The directors of the principal European festivals at the opening night

Eight artistic directors of the principal European film festivals will be attending the opening night of the 77^th Venice International Film Festival on September 2^nd 2020 in Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido), in representation of the community of film festivals in Europe and around the world.

The eight directors – Alberto Barbera (Venice International Film Festival), Carlo Chatrian (Berlin International Film Festival), Thierry Fremaux (Cannes Film Festival), Lili Hinstin (Locarno Film Festival), Vanja Kaludjercic (International Film Festival Rotterdam), Karel Och (International Film Festival Karlovy Vary), José Luis Rebordinos (San Sebastian International Film Festival), Tricia Tuttle (BFI London Film Festival) – intend on this occasion, in this exceptional year, to reassert the importance of the art of cinema as a sign of solidarity towards the global film industry which has been hit hard by the pandemic, and their colleagues forced to cancel or postpone their festivals.

Over the course of the evening, the eight directors will come up on the stage of the Sala Grande, to read a shared document that reasserts the fundamental value of cinema, and the role and importance of festivals in the support and promotion of cinema from all over the world, and European cinema in particular. Festivals – they will reaffirm – are not mere promotional showcases to highlight the best of authors’ and filmmakers’ creativity, but are increasingly becoming centres of culture, places of education at the service of young directors, opportunities for the cultural enlightenment of audiences and for education to beauty and to the richness of the film experience for young people. A place that fosters research and debate where creativity and freedom of artistic expression come together to produce a fertile and indispensable dialogue with audiences and society.