Yahoo Finance MTV Documentary Films Offers ‘76 Days’ for Free on COVID Lockdown Anniversary (EXCLUSIVE)
MTV Documentary Films will make “76 Days,” a look at the frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, available for free on January 23.
The film is being offered gratis in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the start of the coronavirus lockdown in the Chinese city considered to be the early epicenter of a disease that has upended life.
More from Variety
How '76 Days' Director Edited His Film on Wuhan COVID Outbreak Remotely
'76 Days' Review: A Strong, Heart-Pounding Doc From the Medical Frontline of the Pandemic in Wuhan
It also helps support art house theaters at a time when many are teetering on the edge of financial catastrophe due to closures brought on by the pandemic. Consumers can access the film via “virtual cinema,” which is an online platform that screens movies in conjunction with independent art house cinemas across North America.
“After almost a year of profound challenges in the cinematic exhibition field, I am thrilled to see distributors like MTV Documentary Films stepping up to support the essential work done by community-based art houses,” said Makenzie Peecook, who works with Art House Convergence, a network of independent cinemas to whom the film is being offered for free virtual cinema screenings.
Patrons will have the opportunity to watch “76 Days” for free on this day via Virtual Cinema with MTV Documentary Films donating $5 per viewing to the respective theaters. The film debuted on December 4, 2020, earning sterling reviews.
On January 23, 2020, China locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million, to combat the emerging outbreak. The film provides an unfiltered look at the terrifying early days of the disease, centering on the doctors and nurses trying to combat a new and deadly virus, as well as the patients who became critically ill and the people whose lives were impacted.
Directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and “Anonymous,” “76 Days” was produced by Wu and Jean Tsien. The film was written and edited by Wu and shot by Anonymous and Chen. Executive producers are Sheila Nevins, Bryn Mooser, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Naja Pham Lockwood, Jamie Chen and Roberto Grande.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost everyone on this planet, in ways big and small, since its initial outbreak in Wuhan,” said Wu. “We made ’76 Days’ to honor frontline medical workers worldwide, and to remind viewers everywhere never to forget the pain and struggles of this pandemic.”
“As the anniversary of Wuhan’s lockdown approaches, we’re proud to make ’76 Days’ – the pre-eminent look at the pandemic from day one – available through this unique opportunity and do our small part in helping theaters who have been decimated during this time,” said MTV Documentary Films co-heads Nina L. Diaz and Liza Burnett Fefferman.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
