The Covid-19 International Film Festival is a non-profit, online film festival created to galvanize kindred humans to create a cinematic time capsule during this peculiar time in history. The festival was started by SOVO// Artist, Niko Sonnberger, and her friends Diana Lopez & Hassan Said. “We are all filmmakers and when this pandemic started we wanted to create something to inspire other visual artists across the world to showcase their lives during Covid-19,” explains Niko.
This is a challenging time for everyone and stories are how we unify. The film industry, like many industries, is on hold during the pandemic. The Covid-19 International Film Festival is designed to connect a mass audience who is collectively stuck at home wondering what the future may hold. An audience who believes there is great power in visual storytelling, the universal language of the human experience.
Being creative and working on projects at home has saved my sanity, I know others feel the same way.
Niko Sonnberger
When asked what the creators have learned about what artists are dealing with right now while reviewing submissions, they revealed that although each submission is unique, there is a common reoccurring theme: humor. Niko expressed appreciation for the comic relief, “It’s lovely! To be able to make others smile or laugh during a global pandemic is something we all need right now.”
The Covid-19 International Film Festival held a first round of screenings in April 2020 and due to the overwhelming response, they returned to accept more submissions. The SOMMAR REDUX of the festival, which falls on the summer solstice, takes place on June 20th, 2020.
This artist-run project reassures both participants and viewers that they are not alone. Plus, 100% of the festival’s submission fees go towards organizations doing critical work during the quarantine such as W.H.O., CDC, American Red Cross, Save the Children, Registerhood LA and others.
How to participate:
Festival submissions are due June 7th, 2020. People can click here to submit or find @covid19filmfestival on instagram and submit via the link in their bio. After the selections are made, we will stream the chosen films live on June 20, 2020. Niko, Diana & Hassan will host the show via Twitch at this link and the audience will be able to vote on the films. Stick around until the end to see who wins!
