It’s been a week since we were forced to postpone the festival indefinitely. We’ve been looking around the globe and have been crafting our response using a crowdsourced process to figure out the best if any path forward as the hours go by. So many events are happening on earth that would never have happened if the people of the world did not abruptly stop to be as one to fight a Pandemic. It’s exhilarating the newness of life and what we can do – collectively.
But, we are quickly distracted with day-to-day life and the ensuing chaos on the horizon. The massive amounts of government “stimulus” and direct intervention happening are shocking. We know it will not work. No landscape will be left unmarked. Everything is different and in front of us. We can touch it. Almost. It is no longer about the future. It is about the future now. It’s time to take action.
Looking at climate (pollution index) charts and seeing how quickly air quality changes when humans are taken out of the equation (http://aqicn.org/map/china), in days, we can adjust the climate on earth that we have been negotiating and discussing treaties over 40, 50 year time periods. We are witnessing great strides in human discovery.
Where do we fit in? How does our postponed festival take part in this “great leap forward” in human technological integration? It’s a question that through the years during our Democratization of Content Philly Tech Week events and festival screenings have tried to engage a constantly evolving hyper talent-rich filmmaker ecosystem. How do technology and human beings react? Where and what are the analog and digital crossroads? How can we enable the Independent producer to thrive? How can we generate wealth from our time and work?
Over the years we have peppered this discussion with guests that included our attendees, filmmakers, the UNHCR, Gerald Casale (Devo Co-Founder, original music video maker), Ray Murray (Philadelphia Film Festival and TLA Video co-founder), Thom Caldwell (QFlix), Marteen Olaya (Filmmaker/Producer) Nadine Patterson (Filmmaker), Tatianna Bacchus (Filmmaker), Kango Kid (Legendary Rapper/ Entrepreneur), Tony Shalhoub (Actor), Dr. Alan Rosenblatt (Professor, Johns Hopkins), and so many more. We have always looked to discover the vanguard of filmmaking, data, and storytelling.
We will keep our mission ongoing @Philaindie and stand with the legions in this industry however we can. We suggest contacting your congressperson and tell them to support gig workers and the freelance economy, Contact your local film office and see how you can activate. Hold your leaders accountable! This is not a time for draconian measures that will not help the short term. The government does not need to clamp down on our ability to communicate, it needs to enable our communication.
See the festival Social Media accounts for timely updates and responses! Again, the 2020 Philadelphia Independent film Festival has been postponed until further notice. Festival Official Selections are still ongoing!
We do not see the festival screening any sooner than next Winter the earliest (October?)
As always, any input is very, very welcome! We are navigating this day by day with crowdsource(d) “options” leading the way.
~ Festival Team