Two opposing things cannot exist at the same time. Sunlight and rainfall can’t exist at the same time, love and hate can’t, similarly a film festival cannot be held in times of a global pandemic. This is what the organizers of the Hong Kong International Film Festival realized, thus they’ve cancelled it now.
It was to take place on 31 August. Earlier too the festival was to take place in March, but the first wave of coronavirus hampered it. August 18, was announced as the new date, which later changed to August 31.
Not only is the festival being cancelled but other smaller cine fan activities scheduled for September and October are cancelled. They posted the cancellation on Twitter, which is as follows :
HKIFFS has cancelled this year’s festival and Cine Fan’s September/October bi-monthly programme in response to the recent upsurge in local COVID-19 infected cases.⚠️
However, HAF18 will still take place online from 26 to 28 August.💻Read more💬https://t.co/R57ZUy4mbp pic.twitter.com/0oQeATtl7v
— 香港國際電影節協會 HKIFFS (@HKIFFS) July 24, 2020
Although, the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), which is one of Asia’s longest-running film project markets, will be held virtually. The dates for it are 26-28 August.
The executive director, Albert Lee talked to news publications and said :
“While it is tremendously deflating, given all the hard work that we have put in, the well-being of our colleagues and the public is of utmost importance to us. Calling of HKIFF44 is heartbreaking, but we believe we have a duty to behave with social responsibility. We will start working on the next edition of the festival straight away. We are determined to make up for the ‘lost’ HKIFF44.”
In an earlier report, last month the largest films rights market in Asia, Hong Kong FilMart was also announced as cancelled. Though, later they shifted it as a virtual event to be held from, 26-29 August.
The rising cases have let to cinemas being shut for two weeks, restaurants and bars being forced to close by 6 pm and compulsory mask wearing in public spaces.