Olivia PowellWe Are One: A Global Film Festival will bring together multiple major film festivals including Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and Venice, and will be taking place via YouTube.
The festival is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused the postponement and cancellation of many international events.
The virtual festival will span 10 days and will help raise funds for the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and more.
Twenty festivals from across the globe will be taking part including BFI London Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival and Marrakech International Film Festival, in addition to Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.
Tribeca, co-founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal in New York, will be working with YouTube to put on the event, after having to postpone this year’s festival as a result of the coronavirus.
The pair hope the festival will ‘unite curators, artists and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide’.
Rosenthal said; “We often talk about film’s uniquely powerful role in inspiring and uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world. All of the world needs healing right now.”
The event will be free, and will include films, documentaries, comedy, shorts, music and conversations. A full schedule will be made available closer to the event. Deadline reported that it isn’t expected that films scheduled for upcoming 2020 festivals will be shown, due to financial and rights reasons.
President of Cannes Film Festival, Pierre Lescure, and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, said they were ‘proud’ to take part in We Are One.
They said: “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.”
As of writing, the London, Venice and Toronto film festivals are set to go ahead this autumn, however they may be modified. Berlin Film Festival took place this year in February.