The International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM) has announced its 2020 dates, with the event’s fifth edition set to take place on 3-8 December. Online submissions for the festival will open to film makers starting on 15 June.
Despite the current circumstances, the IFFAM will present a full programme of features and shorts. In a year that has seen the world battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the theme of the event will be “A Celebration Of Life and The Big Screen”.
A specially curated section will be devoted to a selection of films that define the out-of-home “big screen” experience.
Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and President of IFFAM’s Organizing Committee, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said, “The coronavirus pandemic has created a sweeping global impact and posed new barriers among people. Film, however, possesses the invincible power to transcend such barriers and continue to foster human connections around the world.”
“In these times of adversity, our hope is kindled as the film industry never ceases moving forward with perseverance, like film reels that keep rolling,” she added,
The festival said in a statement, “We look forward to share with you the fruits of the hard work from filmmakers worldwide, and contribute to steering the film industry forward and building a brighter future together,”
“It has been heartbreaking to see cinemas around the world closed this year, so IFFAM would like to celebrate the return to cinemas and the joy of this beautiful communal experience,” said IFFAM Artistic Director Mike Goodridge. “There is nothing quite like sharing a film and we can’t wait to see Macao audiences getting back into theatres and bringing an exhilarating programme of film and guests to them in December.”
