FNE Association: Working Together in a Time of Isolation and Quarantine

12-03-2020

FNE Association: Working Together in a Time of Isolation and Quarantine

By Anna Franklin

WARSAW: The cinema industry is an event industry and we are already feeling the impact of the Coronavirus crisis much more strongly than many other industry sectors as festivals are cancelled and cinemas are closed. Some big film productions have shut down. There is no doubt our industry is struggling across Europe as isolation and quarantine become the norm as the necessity to keep the public safe rightly takes priority.

Festival and event organisers are seeing their hard work disappear as events have to be cancelled. Cinemas are being closed. Those that have stayed open are seeing admissions plummet. The economic impact is only just beginning to be felt and it will unfortunately get much worse before it improves.

We need to work together as a community even as we enter a period of quarantine and isolation with borders closing across the EU. Now is not the time to turn inward. Especially in Central and Eastern Europe we have established a strong sense of cooperation over the past ten years. There is no doubt the next few months are going to be very challenging for our industry. If we all help each other in this time of isolation our industry will come thru. Even with borders closed ideas and cooperation need to continue to cross those borders.

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