Major film festivals to unite for YouTube event. Major film festivals – including Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and Venice – are to join forces for an online event. We Are One: A Global Film Festival, will be hosted by YouTube from 29 May. It comes after coronavirus caused disruption to many international events, as the film industry ground to a halt. The 10-day digital alternative will help to raise funds for the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and beyond. Twenty festivals from around the world are involved including BFI London Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival and Marrakech International Film Festival, as well as Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. The free event will include films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and conversations and a full schedule will be available nearer to next month’s event. According to Deadline, there aren’t expected to be any films scheduled for upcoming 2020 festivals for financial and rights reasons. Last month, the Cannes Film Festival was also postponed due to lockdown concerns around the virus. Its president Pierre Lescure, and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, said they were “proud” to be involved in the online festival instead.
