Monday, March 9, 2020

Opening Some Cannes / Philip Kaufman Honored

OPENING SOME CANNES



Indiewire's Eric Kohn wrote Friday about the possible effects of the worldwide outbreak of Coronavirus on the upcoming Cannes Festival.

Kohn's article spends some time addressing the ripple effect that could occur should festival organizers alter or even postpone or cancel the fest altogether.  Included in that assessment is mention of  of the fall festivals, including Telluride, as possible landing places for films that might have been included in the Cannes lineup.

With the cancellation of South by Southwest announced over this past weekend, the discussion about what happens with the films that were going to bow there has begun.

Of particular note is the fact that TFF has been, for some time, a common landing spot for North American first screenings for films that originally premiere at Cannes.  As I have noted here many times, in an average year, Cannes and TFF will share 7-8 films.  Last year's Palme d'Or winner, Parasite, played at Telluride as its first U.S. among a number of other U.S. film fests on its way to the Best Picture Oscar.

Adding to the Cannes discussion is the official reveal that Cannes will announce its lineup on April 16th.

It seems likely, to me at least, that Covid-19 is probably going to create some wrinkles to this year's film festival plans and what those wrinkles might be are difficult to predict. 

I have linked the Indiewire post about Cannes here.

Also the Cannes announcement regarding when they reveal their lineup is linked here.


PHILIP KAUFMAN HONORED



Photo via The Hollywood Reporter


You'll recall that director/writer Philip Kaufman was feted last year in as a tribute recipient of TFF #46.  Now comes news that the 83 year old is being honored again by the Cinematheque Francaise.  The Hollywood Reporter provided that information that Kaufman was receiving a Lifetime Tribute from that organization.

Kaufman's career has included such films as The Right Stuff, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Quills.  Kaufman  is also an Oscar nominee for the screenplay of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a 1988 release.  That film was screened last Labor Day at Telluride as a part of the TFF Tribute.

Kaufman is also giving a master class in France following a screening of The Wanderers.

The THR story is linked here.


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