St Patrick's Film Festival London postponed, but online mini-fest in planning
We’re down but we’re not out…
Not even the mighty Coronavirus forcing us apart this weekend can keep us from staying connected!
12 March 2020
Irish Film London has taken the decision to postpone the St Patrick's Film Festival London, which was scheduled to take place at the Regent Street Cinema, London, from Friday 13 March to Sunday 15 March 2020.
After meeting as a Board and subsequently monitoring the situation over the past 48 hours, it is with great regret that we have to announce that, as a result of growing concerns about the transmission of Coronavirus, we have decided that we will not continue with the St. Patrick's Film Festival this weekend.
The decision was taken in light of the announcement of the UK government’s official move from their phase of ‘containment’ to ‘delay’ of the virus spread. We felt that if we went ahead, the safety of our loyal audience and partners might be compromised. Given the particularly friendly and social nature of our events, it might not be compatible with the kinds of social distancing measures and protocols recommended to mitigate the virus spread.
While we know that our festival partners, filmmakers, special guests, audience, staff and volunteers will be very disappointed that the festival will not take place, we know that putting their safety first is the right thing to do.
We hope to be able to re-schedule the festival for later in the summer and will announce updates to that end as soon as possible.
ALTERNATIVE ONLINE MINI-FEST
In the meantime, we are working on creating an online, short film taster fest to whet your appetite and keep us all connected this weekend! So, watch this space, and join our newsletter (on our HOME page) to receive updates straight to your inbox, and to hear more about this weekend's little treat.
We are also still powering ahead with preparations for our 10th Anniversary Festival and the Irish Film London Awards in November this year, when we will bring the very best of Irish Film and TV, special guests and red-carpet experiences to our audience in London. So, there is plenty to look forward to in the IFL calendar.
Those who have already bought tickets for this weekend can claim refunds or credit vouchers for other events, by contacting the Regent Street Cinema, with your proof of purchase. You can reply to your ticket confirmation email, or separately email enquiries@regentstreetcinema.com or call 0207 911 5050 for more information.
We would like to thank everyone who has helped us in the making of this exceptionally difficult decision.
And finally, we encourage you all to continue to promote, champion and celebrate Irish Film and Television in every way you can.
If you would like to get in touch, please email us at info@irishfilmfestivallondon.com. You can also find more information here on our website.
STAYING SAFE
Everyone should take simple precautions, like washing your hands often, with soap and water, and for more than 20 seconds; always using a tissue when you sneeze and disposing of used tissues properly, and avoiding touching your face and eyes with your hands.
You can get guidance and advice on your symptoms by calling 111 or going online to 111.NHS.UK.
For further information, and regular health updates please visit the following sites:
World Health Organisation: www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
GOV UK/Public Health England: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public