leif Larso. The moviegoer.2020

2020 LOCKDOWN

The 2020 festival was due to open in mid April. On the 9th of March I made the decision to cancel the festival as it was clear that even if we were able to open, everyone would be preoccupied with covid. If we had to cancel last minute we would have lost a lot of money in terms of hire costs for example a grand piano for a live version of the The Brothers Quay.

On March the 26th the UK went into the first Lockdown

So in consultation with the team we decided to developed an online programme. We reimagined the festival online. I was able to pay every one for their time for a few months and then with support from the arts council emergency funding I was able to pay everyone until the end of the year. We were the film festival to go online. What followed as we all know was a year of uncertainty, fear and isolation. The final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown, which removed almost all legal restrictions on social contact, took place on July 19, 2021. The legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive test for COVID-19 was lifted on February 24, 2022. All remaining coronavirus-related legal restrictions in England were revoked on March 18, 2022. In 2025 I noticed the perspex barrier at my doctors finally was removed. The phycological costs of the lockdowns are only now emerging.

Terry Smith, Director of Strangelove

PROGRAMME 2020

A huge thanks to all the 108 artists and filmmakers who contributed to our first online season.

June 1st - February 2021

Festivals, exhibitions, galleries, cinemas and every art museum in the world could not exist with the production, dedication and commitment of artists, filmmakers, producers and everyone that supports the industry, incentivised not my money but by passion.

PLAY | PAUSE | STOP | REWIND

1st June - 5th July 2020

PLAY | PAUSE | STOP | REWIND was our first online festival with a look and new way to visit, watch and engage with the work. The programmes were shown simultaneously, so audiences can watch the films at anytime at leisure. There is also chance to catch up with films from previous programmes and also browse works from our other festivals within our rewind section. You can check out our other rooms and see what artists, film-makers, composers and others are talking about and watching.

Learn more about this programme

ISOLATION DIVERSITY CLIMATE

1 August - 20 September 2020

This was our first major open call and we were blown away with the response and quality of work. We selected 48 artists but could have included more, The brief was to respond to the ideas of isolation, diversity and climate. We have shown work from every corner of the world.

P.01.20 - RISING

28 September - 4 NOVEMBER 2020

SONIA E BARRETT | RUBIANE MAIA | ÉLODIE MERLAND | JADE MONSERRAT / WEBB-ELLIS / ALEXANDRA MOORE | MARIANELA OROZCO

GENERAL RELEASE

5th November 2020 - Feb 2021