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Human Rights Watch Film Festival London Cancelled


Human Rights Watch Film Festival London

Cancelled due to COVID-19

  
We are sorry to announce that we have today taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London with immediate effect. Human Rights Watch is a global organization, and our decision was made in light of the rapid spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), and in line with our official policy. The festival opened on 12 March, 2020, and had been due to run until 20 March, 2020 at the Barbican, Regent Street Cinema and Curzon Soho cinemas.
 
 
We know this news will be hugely disappointing to many, not only to our audiences who have come to join our events for the last 24 years, but also to the exceptional filmmakers and committed activists whose talents we had hoped to showcase. This will also be a blow to the London arts community, including the cinemas, theaters and performing arts venues who champion freedom of speech and help artists, filmmakers and the public at large to make their voices heard. 
 
 
While we are heartbroken to miss this chance to connect our London audience with the powerful stories of filmmakers and change makers from around the world, we must do all we can to keep our communities safe. 
 
 
As things have evolved so quickly, we will come back to the public with our plans to share these films with our audience in the future. We ask our audience to please sign up for our newsletter here so that we may notify you directly when these opportunities arise. 
 
 
In the meantime, we ask that you please show your support to the filmmakers in this year's program, to the incredible and devoted staff at the cinemas that welcome us back to their venues each year, and to the artists who will be impacted by these unprecedented events. We are committed to fully supporting our valued partners in the days and months to come. 
 

John Biaggi, Director 

Jennifer Nedbalsky, Deputy Director 

Leah Sapin, Associate Director, Programming & Production

Frances Underhill, Manager, Programming, Production and Outreach 

Human Rights Watch Festival