The 2021 Film Festival Circuit: A Chaotic Collage
by Jeffrey Winter
I am just going to say what every professional involved in the film festival business already knows but may have been heretofore afraid to utter in public. The first six months of the 2021 Film Festival Circuit are going to be WAY weirder—and even more chaotic—and ultimately, probably even more difficult, than the first half of 2020.
Just think about that for a second: by comparison, 2020 was the normal year.
Consider: 2020 started normally, with the traditional launchpads of Sundance and the Berlinale and smaller showcases like Rotterdam, Palm Springs International, True/False etc. happening undisturbed…which resulted in a bevy of buzzed-about films, a relatively normal acquisitions pool, a business climate most of us were used to, and gave us something to work with. When the Pandemic crashed our parties…hard…in early March, everything just stopped, ceased to exist, and, really, there wasn’t anything we could do about that. Then the engines of innovation kicked quickly in to place, and around early May, we had moved into the new phase, the emergence of the “virtual festivals,” where we sought to replicate everything we had done in the old world…just online. By the end of the first half of 2020, we had even started to enjoy the relative freedom of drive-in screenings and created a new nostalgic norm we’ve been calling “hybrid” ever since.
But here at the top of 2021, they are even cancelling the drive-ins now…that’s how bad the Pandemic is right now (in many places). By comparison to 2020, what we have staring us in the face for 2021 looks like chaotic re-invention, essentially as if all the chips have been thrown in the air and we are waiting to see where they land.
A number of festivals have thrown in the towel and just Canceled, with many more not yet ready to re-occupy their traditional Spring dates because they only just finished their postponed 2020 festivals a couple of months ago in Fall! Nearly all festivals have significantly changed dates, most are virtual or hybrid, most are shorter in duration, nearly all have fewer films, and a large percentage are spread out across MONTHS of time and more closely resemble screening series or “off-calendar” bookings than traditional festivals. Many are now in the VOD-like “virtual cinema” business, directly competing with VOD release windows. Even the product needs are different, there’s less competition for premieres at certain festivals (no choice given the expansion of streaming platforms snatching up films), and there’s a lot of gnashing of teeth about what sells in a virtual environment versus a physical one (whether films should be more or less experimental to compete, whether to rev share or offer flat fees, etc.).
To snapshot the wide variety of changes afoot—just consider the following few festivals who relayed new information to me just today:
PLEASE NOTE: all of this is tentative only…things are changing daily these days and no festival should be expected to hold to what they say now, as there are obviously Pandemic factors outside their control.
Thessaloniki Docs: (normally in March) Likely to be spread out over several months, with the largest part of the Festival probably in early Summer.
Seattle International: (normally mid-May to early June) Canceled in 2020, 2021 dates (April 8 – 18) are more than a month earlier than the usual, all screenings virtual, significantly less films (although still a lot…it’s a huge festival).
RiverRun: (normally mid-April) Now nearly a month later than usual (May 6 – 16), hybrid format planned (some virtual, some physical).
Phoenix International: (normally early March) No firm plans yet for 2021 yet due to just having wrapped the 2020 festival in November, considering screening series in April/May, with possible full festival in June…all plans for physical screenings pending vaccination status of the population.
Of all the changes afoot in 2021, perhaps the most difficult one to fathom right now (particularly as I personally write this from Plague-choked Southern California) are the massive efforts well underway to postpone major festivals to the late Spring/early Summer 2021 weeks (sometime in June), presumably to take advantage of the ameliorating effects of the vaccinations, and also warmer weather to accommodate outdoor venues. This is the most important change we are looking at right now, with the bulk of programming for major festivals like Berlin, Tribeca, Rotterdam, and Full Frame being planned for some time during that late Spring/early Summer period.
Obviously, this wholesale shift of major 2021 festivals all into June will have dramatic impact on the rest of the festivals that usually feed off these film premieres, as well as dramatic impact on the release of films into the marketplace. But of course it also begs the most important question…do we REALLY think we will be free of the specter of COVID-19 by then? Do we really think we can just keep postponing with the hope that someday—not very long from now—we will see a return to something we once called normal?
At least from here today in L.A., where we are setting deadly new records for caseloads every day, I cannot imagine that will be the case, although of course I deeply hope I am wrong. And yet, we cannot just do nothing, as we did for a brief while in 2020…as our year of experience shows that the calendar still turns, release schedules still roll on (although in dramatically revised ways), films still become dated the longer they sit on the shelf, new films come along, and we must continue to do business to survive. And so, we have no choice to continue to try and adapt.
Below is a partial list of 2021 Festivals that we at The Film Collaborative regularly book with, in normal times and now in COVID times, and some of the key ways they are different than 2020, and of course, from pre-COVID days. These Festivals are listed below in what we can call a “traditional chronological order,” meaning based on their 2019 dates…to give you a feel for how much they have already changed.
Amidst the shakeup lies a deeper question, however, whose answer will not be known for several months. Beneath the surface awareness of these well-known festivals lies hundreds, even thousands, of smaller “local” film festivals with business plans and models that may have not survived this transition at all. At this point we know some of them will never reappear, and we can only imagine we will see glimmers of them as they attempt to resurface as conditions change, with varying degrees of success.
If you are a filmmaker or a professional wondering how to adapt to releasing a film onto the Festival circuit in 2021, I can only offer one over-arching piece of advice….do your research from a number of up-to-the-minute sources, ask other people in the field, and try to get in direct touch with the Festival to ask your questions. You will NOT be able to rely on their websites and on FilmFreeway as in the past…many if not most festivals don’t actually know well enough themselves to make the information fully public. Abandon the notion that looking at how it’s “normally” done will be a reliable guide for how it will be done for now. Remember that the chaos brought about by this Pandemic is not over, not by a long shot.
NOTE: Festival Chronology below is in traditional (pre-COVID) date order. The dramatic effect of COVID on this year’s schedule should be evident by comparison below.
NOTE: Anything that RED and BOLD represent schedule changes that have arisen after this article was originally published.
| Palm Springs International | ||
| 2019 | Jan 3 – 14 | |
| 2020 | Jan 3 – 12 | |
| 2021 | Canceled | |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | ||
| 2019 | Jan 23 – Feb 3 | |
| 2020 | Jan 22 – Feb 2 | |
| 2021 | Feb 1 – 7 | Virtual Part 1 |
| June 2 – 6 | Physical Part 2 | |
| Sundance | ||
| 2019 | Jan 24 – Feb 3 | |
| 2020 | Jan 23 – Feb 2 | |
| 2021 | Jan 28 – Feb 3 | Virtual. Shorter in duration and fewer films. |
| Slamdance | ||
| 2019 | Jan 25 – 31 | |
| 2020 | Jan 24 – 30 | |
| 2021 | Feb 12 – 25 | Virtual. Additional small hybrid program planned. |
| Berlinale | ||
| 2019 | Feb 7 – 17 | |
| 2020 | Feb 20 – Mar 1 | |
| 2021 | Mar 1 – 5 | Industry-only Online |
| Pushed to June | Physical | |
| True/False | ||
| 2019 | Feb 28 – Mar 3 | |
| 2020 | Mar 5 – 8 | |
| 2021 | May 5 – 9 | Format not yet announced |
| Boulder International | ||
| 2019 | Feb 28 – Mar 3 | |
| 2020 | Mar 5 – 8 | |
| 2021 | Jun 24 – 27 | Format not yet announced |
| Thessaloniki | ||
| 2019 | Mar 1 – 10 | |
| 2020 | May 19 – 28 | |
| 2021 | Mar 4 – 14 | Online “best of” showcase |
| Jun 24 – Jul 4 | Hybrid Format Planned | |
| SXSW | ||
| 2019 | Mar 8 – 17 | |
| 2020 | Apr 27 – May 6 | Main festival/conference canceled. Special online showcase presented by Amazon. |
| 2021 | Mar 16 – 20 | Virtual. Shorter in duration and fewer films. |
| Hong Kong International | ||
| 2019 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Apr 1 – 12 | Physical format planned |
| CPH DOX | ||
| 2019 | Mar 20 – 31 | |
| 2020 | April | Reduced virtual program |
| 2021 | Virtual | |
| BFI Flare | ||
| 2019 | Mar 21 – 31 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced but likely March | Virtual |
| Movies That Matter Netherlands | ||
| 2019 | Mar 22 – 30 | |
| 2020 | Mar 20 – 22 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 16 – 25 | Format not yet announced |
| Cleveland International | ||
| 2019 | Mar 27 – Apr 7 | |
| 2020 | Apr 15 – 28 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 7 – 20 | Virtual format planned |
| New Directors/New Films | ||
| 2019 | Mar 27 – Apr 7 | |
| 2020 | Dec 9 – 20 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Wicked Queer: Boston LGBT | ||
| 2019 | March 28 – Apr 7 | |
| 2020 | Jul 24 – Aug 2 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 9 – 18 | Virtual |
| Full Frame | ||
| 2019 | Apr 4 – 7 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Jun 2 – 6 | Format not yet announced |
| Visions Du Reel | ||
| 2019 | Apr 5 – 13 | |
| 2020 | Apr 17 – May 5 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Sarasota Film Festival | ||
| 2019 | Apr 5 – 14 | |
| 2020 | Apr 27 – May 3 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 30 – May 9 | Format not yet announced |
| San Francisco International | ||
| 2019 | Apr 10 – 23 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Apr 9 – 18 | Hybrid format planned |
| Doc 10 Chicago | ||
| 2019 | Apr 11 – Apr 14 | |
| 2020 | Postponed | |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Dallas International | ||
| 2019 | Apr 11 – 18 | |
| 2020 | Postponed | |
| 2021 | Jun 25 – Jul 2 | |
| Ashland Independent | ||
| 2019 | Apr 11 – 18 | |
| 2020 | Apr 16 – 23 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 15 – 29 | Hybrid format planned |
| Tribeca | ||
| 2019 | Apr 24 – May 5 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Jun 9 – 20 | Format not yet announced. Likely hybrid. |
| Torino LGBT | ||
| 2019 | Apr 24 – 28 | |
| 2020 | Oct 22 – 25 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Dates not yet determined | |
| Hot Docs | ||
| 2019 | Apr 26 – May 6 | |
| 2020 | May 28 – Jun 6 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Apr 29 – May 9 | Hybrid Format Planned |
| Off Camera Poland | ||
| 2019 | Apr 26 – May 5 | |
| 2020 | Sep 11 – 25 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Bentonville | ||
| 2019 | May 7 – May 11 | |
| 2020 | Aug 10 – 16 | Hybrid |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Against Gravity Poland | ||
| 2019 | May 10 – 26 | |
| 2020 | Sep 4 – 13 | Physical |
| Sep 19 – Oct 4 | Virtual | |
| 2021 | May 14 – 23 | Physical |
| May 27 – Jun 13 | Virtual | |
| Cannes | ||
| 2019 | May 14 – 25 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | No format yet announced | |
| Seattle International | ||
| 2019 | May 16 – Jun 9 | |
| 2020 | Canceled | |
| 2021 | Apr 8 – 18 | Virtual |
| DocAviv | ||
| 2019 | May 23 – Jun 1 | |
| 2020 | Sep 3 – 12 | |
| 2021 | May 20 – 29 | No format yet announced |
| Telluride Mountainfilm | ||
| 2019 | May 24 – 27 | |
| 2020 | May 15 – 25 | Virtual |
| 2021 | May 28 – 31 | Physical |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | Virtual | |
| Doc Edge New Zealand | ||
| 2019 | May 30 – Jun 9 | Auckland |
| 2019 | Jun 13 – 23 | Wellington |
| 2020 | Jun 12 – Jul 5 | Virtual |
| 2021 | May 27 – Jun 27 | Hybrid format planned |
| Provincetown International | ||
| 2019 | Jun 12 – 16 | |
| 2020 | Jul 16 – 19 | Drive – in |
| 2021 | Jun 16 – 25 | Physical format planned |
| Frameline: San Francisco LGBT | ||
| 2019 | Jun 20 – 30 | |
| 2020 | Jul 6 – Jul 15 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Jun 17 – 27 | Virtual |
| New Zealand International | ||
| 2019 | Jul 26 – Aug 14 | |
| 2020 | Jul 24 – Aug 9 | Virtual |
| 2021 | Dates not yet announced | |
| Milwaukee International | ||
| 2019 | Oct 17 – 31 | |
| 2020 | Oct 15 – 9 | Virtual |
| 2021 | May 6 – 20 | Virtual |
Jeffrey Winter January 9th, 2021
Posted In: Uncategorized