Participants at the Venice Film Festival must wear face masks: Guidelines

The Venice Film Festival, which is going to be the first international in-person film festival, has issued safety guidelines for the 10-day long programme. The festival will start from September 2 to September 12. 

The participants of the festival have to wear face masks as well as go through a coronavirus test, if they are arriving from outside Europe, stated the new guidelines.

Keeping in mind the COVID-19 situation, the authorities have said that general public and fans have to stay away from the red carpet and the ones that want to visit the festival have to buy tickets online so that every alternate seat can be kept vacant in a bid to maintain social distancing.

The Biennale di Venezia, organisers of the festival, have also stated that masks should be worn at all times, even at the time of screening. In Italy, the general rule allows people to take off their masks once they are seated in the theatre. The movie-goers will also be tracked.

Nine gates have been set up in Lido, the place where the festival is going to be organised, to check temperatures of the media personnel and general public.

Many films at the Venice Film Festival have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Other such events, including the New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, have gone virtual.