Tilda Swinton says she will not be wearing a mask on set of new movie

(CNN) — Three years into the pandemic, Tilda Swinton is ready to put Covid-19-related film set rules behind her.

While appearing at a South By Southwest (SXSW) festival event in Austin, Texas on Monday, Swinton said that she was told she had "to wear a mask at all times" while in production on a movie she’s about to start filming in Ireland.

"I’m not wearing a mask," Swinton declared regarding her plans while on set, adding that she’s had Covid-19 "so many times" but is now "super healthy."

Swinton was at SXSW to promote her new film "Problemista," a comedy about a Salvadorian immigrant named Alejandro (Julio Torres) who has dreams of working for toy company Hasbro. While pursuing his Hasbro goals, Alejandro ends up working for Swinton’s character Elizabeth, an art critic dealing with issues surrounding her late husband’s remains.

"It’s very nice to see your faces unmasked," Swinton added to the audience.

The Oscar-winner also addressed the immense impact the pandemic had on movie theaters.

She said she was concerned that people would "forget the power" of seeing movies in the theater, and she said that films like "Everything Everywhere All at Once" are "really good for cinema" and help to bring movie theaters back to life.

The Michelle Yeoh-led film won seven Oscars at Sunday’s Academy Awards and grossed over $100 million worldwide at the box office, drawing millions of people back to movie theaters.

Guillermo del Toro’s "Pinocchio," to which Swinton lent her voice, also won best animated feature.

"In many ways, I feel more than ever that cinema is ever more magical," she said.

The-CNN-Wire
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