Sundance Film Festival cancels in-person plans amid rise in COVID cases

The official Twitter handle of the Sundance Film Festival announced on January 6 that the event will take place virtually owing to the 'unexpectedly high transmissibility rates' of the Omicron variant. The festival was initially meant to be conducted in the hybrid format, with a few events online and the others with an in-person audience. However, Sundance has now announced that the entire event, which will kick-start on January 20 has been shifted to the online mode. This announcement comes after the organizers announced the festival was offering a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible attendees.

Sundance Film Festival 2022 to be held online

The Sundance Film Festival has now officially announced that the much-awaited event will take place online over the 'unexpectedly high transmissibility rates' of the Omicron variant. The tweet read, "Despite ambitious protocols, the Omicron variant with its unexpectedly high transmissibility rates is pushing the limits of health safety, travel and other infrastructures. Thus, #Sundance 2022’s in-person Utah elements will be moving online."

The Sundance website also issued a statement and mentioned they were 'disappointed' and it was a 'difficult decision to make', however, they assured the audience that they would experience the 'magic and energy' of the festival. The team behind the festival did not feel it was 'safe or feasible' to go ahead with the in-person aspect of the event will thousands of audience members when 'overwhelmed communities are already struggling to provide essential services'.

The statement on the official website read,

"While we’re disappointed to not provide the full hybrid experience and gather in-person as intended, audiences this year will still experience the magic and energy of our Festival with bold new films and XR work, the discovery of new storytellers, direct encounters with artists, and an innovative globally accessible social platform and gallery space. Our partner community will also be adding a vibrant dimension to the festival with a rich mix of conversation, talent talks and events. While it is a deep loss to not have the in-person experience in Utah, we do not believe it is safe nor feasible to gather thousands of artists, audiences, employees, volunteers, and partners from around the world, for an eleven-day festival while overwhelmed communities are already struggling to provide essential services. "

Image: Pixabay/AP