The 22nd edition of Tel Aviv's International Documentary Film Festival Docaviv, which was supposed to take place from 21-30 May, has been pushed back to 3-12 September owing to the coronavirus outbreak.

“Given the obstacles the world is facing during this time, we feel there is no other choice but to postpone this year’s festival. The health and safety of our audiences, filmmakers, staff, volunteers and supporters are of the utmost importance,” says Docaviv’s artistic director, Karin Rywkind Segal.

“Despite the disappointment, we are pleased to announce tentative new dates for the festival. In optimistic anticipation of better days ahead, Docaviv 2020 will therefore be held from 3-12 September. We aim to move forward not with panic or sadness, but with hope for the future. Our team is working around the clock to review, reschedule and reinvent,” Segal concludes.

Festival director Galia Bador adds: “We are following in the footsteps of many film festivals around the world that have been forced to cancel or postpone as well. The documentary industry is one that knows how to weather hardships, and understands that great beauty, art and storytelling often come as a direct result of what we endure. We look forward to the day when our community can reconvene in celebration of great filmmaking.”

Docaviv is the largest film festival in the city of Tel Aviv, and the only gathering in Israel dedicated exclusively to documentary films. The festival also holds several industry events, including one-on-one meetings between Israeli filmmakers and international decision makers, and DOC-LAB-TLV, a rough-cut lab with international mentors.

In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences listed Docaviv as one of the leading festivals whose winners automatically qualify for Oscar consideration. The winners of the Israeli, International and Short Competitions are eligible to compete for an Oscar in the documentary category.