So, the family of the priest of the Sankat Mochan temple hit upon the idea of using wooden puppets in place of actual actors and beamed it online for the Bhakts. Last year’s lineup also included Brad Pitt in Ad Astra and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Truth, which opened the festival, and Netflix made a splash with three films: Steven Soderbergh’s Panama Papers-inspired drama The Laundromat, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, and David Michôd’s The King, starring Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet. Attendees will be faced with strict measures meant to reduce the risk of infection, as nearly every European country experiences an increase in Covid-19 cases after lockdown restrictions were lifted across the continent in early summer. The Venice film festival, which wrapped up Sept. 12, looked drastically different, with COVID-19 protocols in place and a notable lack of big Hollywood films. The three-day event will take place on December 27 – 29, 2020. The Crown star Vanessa Kirby has two films at the festival – Mona Fastvold’s The World to Come and Kornél Mundruczó’s Pieces of a Woman, which also stars Shia LaBeouf. Across California as a whole, the number of new cases reported each day also continues to increase. Collect your token, gather a bag of sanitized Prasad and go, go, go! Most of the elderly, more at risk than the others, did their pooja indoors. Ahead of the event guests have been sent a list of Covid-19 guidelines, including information on passing through thermo-scanners as they enter the festival and anyone found to have a body temperature of 37.5°C or higher will be denied access. Talking to cousins up in the hills with whom one shared many childhood memories of Ram Lilas (the one in Almora is 160-years old) also elicited the same laconic answers. Southern California, home to the Palm Springs film festival, has become an area of concern. No Leela, just a virtual one recorded in Karnatak Khola Muhalla would be beamed. Video: At Palm Springs International Film Festival, Laura Dern discusses her future. Meyer and Stewart are both pushing for some form of government-backed insurance scheme for events, as the rapidly changing restrictions could mean many are financially exposed if events are cancelled without sufficient notice. With the ban on any large, loud and lurid public gatherings, and lavishly decorated closed Pandals are also missing. Strathcona County: Festival Place home to dance, theatre, magic and more! Other highlights include Regina King’s directorial debut, One Night in Miami; Alex Gibney’s new documentary about serial killers, Crazy, Not Insane; and Luca Guadagnino’s Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams a documentary about the Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo. “As a small festival we have the ability to be fleet of foot and opportunistic, so we will reshape the festival within whatever boundaries we have to work with.”. From Varanasi comes news that the nearly two and a half century old tradition of Ram Lila started by Goswami Tulsidas, was not staged this year. There is no dancing the night away. The festival confirmed any visitors from countries outside the Schengen area would have to take two mandatory Covid-19 tests – one ahead of travelling to the event and one upon arrival. Organisers from eat:Festivals have announced the cancellation of all their festive events across Somerset after receiving an update from the Director of Public Health for Somerset. At the Poojo Pandals a system of tokens were put in place. The outcry over the lack of female directors arose from the fact that only two out of 21 films were directed by women: Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth and The Perfect Candidate by Haifaa al-Mansour. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is canceled for 2021, signaling potential changes to next year's film awards season as coronavirus cases again rise in the U.S. and across the globe. Contributing: USA TODAY The Venice film festival, which wrapped up Sept. 12, looked drastically different, with COVID-19 protocols in place and a notable lack of big Hollywood films. But uncertainty continues to surround movie theaters amid pandemic restrictions and economic fallout; the cinema chain Cineworld announced last month it would close all its theaters across the country, with no reopening date. “You can’t run an event in exactly the same way but our audience is bright, and as long as the things we ask of them are common sense then they’ll work with us.”. Festivals have always stood for elaborate stages and overdressed crowds of people cooking too much, eating too much, inviting too many and roaming about collectively as rowdy Mela trippers! This year that number has risen significantly, with eight out of the 18 films in competition being directed by women, including Chloé Zhao’s followup to The Rider, Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand. Last year's Film Award Gala, attended by 2,500 guests, honored actors, actresses and directors that went on to win Oscars including Joaquin Phoenix, Renée Zellweger and Laura Dern. Photos: Japan's Sanja Matsuri festival takes place after COVID-19 delay. But the fear of COVID has taken the joy out of festivities this year and the 250-year old Ram Leela in Varanasi was put off, reflects Mrinal Pande It seems that there may be a festival taking place … While taking a walk in the Lodhi gardens, I asked the guards why a large number of rhesus monkeys seemed to have suddenly descended upon the park, complete with babies and red bottomed alpha males leading mummy monkeys. Venice becomes first major film festival to return after coronavirus lockdown. Only virtual beaming of the play on screens entertained the crowd on remote although political stars like Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, Raza Murad and Vindu Dara Singh enacted various roles. potential changes to next year's film awards season, 10 must-see new movies to stream while stuck at home for the holidays, from 'Mank' to 'Soul', These 5 festival films are already the talk of awards season, The Oscars' new best-picture standards are a meaningful, and reasonable, effort to diversify Hollywood, Early reactions give Oscar buzz to David Fincher's 'peculiar labyrinth of a movie', Venice Film Festival became the first major in-person cinema showcase of the coronavirus era, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Meyer added that without a return to its pre-pandemic capacity of about 1,500 attendees within two years, it “would definitely be the end of Supersonic”, which is entering its 16th year and has recently hosted Moor Mother, Richard Dawson and Melt Banana. Follow Covid-19 guidelines and participate in festival of democracy, PM Modi urges Bihar voters Polling for 71 constituencies in Bihar is underway. Festivals in times of COVID: What’s life without festivals? The event, to be held outside at the Coastal Discovery Museum’s pavilion, is capped at 250 attendees. Shops at Festival Place Basingstoke are open seven days a week with the following daily hours: Test Some retailers may vary; please check their individual listings below. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our, Dear Reader, please register to read gulfnews.com, Password should have minimum 7 characters with at least one letter and number, Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor, List of public holidays in the UAE for 2020, Diwali: UAE residents shop for Festival of Lights, Diwali 2020 is a family affair in Bollywood, World's biggest water desalination plants in Saudi, Photos: Ultimate list of pop culture classics to watch, Indian expat shares his fat-to-fit journey in the UAE, A cry from Bihar: Indian Muslims want to be heard, PlayStation 5 hits market ready for battle with Xbox, Online shop and ship will be no easy run this time, US election throws up a time for uncertainties. A crowd at the Green Man in Wales in 2017, which was cancelled along with many festivals this year because of Covid. Sunburn Festival 2020 To Take Place With COVID-19 Protocols. However, the festival plans to celebrate this year's performances and films with an awards presentation on Feb. 25. Gone is the colourful Dussera elephant parade in Mysuru down South. In the U.S., 44 states reported rising caseloads last week, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Spanish singer Rosalía performs at last year’s Mad Cool festival, which might have to book more locally based acts in 2021 because of travel problems caused by Covid. That backdrop has created an unprecedented challenge for organisers of the festival, which has shifted position from arguably the most important and starry industry soiree on the circuit to the only one left standing. But first she stopped to talk with reporters. Sophia Medina - November 5, 2020. “Many event organisers might have to rely on domestic talent on next year’s lineups if international touring remains in question,” he said. My name is Sophia and I’ve been into dance music since 2012. Stewart, who ran the Big Chill during foot and mouth, said as with that crisis, those going to Green Man 2021 could face longer wait times as checks and tests are carried out on arrival. © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2020. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Lisa Meyer, the founder of Supersonic festival in Birmingham, predicts next summer will see a “phased return” for events with hybrid models that feature some digital elements bridging the gap between 2020’s virtual season and a return to normal in 2022 or 2023. Revellers at the Supersonic festival in 2019. “Kya batayein Mata ji ?” (What shall we say, Mother), the guard said, “Iss baras Ramlila tau hui nahin, Durga maiya bhi Mandir ke bheeter hi bund hain, so Hanuman Baba ne apni Sena bhej dee hai iss Vatika mein shayad” (This year there are no Ramlilas and Ma Durga has been put inside enclosed temples, so possibly the Monkey god, Lord Hanuman has sent his army to this garden!). But the fear of COVID has taken the joy out of festivities this year and the 250-year old Ram Leela in Varanasi was put off, reflects Mrinal Pande