To Our Film Festival Family,

Due to the evolving concerns regarding COVID-19, and per the continued federal and state guidelines, we have sadly arrived at the inevitable conclusion to cancel this year's festival. Even though we are deeply saddened that we will not have the opportunity to experience GCFF 2020 with you, protecting the health and safety of our community is the immediate priority and concern.

Over the last five years the Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (GCFF) in partnership with WCF studios/films LLC have spotlighted stories from places near and far that deserve global attention. We take pride in being a platform that exhibits unflinching human rights films that make us care. Our annual program showcases unconventional styles that speak to the evolution of the narrative and documentary form. Through the visual language of film, we explore sensitive stories captured by unflinching lenses held by filmmakers with the audacity to inform, inspire and visually transport audiences to that sacred place called the cinema.

We know that we are not the only small business or event in Boston that has made the difficult decision to cancel their event, however, there are still bills and expenses that will need to be paid so that we can continue our work of bringing quality programing to our community once this global health crisis is over.

The majority of our festival’s costs were spent in advance and unfortunately not recoverable. Substantial income from ticket sales has also been lost, leaving our festival in a financially vulnerable position. It is with that in mind that we have created a GoFundMe page to help us continue our work and support our filmmakers during this difficult time. Part of the funds raised here will also go towards supporting our visiting independent filmmakers and producers from around the globe who had to cancel their non-refundable travel and lodging accommodations to our festival due to travel bans and growing concerns over COVID-19.

Should you be in a position to help, we will be deeply grateful for your contribution. We urge our film festival family and community to continue to take care of themselves and their loved ones.

Thank you for being part of our film festival family.

Sincerely,

Raouf Jacob

Executive Director

GCFF of Boston & WCF studios/films LLC