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The International Vegan Film Festival is going to be showcased online this year, marking the first time the annual event will take place virtually in its three-year history. Taking place from October 10 to 17, the event will screen a number of films that promote a vegan lifestyle for a more compassionate, healthier and sustainable world, alongside digital panels and interviews with filmmakers.
Taking place in October, the 2020 International Vegan Film Festival will be held online with screenings of vegan films, conferences, panels and Q&A “virtual social opportunities” to facilitate discussions between filmmakers and audience members. This year is the third year the event has run, and marks the first time that the festival has gone digital, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Like many other live events around the world, we’ve had to adapt to prioritise the safety, comfort and well-being of our community,” said Shawn Stratton, the executive director of the festival.
Some of the films that will be broadcasted include Regan Russell, a short documentary following Regan’s life of animal activism and the aftermath of her death in June this year outside Fearmans slaughterhouse in Ontario, and Butenland, a movie about the cow retirement home set up by former dairy farmer Jan Gerdes and animal welfare campaigner Karin Mück.
Short film INVISIBLE will also be featured at the event, which explores undocumented atrocities in pig farms through a series of undercover investigations in Europe.
This year has given us an opportunity to think creatively about how we can make the festival more accessible and innovative.
Shawn Stratton, Executive Director of IVFF
Commenting on the line-up of films, Stratton said that these short and feature-length movies showcase stories that are more relevant than ever before during this current pandemic.
“This year has given us an opportunity to think creatively about how we can make the festival more accessible and innovative,” he said, adding that the event promises to “deliver a memorable experience that honors all the reasons we’ve become known as the premier event for vegan-themed content creators and film enthusiasts.”
Judges at this year’s panel includes some of the biggest names in the plant-based industry, including Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, the vegan dairy brand that just won a legal battle to use the terms “butter” on its products. Dale Vince, the CEO of British clean energy provider Ecotricity and David Flynn, co-founder of plant-based “foodie empire” The Happy Pear. Founder and CEO of Tofurky, Seth Tibbott, will also be joining the panel.
We are excited to deliver a memorable experience that honors all the reasons we’ve become known as the premier event for vegan-themed content creators and film enthusiasts.
Shawn Stratton, Executive Director of IVFF
The International Vegan Film Festival will additionally host a photo essay contest, where applicants can submit a series of images depicting veganism-related topics, from animal welfare to environmental protection, with winners to be announced during the festival. Submissions for the competition will close on August 31.
More information on the festival, which will take place on the Eventive platform, will be released alongside a full schedule of movie-screenings, conferences and panels and ticketing information in the coming weeks on the organiser’s website.
Lead image courtesy of IVFF.
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