Toronto's Final Word? / What's "Most Likely"? / Making "Steve Jobs" / Taking the Measure: Pre-Fest Awards Assessment / And Remember...

It's Hump Day with nine days left until the 42nd Telluride Film Festival launches...Make it go faster!

TORONTO'S FINAL WORD?

Barring some sort of surprise announcement, we now know all of the films that are scheduled to play the Toronto Film Fest on Sept. 10-20.  The last set of films was announced yesterday with what would seem to be very little impact in terms of telling us much of anything about what will show at The SHOW.

The only film to emerge from yesterday's TIFF announcement that may have some T-ride potential is "Ixcanul", The film is listed by TIFF as a Canadian Premiere and though it appears to have been screened in Mexico, that same set of circumstances does not seem to have prevented the probable screening of Jafar Panahi's "Taxi" next week.  So...

"Ixcanul" is directed by Jayro Bustamante and is from Guatemala and France in terms of origin.  TIFF's description says that it focuses on the lives of two young Mayan lovers who flee Guatemala for the U.S.  The film played Berlin and Karlovy Vary among other international fests and currently has no U.S. distribution per IMDb.  Here is "Ixcanul's" page there:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4135844/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt

Does it play Telluride?  I put it's chances at 50/50.

Otherwise, as best as I can tell, no other new films seemed to be indicated by the TIFF press releases yesterday.


WHAT'S "MOST LIKELY"?

If you've been following along with this summer's progressive "Ten Bets" lists you're aware that I think we've got a pretty good idea of somewhere between 15-20 TFF #42 films (and, who knows?...I could be wrong about some of them).  What that also means is that there are likely 5-10 films that we haven't pinpointed so the question naturally arises...what's the best guess at what some of those might be?

Here's me answer...at least for now.

Sony Pictures Classics.  Are we really to believe that they will have one and only one film at TFF?  "Son of Saul" and that's all?  That'd be really hard to believe.  But the only other card they hold is "13 Minutes"...so maybe that makes it a "Most Likely".

Same calculus about The Weinstein Company...though slightly less dramatic.  They don't usually show at Telluride in the same force as SPC...no one does.  TWC has "Burnt". "Tulip Fever" and"Macbeth" they could add to the almost certain "Carol".  also...we'll continue to dare to dream that we might be treated to some "Hateful Eight" footage.

Fox Searchlight has "Malala" likely at T-ride but not "Youth".  What's left? "A Bigger Splash"?  I've heard whispers that it's playing Venice and Venice alone.  So maybe Fox Searchlight plays "Malala" and that's all.

Herzog???  You still have to think "Queen of the Desert" shows up next week at The Zog.  "Salt and Fire" less likely, but not outside the realm of possibility.

"The Last Face"?  Maybe...River Road/Bill Pohlad producing...could get it into the lineup.

If Warners brings more than "Black Mass"?  "Creed"? "In the Heart of the Sea"? "The 33"?

Could the Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions/Saban gang bring "A Hologram for the King"?  "Genius", "The Sea of Trees"?  You could make some case for any or all.

Barbet Schroeder's "Amnesia"?

Some part of the touring Wim Wenders retropsective?

Also...still nagging at me "Secret in Their Eyes"...


MAKING "STEVE JOBS"

Screen Crush focused an unusual article this week on Danny Boyle's "Steve Jobs".  The story details the unique approach that Boyle took with his actors and the intense involvement of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.  I'm hoping that, in addition to Boyle, that actor Michael Fassbender and scribe Sorkin might be persuaded to attend the gathering next week.

Here's the story from Screen Crush (pulled from Collider):

http://screencrush.com/steve-jobs-filming-approach/

And for hoots, the original Collider post is here:

http://collider.com/steve-jobs-movie-rehearsal-process-revealed-by-michael-stuhlbarg/


TAKING THE MEASURE: PRE-FEST AWARDS ASSESSMENT

It's a fool's game...peering into the uncertain film future of the next few months...but there are really smart people who do it.  So, prior to the first screening at Venice, which leads this whole "fall fest" season off, I thought I'd crunch a few numbers to see where the experts are in terms of anticipated Best Picture type films before we really get rolling.

To do that I focused on the experts that are already up at GoldDerby.com.  I looked at each experts top five choices and did simple math from that point.

The entire list of experts (a dozen including Sasha Stone and Anne Thompson who will be part of the Professionals rating films for this blog next week in Telluride) with their lists of ten films apiece can be seen here:

http://www.goldderby.com/awardshows/experts/oscars-2015-nominations-nominations/best-picture.html


Here's the consensus for Best Picture:

1) "The Revenant"
2) "Joy" (actually tied with "Revenant" tie broken by looking at 6-10 rankings)
3) "Carol" (#9 on my last "Ten Bets")
4) "Steve Jobs" (#7 on my last "Ten Bets")
5) "Bridge of Spies"
6) "The Hateful Eight" (footage please QT)
7) "The Danish Girl"
8) "Inside Out"
9) "Black Mass" (#2 on my last "Ten Bets")
10) "Mad Max: Fury Road"

Other probable Telluride 2015 titles that were in the Gold Derby convo for Best Picture:
"Son of Saul"
"Suffragette"
"45 Years"
"Room"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Spotlight"


AND REMEMBER...

For the fourth straight year Michael's Telluride Film Blog is asking you to join in rating the films you see at the fest.  I want your input as I gather your ratings on a 1-5 scale.  You can email them or tweet them or put them in a comment on this blog.  I'll compile and a week or so after the fest, I'll report to you what you, The People (The Peeps), thought about the films that play TFF #42.

I'll also be compiling ratings from some of the industry professionals that'll be in town for the festivities as well.  Included in this year's pros will be writers from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Awards Daily and more.


Please feel free to leave a comment or question here at the blog.

Email me at michael_speech@hotmail.com or mpgort@gmail.com

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