CANNES AND THE REST OF THE LINEUP
Followers of the Cannes Film Fest know that the Palme d'Or lineup is probably not complete. It has been common in recent years that films have been added to the competition and other sections of the fest after the main announcement and I expect that to be the case again this year.
That said, it appears that the door has not completely closed on three films of particular interest to this writer that I've been eyeing as potential Cannes/Telluride crossovers for months.
First, the Netflix/Cannes stand off...which includes Alfonso Cuaron's Roma and Orson Welles' now completed The Other Side of the Wind.
Those doors where thought to be closed with last Thursday's announcement as Netflix withdrew any films from consideration for any section of the festival. The conflict centers on the Netflix distribution model and Cannes' insistence that competition films must have a French theatrical release.
Despite what happened Thursday, there are reports that there still may efforts to open the door for both of those films. Indiewire reported that Fremaux is still lobbying for Roma to play Cannes and that Welles' daughter is imploring Netflix and the fest to find some way that The Other Side of the Wind could still play.
Honestly, I don't have a good sense of how this will eventually shake out. My best guess is that the standoff remains in place and both Roma and Wind don't get added and may, instead screen at Venice and/or Telluride but I wouldn't wager any money on that.
The other film to mention is Terry Gilliam's The Man Killed Don Quixote. Its chance of playing Cannes seemed to be dashed by ongoing legal proceedings involving one of the film's past producers. However, there were hints this weekend that even that door might not be totally closed.
Again, if I were forced to guess, I wouldn't count on Gilliam's film making it to the Croisette. Its past history suggests that. Actually, it's past history suggests that it's chances at T-ride, Venice, New York and/or Toronto are all dicey at best.
MILOS FORMAN 1932-2018
Milos Forman has died at 86. His body of work as a director was smallish. IMDb lists 20 features with Forman directing but the list of 20 is formidable and includes two Best Direction Oscar wins for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus (both of which also won Best Picture). In addition to those two classics Forman also directed Man in the Moon, Ragtime, The People vs. Larry Flynt and Hair.
Forman was in Telluride for the festival in 2001 with the re-release of Amadeus that screened that year.
Several of you probably know that I have occasionally said that Cuckoo's Nest is my favorite film (though that claim shifts from time to time).
Forman was notable for directing all manner never getting stuck in a particular genre or format. His versatility was remarkable.
Here's Indiewire's report on his passing.
More on Thursday...
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