The organizing committee of the Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) announced on Friday that the 10th BIFF, originally scheduled to be held in late April, will be postponed.

"In order to cooperate with the overall situation of the COVID-19 prevention work at the present stage, the 10th BIFF, which was originally scheduled to be held in Beijing in late April 2020, has been postponed for the sake of the safety and health of the festival guests, fans, media, partners and the public, as well as according to suggestions of the film festival guidance department, sponsor and experts from all circles," according to the statement. 

The organizing committee also expressed its sincere thanks to the enthusiastic attention, strong support and active participation from all walks of life in the early stages of the BIFF.

It added it will closely monitor the progress in the prevention and control of the epidemic and confirm the launch date of the 10th BIFF at the earliest date.

The Beijing International Film Festival is a film festival in Beijing, China, founded in 2011. The BIFF is one of the world's most prominent film festivals, and has been attended by Hollywood executives, directors, producers and studio heads, as well as filmmakers and actors from all over the world since its launch.