On Wednesday, November 11th, World Webfest Mania returns in a flexible online format on Xerb.tv— while the event will go live starting at 7pm, audience members can pick up from the beginning at any time until the stream cuts off at midnight. “We hope this hybrid format will create the communal feeling of an in-person event while also providing some flexibility for at-home viewers,” says festival manager Cailin Kless. There will also be a small in-person Awards Ceremony the following day at HiO Tribeca, with complimentary food, beverage, and gift bags for filmmakers and their guests.

The Autumn lineup features many New York voices as well as a few interstate and international entries. Each act will be followed by filmmaker talkbacks via Zoom, and the Audience Choice Award Winners will receive prize packages courtesy of Final Draft, 3636 Studios, International Screenwriters’ Association, and the Bowery Film Festival.  

The internet is typically swift to respond to large cultural shifts, and the web creators of WWM are no exception.Though a diverse array of films, each entry in the fall program responds in some way to the post-pandemic world, with some of the films being shot in the midst of quarantine with small casts and clever filming. Some, such as Another Time and Care Package, are direct depictions of life amidst COVID-19, while others examine illness through other lenses like Simon Pearl’s comedic drama Patient, in which a standardized patient helps train new doctors with his unique ability to recreate the symptoms of any disease. Things get messy, however, when the symptoms start to stick. 

World Webfest Mania Autumn 2020 

Wednesday, November 11th: Streamable starting 7pm EDT — Stream Cutoff at Midnight 

Online Event Link: https://xerb.tv/channel/worldwebfestmaniafestival/virtual-events/1227 

Awards Ceremony Thur. Nov. 12th, 6pm – 8pm @ HiO Tribeca, 37 Lispenard St., New York, NY, 10013

Media Inquiries contact: worldwebfestmania@gmail.com — Attn: Cailin Kless