New Zealand’s Doc Edge festival is the latest cultural event to move online amid the coronavirus lockdown. Doc Edge will be releasing its entire 2020 festival programme online this June.
“While we might be physically distant right now, we are not socially distant, and we are reaching out with this new festival format to create a much-needed sense of community,” says Doc Edge Director, Alex Lee.
Doc Edge intends to create the experience of the festival in the digital spaces – hosting filmmaker Q&As and creating a platform for interaction and conversation.
“More than simply a library of online content, Doc Edge will bring the in-cinema festival experience into the home,” say its directors.
The change in format comes at a time when many of the world’s major festivals have been forced to cancel. Cannes, SXSW, Hot Docs and Tribeca are among some of the film festival heavyweights that have cancelled their events.
The New Zealand arts industry itself was one of the first impacted by the COVID-19 measures, with mass gatherings among the first things to be banned ahead of the level 4 lockdown.
That being said, the work of performers and artists during this time is especially vital as people find themselves stuck indoors and craving entertainment.
With its move to online, Doc Edge hopes to “connect Kiwi communities and give audiences a chance to experience a multi-faceted expression of life outside the bubble.”
Doc Edge will be announcing the full programme in the coming weeks.
