Venice Film Festival Still Scheduled for September, Italian Governor Confirms
The Venice Film Festival will go on as planned this upcoming fall, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday, the governor of Italy’s Veneto region, Luca Zaia, confirmed that the festival would still take place this September, starting Wednesday, Sept. 2, and run through Saturday, Sept. 12, Deadline reports. The only change would be that there will likely be fewer films this year, Zaia said.
Last week, Roberto Cicutto, president of the festival's parent group, the Venice Biennale, also confirmed to the Italian news agency ANSA that they had no plans to postpone or cancel the 77th annual event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It will mark the first major film industry gathering that has not been postponed or canceled due to the pandemic.
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Silvia MoraraMondadori PortfolioMondadori via Getty Luca Zaia
Before announcing their decision, Venice reportedly surveyed film industry executives in early May to ask about concerns and suggestions for the festival, according to Variety.
Based on the recent announcement, it seems organizers feel confident after their survey that the festival, known to be world’s longest-running film festival, can go ahead as planned. However, there will likely be added guidelines and safety restrictions in place.
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Italy, one of the hardest-hit European countries amid the pandemic, has plans to reopen its borders for visitors from the European Union and the United Kingdom on June 3. Visitors from the United States are still banned, Afar reports.
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Phase 2 of lifting the country's lockdown restrictions began on May 4, as residents were allowed to return to parks within their cities and many were also able to go back to work. By May 18, restaurants, bars, and shops were allowed to reopen, and travel within the country to visit friends and family became once again permitted.
On June 15, the government plans to finally reopen cinemas and theaters.
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