Edinburgh TV Festival goes online for 2020 edition

The Edinburgh TV Festival will be presented digitally this year with free access for freelancers.

The online offering will still include the keystone sessions such as The MacTaggart Lecture and the Controller Sessions as well as The Network, Ones to Watch and TV PhD. The awards will be staged later in the year.

The full details of the online content will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Managing director of the TV Festival and TV Foundation Campbell Glennie said: “We have decided that, in the best interests of everyone we would seek to bring together, educate and support, that we will not be staging the TV Festival physically in Edinburgh this August. However, our industry is based on creative innovation and so too is the Festival.

“For the past week we have been in consultation with our board, partners and supporters to re-examine not just what we could achieve this year, but more importantly what we should be doing to connect, discuss and find solutions to issues both perennial and particular to the evolving challenges we all face…

“… Television’s vital role in our lives has never been so present, valued and cherished, and so the team will be doing everything we can in 2020 to keep discussion flowing, talent supported and diversity encouraged. It will not be the Festival we know, but it will still be the Festival we love.”

This year’s advisory chair, BBC Two Controller Patrick Holland, said: “I believe that Edinburgh’s role as a lightning rod for our industry is more important than ever this year.

“The key themes we’ll be discussing; the future of the PSBs in the UK ecology, the role of TV in the climate emergency, reflecting the diversity of the audience in who makes and is featured in our shows – are brought into even sharper relief by the coronavirus crisis. I look forward to working with the team to bring that spirit to everyone between now and August.”

Further information and FAQs can be found on the Edinburgh TV Festival website.

Photo: Edinburgh TV Festival.