2020 is almost done (thank goodness), and we have a whole new year just around the corner. In a way, people have this weird notion that there is this supernatural conclusion to the end of a day, a week, or a year. “Things will be better tomorrow. It’s a brand new day.” “I’m finished with my week from hell.” “This is going to be our year.” It seems like a push for enthusiasm and self perseverance, so we won’t be in low spirits when the next threshold comes. Really, the concept of calendrical time is an invention by us. Sure, we experience seasons and nights, amongst other factors beyond our control, but we applied these barricades for our own benefit: to schedule, to create a system, to record information, and to satisfy that part of our brains that loves conclusions and new starts. 2021 is coming, but not much is going to change in an instant.

This includes the idea that things are going to be back to normal with cinemas and films in 2021. I’d like to think that we’re closer to a resolution of the pandemic scenario by now, and the implementation of vaccinations seems like we are heading in this direction. For now, I’m just going to think about all of the 2020 films that were pushed to 2021, because there’s this idea that the upcoming year is going to be off the charts with how good cinema is going to be overall. It makes sense: the hypothetical best films of 2020 that got shelved, combined with the best works of 2021? Surely, we’re going to have a great time! There are a lot of things to consider, including the backlog that has been made now. While that means more films at once, it also means the pushing of other releases even further, due to budgeting, production, and more. It’s not like all of the films of 2021 were finished and ready to go, with all finances covered.

Also, this is assuming that 1) cinemas are going to start opening again soon (fingers crossed) and 2) the mold for cinematic consumption wasn’t drastically changed enough that studios would have to start coming up with new release plans (there’s also that whole debacle with Warner Bros. opting to release all of their 2021 lineup through HBO Max, which will surely throw the wrench in many plans). The problem is we’re all expecting things to go back to exactly how they once were, and it’s a nice idea. In the same way that we feel accomplished at the end of a day and fresh at the start of another, we have these mental thresholds that feel satisfying; either that, or they are assuring, letting us know that the bad will end soon, because we’re crossing a new territory (of sorts) very soon. I go to sleep early or take a nap when I’m mad or depressed to the point of being impossible to concentrate. Deep down, I know it might not resolve much, but I feel like I’m in a new place when I wake up. This is also due to having rest, and some time to think. The film industry has had this: a moment or two to reflect, strategize, and figure out what 2021 can look like.

In reality, we just have to wait and see still. I feel, in all honesty, that we are on the right track to getting out of this pandemic finally. We want things to go back to normal, not just for our passions and loves, but for the saving of the economy and so many personal businesses and lives. Part of this positive prophecy comes from knowing that the little things are going to be fine, and this includes the state of films for many of us. I really wanted to see The French Dispatch, and knowing it’ll finally arrive means the world will be in a better place (possibly). I do believe that film will be what it always was in terms of quality: we might be surprised, and we might have our expectations met. The way we consume our films might be different, either somewhat or drastically; things might go exactly the same somehow, for all we know. The only thing I’m certain of is that film — of any sort — is going to continue. We just have to keep moving forward: because it’s psychologically calming, because it is sensibly proactive, and because that’s the only way we can go. There is a light at the end of this tunnel caused by many rays; for us cinephiles, this could be strengthened by a projector running.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

So... Film in 2021 is Going to be Amazing, Right?