Italy from September 2-12, 2020. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.