As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cartagena de Indias Film Festival (FICCI), one of the most important in the region, had to change the way its activities and screenings were carried out. It went from being held during the month of March to being divided during each full moon from March to October. 

 

This version of the festival is a response to the situation caused by the pandemic. According to its organizers, this version does not have a number but its name refers to "the disruption caused by the global health situation."

 

On Monday, Sept. 20, FICCI began its academic and screening agenda for the month. More than 20 films were screened in different parts of the city and eight academic events were held in the FICCI Hall. 

 

As every month of this special edition, the festival opens its space under the full moon to show a special curation of feature and short films in different parts of the city of Cartagena. 

 

Some of the films screened under this full moon were the French film, Slalom, Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival; the Thai documentary, Krabi; the Spanish film, La Hija de un ladrón by Belén Funes; and the French film, Teddy, by Ludovic Boukherma and Zoran Boukherma. 

 

In addition, FICCI has developed various spaces in a hybrid manner in the courtyard of the Spanish Cooperation and via Facebook live, among which were the conversation, 'Filming in Cartagena' with Ricardo Chica; the panel 'Cinema is also a kid's thing' with the director of FesticineKids, Gerardo Nieto; and the NIDO session: 'Creators and audiovisual narratives in the digital and its impact on the industry,' with content creators Mildre Cartagena and Jose Pareja. 

 

"FICCI Interruptus is neither an easy challenge nor a simple edition. It is a Festival where we react to a unique and adverse circumstance for culture, an edition that is not created in conditions of freedom but of great resistance and that means refusing to disappear and shut down," said Felipe Aljure, artistic director of FICCI, during the press conference to present the festival. 

 

Given the permanent changes they have been forced to undergo by the pandemic, the Festival has been revealing monthly the activities and screenings available every full moon between the months of July to October.

 

"We invite you to join us in this exercise of resistance and commitment to culture and cinema as something that grows when it is seen, discussed, lived and dreamed collectively," Aljure mentioned as an invitation to Colombians who wish to join the festival's programming.