As lockdown continues and all cultural events are canceled for the foreseeable future, a lot of institutions are forced to get creative. The latest events tackling the coronavirus pandemic are the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals.

Both events were canceled early this year in response to the ongoing concerns over the coronavirus. The organizers of Cannes had originally hoped that the festival could take place in July instead of its usual dates in May. At the time, Pierre Lescure the president of Cannes said that he was “reasonably optimistic” it would still go ahead this year.

Now Cannes have joined forces with Sundance and 20 other film festivals to create “We Are One: A Global Film Festival.” The 10-day special event will showcase the latest movies, music, and comedies. It will also feature short films and panel discussions led by industry experts. The best part is that you can watch it all for free on YouTube. A spokesperson for Cannes said, “We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival.”

The decision to change the format is a great way to ensure that all of the creatives involved get the platform that they deserve. However the fashion moments of Cannes will be missed. One of the festival’s highlights is seeing your favourite actors dressed for movie premieres and press conferences.

The virtual festival will kick off on May 29 and run until June 7. It will feature programming by Cannes, Sundance, Toronto International, Berlin International, Tribeca, and Venice film festivals. Viewers will be able to make donations to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Check out the trailer below for the movie ‘Parasite’. It won last year’s coveted Palme d’Or award at Cannes.