Covid-19 Updates

Update: March 16, 2020

HOW IS IMAGES FESTIVAL PREPARING FOR THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK?

As everyone is responsibly socially distancing and self-isolating, we are developing strategies to creative adapt Images Festival 2020, planned for April 16 - 22, 2020, in a number of ways. 

While the festival as a whole will NOT be cancelled, various aspects of our programming will not run as scheduled, and other aspects will run differently! At this time, we are not hosting any public programs or events for the upcoming festival, and are following the recommendations by Toronto Public Health closely.

Our primary focus is the well-being of our community, artists, partners, and staff. As our community addresses the issues around COVID-19 (coronavirus), we’ll continue to share our plans and ensure clear, transparent, and regular communication about how our programming will unfold. 

See details below and check back regularly for more updates.

Fees and Contracts

All artists, performers, part-time and contract staff will be paid out in full according to their contracts, and all partner agreements will be honoured! 

Programming and Events

Our Programming Launch, scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2020 at The Commons at 401 Richmond St. West is cancelled. 

All our OFF SCREEN presentations will proceed as planned, at the discretion of our gallery and curatorial partners. Many openings are currently postponed, and galleries are adapting daily to follow the most responsible health and safety protocols.  

Our LIVE events and PARTIES will be postponed indefinitely.

We are currently strategizing how we can share our ON SCREEN programs with our community! We are also exploring ways in which to host our programming notes, artist talks, Q&As and other educational initiatives as well.  

We’ve spent the last year coming up with a program that features exciting work by wonderful filmmakers for our audiences to see. This initiative is very much a working process and will take us some time to concretise. We’ve never done this before, and we very much appreciate your ongoing support and patience.

Tickets

Folks who have purchased advanced tickets to ON SCREEN and LIVE programming will be contacted regarding refunds shortly. If you are able to, please consider donating your ticket fee to Images Festival—this will help us greatly to financially support our staff, spaces, and community partners throughout this period of financial precarity for arts workers.

Future Updates

All changes to our programs will be posted on our website and announced via our social media and newsletter. Please stay tuned for more updates.

We thank you all for your understanding in this time of great uncertainty. Please take care of yourselves and one another.