More Companies and their Telluride connections

"The Artist" has a chance to be at Telluride

A slow day around the interwebs about much of anything that rings a bell as far as the Telluride Film Festival is concerned.  Really, no good nuggets to share at this point. 

We had the last call for submissions for the festival this week with the deadline for student and short films passing yesterday and the deadline for feature film submissions looming on July 15.  And,of course, the Festival announced its guest director for 2011 this week.  It is Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso. 

We do have time, then to look at three more film companies that have had a presence at the festival recently and see what's in their respective quivers for possibles for this year.

FRANCE 3 CINEMA

2007: Persepolis, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2008: I've Loved You So Long
2009: The White Ribbon
2010: Of Gods and Men, The Princess of Montpensier, The Illusionist

In play for 2011: The Artist and We Have a Pope.

Analysis:  Both films could be on the Telluride list.  Both were featured at Cannes.  "The Artist" had a better critical response and therefore, I think, has the greater chance of playing at T-ride. "Artist" had a cumulative 2.6 rating from participating critics in Ioncinema's poll that was held as Cannes was unfolding.  "We Have a Pope" had a 2.1.  Intuitively, I really think that "The Artist" is very likely to be at this year's Telluride Film Festival.

CANAL+

Canal+ has also had a substantial presence at Telluride recently:

2007: Terror's Advocate, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2008: Flame and Citron, I've Loved You So Long
2009: Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet, The White Ribbon, Farewell
2010: The Illusionist,The Princess of Montpensier, Of Gods and Men, Carlos

Potential 2011 films at Telluride: Pater, Melancholia, The Kid with a Bike, We Have a Pope.

Analysis: "Pater" suffered from the same lukewarm response at Cannes that "We Have a Pope" did.  Lars Von Trier burned a lot of goodwill with his antics about Nazism during the Cannes fest.  So I have all but discounted "Melancholia" which leaves "The Kid with a Bike."  It WAS well received critically at Cannes (2.9 on the Ioncinema critics board)  and the Dardennes Brothers films have often played at Telluride.  I think it is very likely to be on the lineup on Labor Day.

UK FILM COUNCIL

Again, this company has been a frequent player at Telluride in the last five years...

2006: Venus, The Last King of Scotland, Severance
2007: When Did You Last See Your Father, Brick Lane
2008: Happy-Go-Lucky
2009: Bright Star, Fish Tank
2010: The First Grader, Tamara Drewe, Another Year

Possibles in 2011 include: The Iron Lady, My Week with Marilyn and Wuthering Heights

Analysis: I think all three films are 50/50 possibilities at best.  My strongest sense right now for any of them is for "Wuthering Heights" from director Andrea Arnold but even that is tepid.

Have a good Independence Day holiday everyone!