After having seen the light at the end of the tunnel during late summer, which witnessed the successful hosting of the Venice Film Festival under strict measures but in its usual physical form (see the news), the European film industry is now facing a new period of uncertainty caused by the so-called second wave of COVID-19, which is starting to wreak havoc across all countries.

On the cusp of a new, multinational lockdown, which may or may not be as restrictive as the first one, but which is certainly already affecting the industry, Europe looks to the future with despair, forced to adapt to the present situation. Due to the new measures being adopted by European governments, which have again included the closure of cinemas and limitations on social events, festivals, industry gatherings and theatres have been forced to abide by them, and find new ways to unspool and welcome their participants and public, mostly by moving their programmes online in collaboration with streaming services.

Here is the list of events affected as of 30 November:

Albania

4th Balkan Film Market (original dates 12-15 November, partly moved online)

Belgium

Cinemas closed until 15 January

20th Cinemamed (original dates 26 November-5 December, moved online)

Croatia

18th Zagreb Film Festival (original dates 8-15 November, moved online) (read interview)

Czech Republic

Cinemas closed until 20 November

Shootings allowed

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 54 ½ (original dates 18-21 November, cancelled) (read news)

24th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (original dates 27 October-8 November, moved online)
(read news)

France

Cinemas closed, set to reopen on 15 December, adapted to the 21.00 curfew

Shootings allowed

12th Séries Mania Lille Hauts de France (original dates 19-27 March 2021, postponed to 28 May-5 June)

13th Les Arcs Film Festival (original dates 12-19 December, moved online)
Industry Village postponed to 17-18 January 2021 to a physical event in Paris and to 20-21 Janvier 2021 online

35th Festival Entrevues Belfort (original dates 15-22 November, cancelled, awards to be given out either way by the jury)

8th Festival du Film de Muret (original dates 8-15 November, postponed to 31 January-7 February 2021)

3rd Festival International du Film Politique (FIFP) de Carcassonne, (original dates 8-12 December, postponed to 15-19 January 2021)

24th Œillades, Festival du Film Francophone d'Albi (original dates 24-29 November, cancelled)

29th Festival du Film de Sarlat (original dates 14-11 November, cancelled)

21st Arras Film Festival (original dates 7-15 November, cancelled) (read news)
Arras Days moved online

Les Rencontres Cinématographiques de L’ARP (original dates 4-6 November, moved online)

Greece

Cinemas closed until 7 December

23rd Olympia International Film Festival for Children & Young People (original dates 28 November-5 December, moved online)

3rd Athens International Children's Film Festival (original dates 14-22 November, moved online)

61st Thessaloniki International Film Festival (original dates 5-15 November, moved online)

Germany

Cinemas closed until 20 December

69th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (original dates 12-22 November, moved online) (read interview)

30th FilmFestival Cottbus (original dates 3-8 November, postponed to 8-13 December)
Connecting Cottbus (original dates 4-6 November, moved online)

Hungary

Cinemas closed

Shootings allowed

Ireland

Cinemas closed until 1 December

Shootings allowed

Italy

Cinemas closed until 24 November

Shootings allowed

39th Bergamo Film Meeting (postponed to 24 April-2 May 2021)

19th RIFF - Rome Independent Film Festival (original dates 26 November-4 December, moved online)

38th Torino Film Festival (original dates 20-28 November, moved online)

30th Noir in Festival (original dates 30 November-4 December, postponed to 1-6 March 2021)

5th Torino Short Film Market (original dates 17-24 November, moved online)

61st Festival dei Popoli (Florence, original dates 15-22 November, moved online)

40th Fantafestival - Mostra internazionale del film di fantascienza e del fantastico di Roma (original dates 11-15 November, moved online)

26th MedFilm Festival di Roma (original dates 4-13 November, moved online 9-15 November)

21st Festival del cinema europeo di Lecce (original dates 31 October-7 November, moved online)

18th Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest (original dates 31 October-8 November, moved online)

20th Trieste Science+Fiction Festival (original dates 29 October-3 November, moved online)

Latvia

Cinemas closed from 9 November to 6 December

Lithuania

Cinemas closed from 7 November to 28 November

Netherlands

Cinemas closed until 18 November

33rd IDFA (original dates 18 November-6 December, partly moved online)

14½ Leiden International Film Festival (original dates 29 October-8 November, moved online)

41st Northern Film Festival (original dates 11-15 November, cancelled)

Poland

Cinemas closed until 27 December

45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia (original dates 8-12 December) (moved online)

28th Camerimage International Film Festival (original dates 14-21 November) (moved online)

20th New Horizons International Film Festival (original dates 23 July-3 August, postponed to 10-15 November) + 11th American Film Festival (original dates 10-15 November) (both moved online)
New Horizons International Film Festival Polish Days Industry section (moved online)

Portugal

Cinemas open, but closed at 22.30 every day

7th Porto/Post/Doc (original dates 20-29 November, partly moved online, screening restrictions on weekends)

14th LEFFEST (original dates November 13-25, screening restrictions on weekend)

Romania

Cinemas closed in cities with a COVID-19 transmission rate exceeding 3 cases per 1000 inhabitants

Slovakia

Cinemas open on 16 November (50% of audience per screening)

Slovenia

Cinemas open respecting measures (50% capacity of the theatre, every second row is not used to observe the social distancing)

Spain

Cinemas open respecting measures

16th DocumentaMadrid (original dates 4-10 May, postponed to 6-10 December, set to take place on site and online)

58th Festival Internacional de Cine de Gijón FICX (original dates 20-29 November, moved online)

27th L’Alternativa Festival de Cinema Independent de Barcelona (original dates 16-29 November, moved online)

62nd Zinebi Bilbao (original dates 13-20 November, partly moved online)

5th Fantastic Film Festival - FANT Bilbao (original dates 6-12 November, partly moved online)

1st Visual Art - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Lleida (original dates 29 October-8 November, postponed)

Sweden

Cinemas may close due to the limit of social gatherings, from 24 November onwards

44th Göteborg Film Festival (original dates January 29 - February 8, moved online)

Switzerland

Cinemas closed in the French-speaking region (Jura until 15 November, Geneva until 29 November, Vaud until 20 November, Valais and Fribourg until 30 November, Neuchâtel until 22 November)

26th Geneva International Film Festival (original dates 6-15 November, cancelled)
Geneva Digital Market (original dates 9-13 November, moved online)

United Kingdom

Cinemas closed to 2 December in 73 English regions classified as tiers 1 and 2, with London and Liverpool among them; cinemas open subject to local restrictions in Scotland and Wales; cinemas closed in Northern Ireland

Shootings allowed