Toronto International Film Festival Bafflingly Picks Up ‘Mask Optional’ Rule
Image via ckchiu / Shutterstock.com
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will take place with in-person screenings along with a virtual showcase amid the coronavirus pandemic this week.
Unlike the recent Venice Film Festival, TIFF is relaxing its mask-wearing regulation by allowing attendees to remove their face covers “once they are sitting in their assigned in-cinema seats.”
The Hollywood Reporter reported that the organizers will be strict in “following the advice of public health experts” by limiting the Bell Lightbox venue to 50 socially-distanced patrons per screen, among other safety measures.
However, many TIFF attendees are concerned about the option to take off their masks during the screenings. “Unfortunately, I fear we’ve stumbled into this situation where you could have one of those superspreader events,” Ryerson University’s Ramona Pringle expressed to THR.
TIFF has released several statements on Twitter addressing its public health protocol for the festival. The string of tweets emphasized that the festival’s “number-one priority remains the health and well-being of patrons, the community, and [its] staff.”
The event will kick off this week on 10 September 2020 and run till 20 September 2020.
For those inquiring about TIFF’s health and safety protocols for #TIFF20, we’ve been following public gathering by-laws set by the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and public health officials, who we’ve been working closely with since the start of Festival planning.
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 9, 2020
TIFF's number-one priority remains the health and well-being of patrons, the community, and our staff.
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 9, 2020
For more on #TIFF20’s health and safety protocols visit: https://t.co/Eodt7pz4M1 pic.twitter.com/uVZF0GiKzl
[via Vulture, cover image via ckchiu / Shutterstock.com]
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