Virtual Updates from Invitation's Virtual Festival Run

It’s no news that 2020 has been a difficult year. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus’ continued, uncontrolled spread in the United States, the future of the film industry and film festivals has been uncertain, to say the least. Theaters are only now reopening in limited capacities; film and television production is slowly and tentatively moving forward in some regions; and film festivals have had to figure out a post-COVID strategy that showcases their selected films that also protects both audiences and filmmakers.

Predictably, Invitation’s festival run has been caught in the middle of this paradigm shift. Nearly all festivals were postponed, if not canceled outright; this was the case for both Tallahassee Film Festival and Tupelo Film Festival, two fests set to present Invitation as an Official Selection. Those that decided to move forward with holding an event have scrambled to transition to virtual platforms, pioneering new ways to bring the work of their filmmakers to quarantined audiences.

The work that these festivals are doing is pioneering and admirable. September 2020 is shaping up to be a big month for Invitation, as not just one or two, but three festivals are finally holding their events virtually. This means audiences across the country will have multiple opportunities to watch the film safely online from the comfort of their own home.

First up: Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival! Originally scheduled to take place in sunny Fort Myers Beach, Florida, this fest will be screening its slate virtually beginning Wednesday, September 23rd and running through Saturday, September 26th, culminating with an award ceremony via Zoom at 7:00 PM EST. Invitation is screening as part of Short Film Package 1 on September 23rd at 7:30 PM EST. Tickets can be purchased for each individual block for $8.00 each here. For more the full FMBIFF schedule, click here.

Next is BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival. This festival out of Cary, North Carolina is running from Thursday, September 24th through Sunday, September 27th. Invitation will make its North Carolina premiere as part of Shorts Block 2, which will be available from 8:00 AM EST to 11:45 PM EST on Friday, September 25th. Tickets to all screenings are FREE, though donations are requested. The festival will end with an awards ceremony streamed over Facebook Live on Sunday at 11:00 AM EST, followed by a Best of Fest shorts block for all award winners available from 11:30 AM EST to 11:45 PM EST. Here’s hoping for an additional screening for Pastor Paul and Ambrose. For the full schedule of films, click here, and for information about all of the films in competition, click here.

Last, but certainly not least, is Waco’s very own Deep in the Heart Film Festival! Dedicated to promoting heart-warming, heart-breaking, and heart-stopping independent films, the Invitation team is incredibly honored make its Texas premiere as part of Deep in the Heart’s programming slate. The festival is dividing its event up between two exciting weekends, September 25th-27th and October 2nd-4th. Invitation is screening on Saturday, September 26th at 2:00 PM CST in the “Hearts and Minds” block of films. The festival will wrap up with a virtual Awards Ceremony and After Party at 6:00 PM CST on October 4th. Starting September 1st, tickets are $5.00 for each individual programming block, or you can purchase an all-access pass to all the films for $25.00. You can click here to see the full festival schedule and ticket information, and learn more about how to tune in to the fest here.

We are incredibly excited for more audiences to see Invitation, and hope to have you at any one of these exciting screenings.

Best wishes,

Chad Hill