Sheffield Doc/Fest 2020 - Our Interview With Cíntia Gil, Festival Director
As life grinds to a halt and global Coronavirus lockdown sets in, we’re choosing to support our favourite documentary festivals, screenings and launches that have been forced to go online, by pointing you in their direction.
Documentary film festivals around the world have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Unable to throw open the doors on their physical locations, major festivals such as CPH:DOX, Thessaloniki, Paris’ Cinéma du Réel and Nyon’s Visions du Réel, have had to resort to fully online editions.
Sheffield Doc/Fest has taken a slightly different path. In order to deliver on its commitments to all its stakeholders, from its funders to the people of Sheffield, festival director Cíntia Gil has opted for a “hybrid model”.
In doing so, the festival delivers on the all-important MeetMarket for instance, taking place next month by videoconference, while promising physical weekend events in the Autumn for everyone in the local community to enjoy and benefit from.
But what will the impact of Covid-19 be on film festivals after the crisis? Is 2020 an existential moment for the format? Does it need a rethink?
We spoke with Cíntia to learn more about her plans for Sheffield Doc/Fest and the future of festivals around the world.
