Oscar Charts a New Path / Another Take on Fall Film Fests and Covid-19 / Locarno Says No to 2020

OSCAR CHARTS A NEW PATH

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences met virtually Tuesday and established some new temporary guidelines for the Academy Awards in a Covid-19 era.

The most consequential change is that films that are streaming but did not have a traditional theatrical release can be eligible for Oscar consideration if they had a theatrical date scheduled for 2020.  So, for example, Sundance hit Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always is now Oscar eligible even though it hasn't had a theatrical run and went directly to VOD.

The decision to allow consideration of films that meet the new criteria could have some effect on calculations about films that might normally looking to plays at Telluride, Toronto, Venice (and whatever accomodation is made for Cannes) and New York.  Both the studios and the fests have a new wrinkle to contemplate in an already complex and unprecedented situation.

And, of course, from my perspective, the next several months on this blog will be difficult.  This decision adds one more layer of difficulty in trying to figure out what films play where.

Other major changes from the Academy meeting were the decision to combine Sound Editing and Sound Mixing into a single Oscar category and a change in voting rules for the International Features Oscar.  And finally, it appears that the Academy is committed to an Oscar ceremony for 2020 but is unsure that the currently scheduled date of Fe. 28, 2021 might be arbitrary,

Here's the complete low down on the AMPAS meeting from The Hollywood Reporter.


ANOTHER TAKE ON FALL FILM FESTS AND COVID-19

Rebecca Keegan writing at The Hollywood Reporter this week ran down her assessment of where we are currently with regard to TFF, TIFF, Venice and New York as the Covid-19 pandemic grinds on.

She includes a couple of interesting tidbits that probably should factor into our thinking about what may happen in September and October.

One paragraph that jumped out at me was this:

"Of the four marquee festivals typically used to launch fall films — Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York — all say they intend to exist in some form this year, and each is exploring different avenues and conferring with each other on safety protocols. Rivals who typically compete to snare the best films are instead now swapping ideas and commiserating about their unprecedented challenges."

That interests me though it doesn't necessarily surprise.  The notion that these four fests are "conferring"  and "swapping ideas" is what intrigues.

Also of note is this paragraph:

"Hollywood’s shut-down has impacted work on high-profile projects that would have been festival fare, like Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley for Fox Searchlight and David Fincher’s Mank for Netflix, making them unlikely to be finished in time for a Telluride or Venice bow, even if the festivals proceed."

That sets off some alarm bells for me as both of those films have been in my thinking as potential Telluride players this year.

Keegan also re-states the notion that the studios themselves are in a constant state of limbo in terms of release strategies that remain uncertain and in flux.

With so many variables still in play...making plans and predictions seems nigh on impossible.

Keegan's article is linked here.


LOCARNO SAYS NO TO 2020

Variety reported yesterday that the 73rd Locarno Film Fest in Switzerland has decided to cancel.  The fest also chose not to attempt an online version but rather will institute an initiative to support independent cinema.

Locarno artistic director Lili Hinstin is quoted in the article explaining the new initiative:

“directors whose movies have been blocked by the pandemic and are therefore suffering economic damage,”


The complete article by Nick Vivarelli for Variety is here..

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Oscar and Film Fests in a Pandemic Part One / Meanwhile: And Then Part Two / New York Film Fest Planning to Play

OSCAR AND FILM FESTS IN A PANDEMIC PART ONE

Two posts within a day of each other from Indiewire this week aimed to provide some insight and analysis about the fall film season and the relation of the fall lineup of major film fests that have tended to kick off Oscar season over the past 12-15 years.

The first came late enough Wednesday that I didn't have a good chance to get it read and digested for inclusion in my Thursday post.

Anne Thompson's article entitled "Oscars 2021: Awards Season Will Be Very Different, and Festivals Will Take a Backseat" talked specifically about Telluride, Venice, Toronto and New York.  Included is  this take from an Oscar campaign veteran that signals that some version of each of those four fests seems likely:

“Cooperation will be the spirit of the whole season,” said one veteran Oscar campaigner. “People are in that mood. We are supporting filmmakers and storytellers, not competing with each other. They toiled on these projects. We need to get them into the world, but not put anybody in jeopardy.”

Specifically with regard to Telluride Thompson writes:

"However, distributors are waiting to see how demanding festival directors Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger will be in terms of sending talent. Virtual participation is far more likely — and if fewer talent attends, and media follows, how eager will studios be to program their films? Most likely, distributors will wind up screening movies curated by the tastemakers at Telluride for media in L.A. and N.Y. under safer conditions in rooms sparsely filled by media and awards voters. “Telluride films will be ones you pay attention to,” said one awards campaigner."

As an additional note that suggests that Telluride is continues to plan an in-person experience, there was some Twitter chatter this week that students for the Student Symposium had been notified that they had been selected to participate.

Thompson's complete post is linked here.


MEANWHILE: AND THEN PART TWO

The day after Thompson's musings were published Indiewire posted Noel Cowan's piece called: "How Film Festivals Can Navigate the Risks and Rewards of Reopening — Analysis".

Cowan delineates four categories of festival "types" as a descriptor for fest organizers thinking as the calendar moves toward the first of May: Absolutists, Conservatives, Optimists and Radicals.

In the article Cowan suggests that his take on circumstantial evidence is that:

"The fall festivals have, so far, been falling decisively into the “optimist” category, with Venice announcing business as more or less usual. There are also strong signs that Telluride and Toronto intend to take place, featuring a significant number of live events."

Cowan defines the "Optimist" category in this fashion:

"Optimists see a rapid evolution of society into risk-takers and the risk-adverse and see film festivals geared chiefly to “risk takers.” Festivals would end the most egregious examples of social non-distancing — red carpets, fan meet-and-greets, packed hotel lobbies, and round table junkets — and enforce rules at the door. Face masks might be obligatory, everyone gets a squirt of hand sanitizer, but, in principle, everyone coming to see a film will be under no illusion they are not taking a chance."

The complete post is linked here


NEW YORK FILM FEST PLANNING TO PLAY

And then there's this...Charles Barfield writing for The Playlist tells us that it seems that the New York Film Festival is on record as still being committed to festing beginning on Sept. 25th. 

That's important to Telluride attendees as the announcement and premiere status at New York has become a helpful tool in sussing out what films will play at Telluride first before landing in NYC.

A note of caution, however, with the pandemic altering plans across the board that method, which has been very accurate as a TFF bellwether may not be as solid as it has been in the past few years.  As with most things in the film and festival worlds right now, even that is up in the air.

Barfield's article is here.


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Telluride News Coming This Week? / Venice Festival Dipsy-Do / 21st Century Films and Telluride

TELLURIDE NEWS COMING THIS WEEK?

Deadline's Andreas Wiseman wrote an article posted Tuesday that discusses the potential of five different fall film fests occurring in a Covid-19 world.  Telluride is one of the five fests that gets assessed.  The article drops this tantalizing bit of info:

"Telluride (September 4 – 7/8): A spokesperson for the picturesque and famously press-shy Telluride Film Festival has told us that they are “hoping to have some information this week” regarding the event’s status and planning in light of the Coronavirus. The Oscar-bellwether was expected to expand to five days this year after the Town Council approved an additional day earlier this month. Colorado has recorded close to 10,000 positive cases of COVID-19 and 422 deaths. The state garnered international headlines this week when healthcare workers blocked anti-lockdown protests."

The most intriguing part of that assessment is the "spokesperson's..."hoping to have some information this week".

Additionally, Deadline mentions the extra fifth day reportedly approved by the Telluride Town Council last week.

What's confusing?  The Deadline author lists the dates for the fest as Sept.4-7/8 meaning that their assumption is that Telluride is tacking the fifth day onto the end of the fest rather than, as I had assumed, the Thursday before the fest as TFF did in 2013 for its 40th iteration.

Further confusing the date situation is that the original reporting from the Telluride Watch/Daily Planet cites the added date as Sept. 1 which would be the Tuesday before the traditional and originally schedule Friday start.  From The Daily Planet last week:

Sooo....

The complete Deadline article is linked here.

VENICE FESTIVAL DIPSY-DO

Just a day after an interview with Venice Biennale President Roberto Cicutto (the film fest's parent organization) said that no collaboration with Cannes was planned, came another interview with festival's artistic director, Alberto Barbera that suggests just the opposite.  

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Roxborough in a post that went up on Tuesday afternoon that Barbera had some strong thoughts about a Cannes partnership with Venice.  From the post:

"The Venice International Film Festival has "a concrete will" to collaborate with Cannes this year, in what Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera says would be a "sign of solidarity towards the cinema world" during the coronavirus crisis."

"ANSA quoted Barbera as saying he had not excluded the possibility of "a real collaboration with the Cannes Film Festival, which would be a sign of solidarity towards the cinema world, which is now more than ever in difficulty."  Barbera said he was in talks with Frémaux and that there was a "concrete will" on both sides to find a solution."


The story suggests that Venice, at least at this point, continues to stay the course on its planned dates of Sept. 2-12.

The full THR story is here.



21ST CENTURY FILMS AND TELLURIDE

I missed this back a few weeks ago when Empire Online published their list of the 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century (so far).  Empire says in the introductory paragraphs that the list (originally published on Jan. 8th) that they combined the thoughts of their team with thousands of responses from their readers in compiling the list.

So, as you might expect...I had to see how many and at what spots within the 100 that Telluride films popped up.  Here's what I discovered...19 TFF films made the list.  Here they are presented with their position and the year that they screened at TFF:

95- A Prophet (09)
90- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (00)
83- Frances Ha (12)
72- Birdman (14)
63- Under the Skin (13)
60- Carol (15)
54- Brokeback Mountain (05)
46- Inside Llewyn Davis (13)
44- Roma (18)
36- Lady Bird (17)
35- Arrival (16)
34- Zodiac (08)
31- Amelie (01)
24- La La Land (16)
23- City of God (02)
15- Spirited Away (02)
11- There Will Be Blood (scenes screened as part of Daniel Day Lewis tribute 07)
10- Lost in Translation (03)
5- Moonlight (16)

Notes: 
*The #1 film on the list: George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road.

*You could make a case for 2016 being TFF's strongest year with three films making this list: #5 Moonlight, #24 La La Land and #35 Arrival.

* TFF 2002 landed two films on the list: #15 Spirited Away and #23 City of God.  TFF 2013 also has two films making the grade: #46 Inside Llewyn Davis and #63 Under the Skin.

*Ang Lee is the only director to land two TFF films on the list: #54 Brokeback Mountain and #90 Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

*The Noah Baumbach/Greta Gerwig team scores with #83 Frances Ha (Baumbach directed and co-wrote with Gerwig who stars in it) and #36 Lady Bird (written and directed by Gerwig.  Baumbach gets a "Special Thanks" mention in the credits).


Check out the complete list of 100 films from Empire Online linked here.



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Buchanan's Take / No New News on Cannes but Now Venice...LATE BREAKING-VENICE STILL A GO / SPC Acquires Julia / My Invite to Opine

BUCHANAN'S TAKE

On Wednesday last week the New York Times' Kyle Buchanan published a rumination on the world of film and what it might look like over the next year taking is season by season.  It's focused, of course, on what Covid-19 could mean for the film industry.

The article entitled "The Future That Hollywood Feared Is Happening Now".

The section about Fall focuses on the film fest scene.  He backtracks to the cancellation of SXSW and then assess the unlikelihood that Cannes will happen before arriving at some analysis regarding Venice first and then Telluride and Toronto.

From the article:

"Subsequent festivals in Telluride, Colo., and Toronto are considered even more important to launching year-end films. Still, some experts have warned of a potential coronavirus resurgence in the fall, and many may balk at going even if protective measures are taken and capacity is reduced. And if it looks like the 2020 awards season may be compromised, many prestige films could opt to sit out this festival year entirely."

Further on in the article, in the Winter section, Buchanan suggests that changing Oscar plans could also impact release strategies for some of the year's most eagerly awaited titles that would, under normal circumstances, be potential fest players.

Buchanan writes:

"Another possibility that’s been floated is extending Oscar eligibility so that the next show will include films released in both 2020 and 2021, something the academy has not done since several double-decker ceremonies in the 1930s. If academy bigwigs embrace that scenario, major Oscar contenders like this December’s “West Side Story” are in danger of becoming old news by the time voters fill out their ballots, and even Netflix might be tempted to push year-end awards films like David Fincher’s “Mank” and Ron Howard’s “Hillbilly Elegy” into 2021."

The upshot here is that there remains a tremendous amount of uncertain and that how this will all play out is a giant Jenga puzzle.

The complete Buchanan article is linked here.


NO NEW NEWS ON CANNES BUT NOW VENICE?

Like every other film fest on the calendar between now and the end of 2020, the Venice Film Fest has to make a decision as to how and if they will go forward.  Screen Daily tackled that issue last Friday with an article written by Gabriele Niola.

Perhaps the most daunting consideration that Venice is contending with is the severity with which Italy has been ravaged by the ongoing pandemic.  In that context, Niola reports that Venice head Alberto Barbera has ruled out a Virtual Venice and that films that have been submitted are under evaluation for inclusion.

Niola also throw some cold water on a notion that was floated last week: the idea of a Cannes/Vencie collaboration.  Niola writes:

"...although his relationship with Cannes delegate general Thierry Fremaux is reportedly a good one – the two have long shared advice and information and are in touch these weeks more than ever – the possibility of a joint festival between the two in the autumn is understood to be very unlikely."

The article also reports that the timeline for an ultimate decision regarding Venice will come  at the end of May or beginning of June.  So it seems we have at least six more weeks or so of speculation regarding what will or won't happen on the Lido.

The complete Screen Daily article is linked here.

LATE BREAKING...VENICE SPOKES PERSON SAYS IT'S STILL ON

A number of reports from an interview in Italy with Roberto Cicutto, President of the Venice Biennale that says Venice is still set to occur from Sept. 2-12 and that a Cannes collaboration is not likely.

From Variety.


SPC ACQUIRES JULIA

In news that should make Telluride watchers sit up and take notice was the announcement this week that Sony Pictures Classics had acquired distribution rights for the upcoming Julia Child documentary from Julie Cohen and Betsy West the duo behind the Oscar nominated doc about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg-RBG.

The deal includes SPC's first joint effort with CNN.

The project is not currently completed and is slated for a 2021 release according to IMDb.  That suggests that if it is a Telluride play that it most probably would be looking at TFF #48.

Deadline has the story here.


MY INVITE TO OPINE

I was fortunate enough to be asked by Jordan Ruimy who runs the world of Reel website to join one of his latest projects.  WOR will publishing a large poll of film peeps about the best films of the 1990's and the 2000's soon.  Jordan os asking each respondent to chose their five best films of each decade.

Here's the announcement from WOR:

As you can see, the '90's list will go up at the end of this month with the survey of the 2000's scheduled in early May,

My thanks to Jordan for the invitation.  For those that may be curious, here are the choices I sent Jordan over the weekend:

The 1990's: Goodfellas, L.A. Confidential, Magnolia, Pulp Fiction, Schindler's List. (Others I considered: Fargo, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line and The Usual Suspects)

The 2000's: Children of Men, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood. (Others: The Hours, Almost Famous, Memento, The Lives of Others, The White Ribbon).

I'll pass it along when the survey goes up at World of Reel.

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TFF #47 - LONGER / France's Decision Makes Cannes Less Likely / Fremaux Interview Provides Some Insight / Cannes Sidebars Decide No-Go in 2020 / THR Asks the Question: Where Would Films Go?

TFF #47 WILL BE LONGER

The Telluride Daily Planet Reports that the Telluride Town Council agreed last night (with stipulations) to add an extra day to TFF #47.  This year's fest is now planned to take off on Thursday, Sept. 3.

From Suzanne Cheavens/ The Watch/Daily Planet:

"Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is trying to envision its world-renowned gathering of cinephiles in a world post-COVID-19, and in doing so, wants to create more space. Film fest representative Brandt Garber requested one additional day to tack on to its Labor Day weekend festival, which takes place in numerous venues around town. Telluride Town Council agreed unanimously to the extra day.

Originally scheduled from Sept. 2-7, the event, which attracts an international crowd of nearly 3,000 film-lovers, film industry heavyweights and a fleet of crew and volunteers, will now begin Sept. 1. Garber explained the reasoning behind wanting an additional day added.
The article says Sept. 1 but I believe they mean Sept. 3rd which is the actual date for the Thursday prior to Labor Day."

The last time the fest was a five day affair was in 2013 when a day was added as a part of the film festival celebrating its 40th iteration.

Perhaps most importantly...this signals that the fest is still strongly committed to occurring.

The complete article is linked here.


FRANCE'S DECISION MAKES CANNES LESS LIKELY

Multiple reports over the past few days have revealed that French President Macron has extended that country's restrictions regarding Covid-19 deeper into the year.  The order also included bans on "festival" style events until mid-July.  That's a nail in the coffin of the suspected dates that Cannes had reportedly circled for a belated attempt to mount the fest (June 23-July 4 per Deadline).  Deadline quoting a Cannes press release:

"Following the French President’ statement, on Monday, April 13th, we acknowledged that the postponement of the 73rd International Cannes Film Festival, initially considered for the end of June to the beginning of July, is no longer an option."

However, Indewire published this statement released by the film fest:

“It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form.  Nevertheless, since yesterday evening we have started many discussions with professionals, in France and abroad. They agree that the Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies allowing to support the year of Cinema by making Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another.”

So, clearly, Thierry Fremaux and his crew haven't thrown in the towel as yet but it's also growing increasingly clear that the options for Cannes are winnowing to very few.

Complete coverage of these details is linked here from:

Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

Indiewire

Deadline

The Playlist



FREMAUX INTERVIEW PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT

In an interview with Variety posted yesterday, Cannes Director Thierry Fremaux talks candidly about where the Cannes Fest with regard to whether some version of the fest goes forward in 2020.

Highlights include the lack of an absolute decision to cancel the festival outright and the possibility of teaming up with one or more European fall film fests in some capacity.

No North American film fest is mentioned by Fremaux -Telluride, Toronto or New York-suggesting that keeping a version of the fest or labeling a film or part of some other fest as a Cannes 2020 presentation would likely remain Eurocentric.

Read the interview from Variety here.



CANNES SIDEBARS DECIDE NO-GO IN 2020

After all of the above went down on Tuesday, Cannes Sidebar sections, Directors' Fortnight, Critics' Week and ACID announced Wednesday that those sections would not be held in Cannes this year.

Variety, among others, had the statement from them:

“The Directors’ Fortnight, La Semaine de la Critique and ACID regret to announce the cancellation of their 2020 editions in Cannes.  The health crisis we are all presently facing makes it impossible to anticipate the practical course of events."

Multiple reports suggested, however, that en effort would be made to aid films that were already scheduled for those sections to find homes at other film fests still on the schedule for later this year.

The cancellation of the three sidebar programs is yet another indication that the main event at Cannes is closer to being cancelled in its traditional state and possibly altogether in any form.

Coverage of the Sidebar announcement is linked here from:

Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

Indiewire

Deadline



THR ASKS THE QUESTION: WHERE WOULD FILMS GO?

In light of the continuing developments regarding the Cannes Film Fest and the increasing chances that it just doesn't happen, The Hollywood Reporter writers Alex Ritman and Scott Roxborough posted a piece on Tuesday asking the question: "What Happens to Cannes-Bound Films Now?

That's a reasonable question.

Roxborough and Ritman lay out speculation for 13 films that were hinted at as Cannes possibilities and assess their possible fall film fest fate.  They work on the assumption that Telluride, Venice and Toronto will happen.

The only film that gets a mention with Telluride as a specific possible landing spot is Joe Wright's The Woman in the Window which has been batted around quite bit regarding its release date.

Other films on the THR story's list are:

The French Dispatch
Benedetta
Soul
Top Gun: Maverick
Memoria
Tre Piani
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Flag Day
Tenet
Last Night in Soho
Penninsula
Summer of '85

From this list, my "best bets" for Telluride inclusion would be: The Trial of the Chicago 7, The French Dispatch, Summer of '85, Tre Piani and Flag Day.

The complete THR story is linked here.


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No Bluegrass in 2020 / Rasoulof's There Is No Evil Lands at Kino Lorber / Cannes Locked-In?

NO BLUEGRASS IN 2020

As we keep track of major events that might affect TFF #47 or could act as harbingers for what might be to come, I noted that organizers for Telluride's Bluegrass Festival (mentioned here back on Apr. 2nd) have decided to cancel the 2020 edition.

Bluegrass reportedly is the most attended of T-ride's summer fests and had approached the Telluride Town Council about moving its dates from its originally scheduled June 18-21 to Aug. 27-30.  The council did not make any decision regarding Bluegrass at that time.

Several locals reportedly had expressed the difficulty that the new date would have caused as it would have been a matter of a week prior to TFF #47.

Bluegrass organizer Craig Ferguson was quoted this week in The Telluride Daily Planet about the near inevitability of the decision:

“Oh, I think all of us have known for quite awhile (that Bluegrass would be canceled), we just gave ourselves ample opportunity to talk each other out of it and no one could.  I think we learned that Bluegrass doesn’t really get postponed from solstice, then it becomes something else.  When gatherings are legal again, we’d love nothing more than to produce more shows in the greatest venue on Earth.”

The decision takes some pressure off the community and allows the pre-fest work for TFF #47 to occur without having Bluegrass going on simultaneously.

Here's the story from The Telluride Daily Planet.



RASOULOF'S THERE IS NO EVIL LANDS AT KINO LORBER

Variety reported this week that Mohammad Rsoulof's Berlin Golden Bear winner, There Is No Evil, has been acquired for distribution by Kino Lorber. 

Normally that combination of facts would suggest a very real possible TFF #47 slot for the film.  Rasoulof is a former TFF Tribute recipient (2013) and Kino Lorber has a significant history with films landing at TFF: Ixcanul, Sembene!, Taxi, Fire at Sea, Film Worker and Beanpole over the past five years.  

However,the uncertainty swirling currently because of the Covid-19 global pandemic makes handicapping films that might be Telluride bound especially difficult.

Still, I'll be keeping an eye open about this film.

Variety has the story on the acquisition here.


CANNES LOCKED-IN?

Deadline reported this week that Cannes is specifically eye-balling the dates of June 23-July 4.  Deadline also suggests those dates are now expected to be Cannes only option for a live/physical film fest.

Deadline also reports rumors that some of the other sidebar sections of Cannes could play out at other dates but that the Palme d"or competition would not.

The story suggests that the festival wouldn't likely make a hard decision until the beginning of May.  April 16th was the date originally scheduled for the announcement of the fest's lineup and Deadline says that some films have been and continue to be invited as of their story dated last Thursday.

As I have sadi here before, irrespective of Cannes ultimate decision, it will have some ramifications for Telluride as well as other fall film fests.



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Annecy Animation, Munich and Melbourne Fests Cancelled / Cannes and Venice Say No to Full Online Fest / Hollywood Elsewhere Talks Fall Film Fests

ANNECY ANIMATION, MUNICH AND MELBOURNE FESTS CANCELLED

The Covid-19 pandemic claimed more film festivals for 2020 over the past few days as organizers for France's Annecy Animation Festival, the Munich Film Fest and the Melbourne Film Fest all announced cancellations of their 2020 editions in the days since my last blog post.

Annecy was scheduled to run June-15-20 and has, on occasion, been the launch pad for animated films that would then make a stop at Telluride.  Story here from The Hollywood Reporter.

Munich was scheduled to run from June 25-July 4 (which has been the general window that Cannes has purportedly looked at as a re-scheduling window).  Story here from Deadline.

Melbourne had been scheduled August 6-23.  That's uncomfortably close to the start dates for the Telluride/Venice/Toronto window.  Story here from Deadline.

Telluride's dates: Sept. 4-7

Venice dates: Sept. 2-12

Toronto's dates: Sept. 10-20

Re: Venice...see below


CANNES AND VENICE SAY NO TO FULL ONLINE FEST

Alberto Barbera, the Venice Film Fest head is reported to have ruled a completely digital version of that fest.  The Variety story reports that some "technology for some initiatives" hasn't been ruled out but he's also quoted as having said that Venice "cannot be replaced bu an online event".

As I have previously written, the Toronto Fest has begun preparations for some digital/online presentations as a possible part of TIFF.

The Venice story originated with this exclusive linked from Nick Vivarelli at Variety.


Meanwhile, on Tuesday, media reports were all over the news that Cannes director Thierry Fremaux has also ruled out replacing the Cannes' physical experience with an online experience.  Fremaux is quoted in Variety:

“(For) Cannes, its soul, its history, its efficiency, it’s a model that wouldn’t work. What is a digital festival? A digital competition? We should start by asking rights holders if they agree."

Fremaux is further cited saying:

“Directors of ‘films’ are driven by the idea of showing their movies on a big screen and sharing them with others at events like festivals, not for their works to end up on an iPhone,"

“If all the festivals are canceled, we will have to think of a way to showcase films, to avoid wasting a year, but I don’t think a precarious and improvised alternative of Cannes or Venice — no sooner done than forgotten — would be the solution.”

The complete Variety article is linked here.


HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE TALKS FALL FILM FESTS

Jeff Wells/Hollywood Elsewhere put up an interesting piece on Sunday called "Which Fall Film Fests, If Any" in which he assesses where he thinks each of the four major film fests (TFF, TIFF, NYFF, Venice) are in as far as what they might look like.

Among them, he seems the most bullish on Telluride and less so on both Venice and New York.  Toronto seems to be somewhere in the middle.

Here's Wells specifically talking Telluride:

"The smaller, eternally cooler Telluride Film Festival might work out, at least theoretically. Especially if Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger are extra careful about not allowing each and every seat to be occupied and are perhaps even open to staging the festival a week or two later than usual, especially if the coronavirus fade doesn’t begin until July or, God forbid, early August".

The complete post is linked here.

Additionally, here's Anne Thompson's Indiewire story about Oscar contenders, the pandemic and the film fest trail that Wells references in his piece.



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The Shifting Sands of Fall Film Fests / The French Dispatch Moves / Uncut Gems to Netflix

THE SHIFTING SANDS OF FALL FILM FESTS

The uncertainty of what lies ahead for the film industry in terms of both film festivals and theatrical releases is evolving almost everyday in this pandemic plagued world.

Already we have seen South by Southwest cancelled and then resurrected in some fashion this past week as an online fest hosted by Amazon.  Cannes is postponed.  Tribeca is postponed.  Others as well.

All of which leads to the natural question as to the fate and composition of Telluride's Film Fest as well as the other two legs of the opening fall film fest triad: Toronto and Venice (conceivably Cannes could become a fourth leg if that fest opts to move to a date later than the previously suggested late-June/July time period).

I shared Mar. 26th that The Denver Post was sourcing a "spokeswoman" for TFF that the fest was "scheduled to go on".

TIFF and Venice are, to my knowledge, in that same boat.  However, sources have reported at the end of last week that Toronto may be shifting what their festival might look like.  They're apparently looking at two major alterations.  First might be TIFF as a "festival of festivals" incorporating films from some of the other fests that have cancelled or been postponed.  The other is a shift to an online presentation of films.

The story is addressed further here with links from:

The Playlist

World of Reel

More to follow...

THE FRENCH DISPATCH MOVES

Searchlight has officially announced that Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch has a new theatrical date for bowing.  The new date is Oct. 16th.  The film was originally scheduled to bow July 24th and was widely believed to have been a probable feature of the Cannes Film Fest.

The new date doesn't necessarily preclude a Cannes appearance depending on what decisions are made regarding that fest but it does open the door for screening it at Telluride,Toronto, Venice and/or New York should those fests occur as currently planned.

The Hollywood Reporter had the date switching info.

UNCUT GEMS TO NETFLIX

The Safdie Brothers made quite a splash at last year's fest with their film Uncut Gems.  It seemed to me that over the course of the weekend that it was the single most divisive film of the Labor Day weekend.  At least it seemed that way anecdotally as I was standing in line.

Now that film has been acquired for streaming by Netflix which announced the acquisition and also a premiere date.

Entertainment Weekly reported on Wednesday that the Adam Sandler vehicle will drop on May 25th.  The film also stars Andre Holland, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian and Kevin Garnett.

TFF was the first place to screen the film last Aug. 30th.

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Calendar Juggling in the "Ride / Gary Meyer Talks Covid-19 and the Film Industry

CALENDAR JUGGLING IN THE 'RIDE

The Telluride Daily Planet reports that shifting dates for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is under consideration by the Telluride Town Council.  That story was posted from Suzanne Cheavens on  Tuesday.  Bluegrass, which the article notes is the largest Festival that occurs in Telluride-about 12,000 attend, was, and for the moment  still is, scheduled for the weekend of June 18-21.

Organizers had offered to move the dates to Aug. 27-30.  And that's why this story matters to friends and fans of TFF.  That's the weekend before TFF #47 is scheduled to happen.

The article quotes Brandt Garber as a representative (he is listed in the TFF #46 program as the fest's Production Manager) of the fest saying:

“It’s not realistic to think I can pull off our event with Bluegrass happening the weekend before.  I want us both to the thrive and succeed.”

The article noted some of the issues that would be created should the Bluegrass date change be accepted with Cheavens writing:

"Issues such as setup and breakdown schedules in shared places like Elks Park, and backstage catering drew concern, as did housing issues. Both festivals soak up much of town’s available housing, as artists, staff and festival attendees swell town ranks."

The Telluride Town Council made no determination at the conclusion of their meeting with Telluride Mayor DeLanie Young saying:

“There is no certainty.  There is no answer.”

Here's the link to Cheavens entire post.

I'll keep my eye on this going forward.



GARY MEYER TALKS COVID-19 AND THE FILM INDUSTRY


Former TFF Co-Director Gary Meyer showed up on the Oakland (CA.) News Now Commentary Vlog on YouTube at the end of last weekend.  Meyer guested along with Alan Michaan of the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.

Meyer provides his take on the magnitude of the pandemic on the industry, the mechanics of its effects and the future of film post-pandemic.

Here's the YouTube video:

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