It’s becoming increasingly clear that most sectors have not faced a crisis in modern times remotely on the scale of coronavirus. The threat it poses to most businesses, the people employed by them and the economies propped up by them, it hard to underestimate.
Film is no exception. Already, the impact of widespread cinema closures around the globe, combined with endless release and event postponements or cancellations, as well as production mayhem, is estimated to cost the industry more than $20bn. Given that this figure was $5bn a week before, it seems safe to assume it’s at the conservative end.
We want to hear from people within the industry about how it’s affecting them. From film-makers, cast and crew whose movie was in production or perhaps all set to premiere at SXSW but which may now struggle to see the light of day.
From people in streaming services, about how inundated with offers they currently are, and from producers, studios and distributors weighing up the pros and cons of going digital only, pushing back, or clinging on to the original schedule in case things miraculously improve. From festival programmers trying to decide how best to proceed.
From freelance composers and accent coaches, from caterers and cinematographers, film certificate classifiers, personal publicists and poster designers.
We also want to hear from people on the frontline: from ushers and managers of multiplexes and indies, from concession stall owners, cleaners and people working at screening rooms.
This doesn’t begin to cover the people affected. So, if you’re one of them, please get in touch and let us know your story and how best we should be covering the place of cinema in this crisis. Drop an email to catherine.shoard@theguardian.com and andrew.pulver@theguardian.com.
Thanks.
Update on 19 March: We have been absolutely overwhelmed by both the number and severity of responses, and are very grateful to those who have taken the time to get in touch.
We’ll be launching an extended online version of our F&M cover about this situation at 6am GMT on 20 March which gathers together a selection of testimonies.
Please feel free to continue to get in touch and tell us your stories, but be advised the piece we had in mind when writing this callout has now gone to press. We are of course always open to other stories and suggestions for coverage during this difficult time. Thanks.
