Astra Film Festival 2020: outdoors and online

The Historical Center of Sibiu and the miraculous Astra Museum become cinema theaters for AFF 2020. This year's edition takes place under the sign of responsibility.

Press release

Good news from Sibiu. Filmmakers and documentary film lovers will enjoy the screenings offered at the Astra Film Festival this year as well. The 27th edition of the festival will take place outdoors and online and will be organized in two parts: Astra Film Festival Open Air (4-13 September) and Astra Fim Festival Online (16-25 October).  The AFF 2020 format highlights the necessary protective measures, for the festival to provide safe conditions for participants. This year, more than ever, the Audience is the main Partner of the Astra Film Festival.

"In times of uncertainty, one thing has always remained certain: Astra Film Festival will be ready this year as well to meet the public. I invite you to start the fall with a celebration of cinema and together to go through a unique experience, just as new for our audience and for us, the organizers" says the director Dumitru Budrala, founder of the festival.

The schedule of events and the participation regulations in outdoor screenings will be communicated soon.

ASTRA FILM FESTIVAL OUTDOOR will be organized from 4 to 13 September in the open air: at the Astra Museum and in the Historical Centre of Sibiu, which will take the place of cinema halls. Astra Film Festival Outdoor will include film screenings, meetings with directors, discussions, special programs and concerts.

ASTRA FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE will take place from 16 to 25 October via the festival platform, which will host some of the films in the official program.  Everything will be available online for our audience anywhere in Romania. Some productions will also be available after the end of the official festival period.  AFF ONLINE will also host a program dedicated to the film industry, which will include a series of activities taking place in the virtual environment.

"The current context has shown us that without art and culture we are poorer and sadder, and the documentary has the gift of penetrating the intimacy of human experiences and establishing connections with the world, overcoming geographical, cultural, ethnic, racial or religious barriers.
It places itself at the forefront of exploring the complex issues of existence through art.
Documentary film or the cinematography of reality opens horizons to the knowledge of other civilizations and cultures and, implicitly, to tolerance” said Dumitru Budrala.

Astra Film Festival is one of the most valuable non-fiction film festivals in Europe.