Berlin Film Festival taking place in person despite pandemic
-
Loading... - Jack Knight
- 14 Jan 2022
- 417 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The Berlin International Film Festival is going to take place in person next month despite rising virus numbers in Germany, especially in the capital, organizers said Wednesday.
“We are aware of the challenges posed by the unpredictable course of the pandemic,” the festival management said in a statement, adding that strict pandemic measures would be applied to the 72nd edition of one of the world's most famous film festivals.
“We want the festival to send a signal to the entire film industry, to cinemas and moviegoers, and to culture as a whole — we need cinema, we need culture,” Germany's State Minister for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, said.
“Of course, in today’s times, this can only be managed with some painful cuts and with constant vigilance,” she added. “The pandemic situation is dynamic, and the Berlin Film Festival is adapting to the resulting challenges.”
Only people who have already been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently recovered from an infection will have access to the festival's grounds. In addition, a daily rapid test and masks will be required for everyone attending. Movie theater attendance will be reduced to 50% capacity and all parties and receptions — usually an essential highlight of the film festival — will be canceled.
Last year's film festival was revamped due to the virus and split into two parts — one for the industry and one that screened movies during the summer.
The opening is still scheduled for Feb. 10 and the awards will be given out a little earlier than initially planned, on Feb. 16, the German news agency dpa reported. Read More…
