Fantasia Festival online

The 2020 Fantasia Film Festival will happen online

The festival will take place from Aug. 20 to Sept. 2.

It was announced today that the Fantasia International Film Festival, which usually takes place at several Montreal cinemas in July, will be delayed and presented exclusively online for the 2020 edition. Fantasia has partnered with French industry and event platform Festival Scope and New Zealand streaming specialist Shift 72 to screen its selection of films online.

The 2020 edition of Fantasia Film Festival will still feature a number of premieres and short and feature film programs and prizes, and has picked up content from prominent cancelled festivals like SXSW and Tribeca. Programming for the online edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, which will take place from Aug. 20 to Sept. 2, is due to be announced next month.

From a press release :

“While we’re saddened not to be able to put on the larger-than-life physical event that we’d been planning for this year, we’re extremely excited to be working with Festival Scope and Shift72 on an unconventional virtual edition,” said Fantasia co-director Mitch Davis. “They’ve enthusiastically embraced every challenge we’ve thrown their way, particularly when it comes to making so many of our screenings be real-time, live events instead of the usual streaming approach. It’s going to make things so much more exciting and will go a long way towards keeping the intensity and engagement of the in-person experience vibrant in an online realm.”

Alessandro Raja, co-founder and president of Festival Scope, said: “We’re thrilled to add Fantasia to our growing list of virtual festivals and we’re excited about their inventive new ideas for the platform. This year’s online edition will be engaging and exciting for attendees as the festival has planned premieres to replicate the physical event, adding a sense of exclusivity and familiarity.”

Fantasia International Film Festival website

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