The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s board of directors and staff announced today that the SLO Film Fest, scheduled for March 17-22, will be cancelled. The San Luis Obispo Public Health agency, in accordance with State health guidelines surrounding the impacts of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 has asked that the event be cancelled. Festival organizers will begin the process of working with filmmakers to find new ways to share variations of the festival’s program in the future, when it is safe to do so.
“I know I speak for our staff, volunteers, sponsors, vendors and many more who have been working hard for many months to present what was set to be our biggest and best festival ever. It is truly heart-breaking but we know this is the right plan of action at this time. We appreciate the love and support we get from our community and appreciate their patience as we sort out the aftermath and determine the best way forward. There will definitely be ways to share some of these exceptional films with our audiences,” said Festival Director, Wendy Eidson.
Like many non-profit organizations and small businesses, these developments will deeply impact SLO Film Fest creating a significant financial loss. For that reason, the festival is requesting that festival-goers please consider converting their festival pass and ticket purchase into a donation. However, all 2020 passes will be honored for next year.
Individual tickets will be offered a voucher good for a future event or the next edition of the film festival. The film festival’s staff will be in contact with all patrons over the course of the next few weeks to offer more details regarding ticketing. The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s staff and board appreciate everyone’s patience as the organization navigates this difficult time. Any questions can be sent to [email protected]
