By: Jane O’Neil, Staff Writer
If you’re like me, then before pandemic took the world, you paid some attention to what films were supposed to have been released in 2020. However, for many of these major motion pictures and other films of excitement such as the new “Dune” remake by Denis Villaneuve or “The French Dispatch” by Wes Anderson, the release dates have been pushed far into 2021 for theatrical and digital release. But, even so, a number of films were released in 2020 that didn’t get quite as much spotlight as they deserve.
So, here is a list of all the American films that came out in 2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_films_of_2020
Signs like “Closed for Season,” “Take Care of Each Other, We’ll see you next year,” and “Closed until further notice” were visible outside local entertainment venues from the Oriental Theater near Regis to the Bluebird on Colfax to movie theaters like Harkins and AMC and the Mayan on Broadway. It goes without saying that the entertainment industry was hit hard by the global pandemic. Independent filmmakers, musicians, and actors were without work in 2020 and many continue to be out of work in 2021.
Luckily, many independent agencies have come together to provide resources for struggling artists such as Colorado Public Radio’s Indie 102.3 Musician Resource Guide or the SAG indie Covid-19 resources for Filmmakers page. But, universally, there has been a great deal of hardship among the entertainment industry; and, the struggle is not over yet. And yet, independent artists have put out a great deal of music, poetry, literature, visual art, and cinema in the last year which makes me feel hopeful for the future of art as many who would not otherwise be producing content discovering new artistic hobbies during quarantine. All in all, artistic friends, hope is on the horizon and I, for one, will be looking forward to some of 2021’s new films.