We are sorry to announce that following the Government’s announcement that Dublin is moving to Level 3 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, both the Light House Cinema and the Irish Film Institute will be closing on September 19th and we are required to cancel all in-person GAZE cinema screenings.
Naturally, we are heartbroken not to be able to gather in cinemas at the end of the month, but... the show must go on! We made every plan to respond to public health guidelines and were prepared from the start. GAZE 2020 was planned as an exciting hybrid festival and every film and event programmed for 2020 will still be taking place online.
It’s less than 2 weeks to go until the 28th edition of GAZE International Film Festival returns with an online(at home) programme of the newest releases in LGBTQ+ film in a specially curated programme of the most engaging, mind-bending and life-affirming cinematic experiences to be seen from the comfort of your own home. Hosting 9 Irish Premieres for feature films and 34 Irish Premieres for short films, including European and World Premieres. It may be a brave new world out there, but GAZE endeavours to make a big celebration for the community while highlighting the importance of LGBTQ+ stories. GAZE 2020 won’t just have films, we have a full programme of workshops and entertainment including kids’ story time, Drag&Draw GAZE edition and Your Late Night Saturday show Inside the Over Actors’ Studio with queer cabaret superstars Spicebag.
What we are most excited about this year is that Ireland’s biggest LGBTQ+ and allies film festival expands its reach to a much greater audience nationwide. Thanks to the new VOD platform, IFI @ HOME, the entire programme will be accessible to many homes. To bring the “Film Festival Experience” to your sitting room, we’ve put in a suggested viewing time for films so you can have a packed schedule over the festival dates. We’ve also added the pre-film GAZE trailer and exclusive Q&As. Just like in the actual cinema, there are a limited number of tickets to view each film so book early to avoid disappointment.
The board of GAZE would like to give a huge thanks to our fabulous festival producer Anna Taylor and head of programming Seán McGovern for the way they have responded to the changing situation and delivered a pandemic-proof festival. We are enormously grateful to our lead sponsor Accenture, and our funders, the Arts Council and Dublin City Council, for helping us make this innovative and inclusive edition of GAZE a (virtual) reality.
A festival representative will be in touch about refunds and exchanges for all in-person cinema screenings in the Light House Cinema and IFI. We would encourage you to re-book or exchange your tickets to watch the screenings on IFI@Home and continue to fly the flag for GAZE in your own home.
In these challenging times, the support of our Festival Friends makes it possible for us to continue to bring the best Irish and international LGBTQ+ cinema to audiences. We would encourage you to make a donation that will help us weather the pandemic and come back brighter and stronger next year.
We look forward to seeing you online!
GAZE Film Festival Board