Telluride blasts ‘national chaos’ around pandemic while canceling film festival

The Telluride Film Festival, previously scheduled for Sept. 3 to 7, has been canceled due the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said Tuesday. 

“While there will be those who might say they’re not surprised by it, that this was inevitable, we beg to differ. It didn’t have to be this way. Until the past week or so, we had a very good plan to put on the SHOW safely. But with a seemingly unending number of new cases of COVID-19 and the national chaos around it, even the best strategy is threatened by this out of control environment,” the festival said in a statement to Variety. 

“No matter how … many of us wear our masks and observe social distancing protocols, the pandemic has worsened rather than improved and the health and safety of you — our passholders, filmmakers, the people of Telluride and its surrounding areas — cannot be compromised,” the statement continued. 

Organizers said they will soon announce programming and intend to champion the films outside of the festival as best as they can. 

Other film festivals have similarly altered plans due to the pandemic. 

The Sundance Film Festival, set to be held in January, announced last month the Utah-based event will expand its digital presence and have events in more than a dozen cities to accommodate anticipated coronavirus restrictions.