Michael's Telluride Film Blog : MTFB Oscar Update-Screenplays / Zuwarski v. Texas Has a Plan / New Posters: Conclave, The Piano Lesson, All We Imagine as Light / Interviews and Profiles

MTFB OSCAR UPDATE-SCREENPLAYS

Here are updated nomination predictions for the Screenplay categories for the 97th Academy Awards. These categories were last predicted on Sept. 30th. An film's previous rank appears to the right of their names in parentheses. TFF #51 actors/films are in Bold.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) Conclave (1)

2) Emilia Perez (-)

3) Sing Sing (2)

4) Nickel Boys (4)

5) Dune Part Two (3)

Others: The Room Next Door, The Piano Lesson and Hit Man.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Anora (1)

2) The Brutalist (3)

3) A Real Pain (4)

4) September 5 (-)

5) Saturday Night (2)

Others: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Hard Truths and Blitz.

I'll be updating the Best Picture nomination predictions on Monday.

ZUWARSKI V. TEXAS HAS A PLAN

Many of you know that I'm high on the documentary Zurawski v. Texas. I think it was the best thing I saw at TFF #51...and that's saying something as I was a big fan of Emilia Perez, Saturday Night, Conclave and September 5. Sadly I missed out on seeing Anora.

Consequently, I have been low key pushing it forward as awards season has become fully alive. I honestly think it should be a serious player for the Best Doc Oscar at a minimum and if I had an Oscar ballot, at this point it would be atop my Best Picture ballot.

The film was the top rated movie on this year's MTFB People's Telluride. It didn't make the Pros Poll or The Composite because not enough of the Pros saw it Labor Day weekend. The limited Pros rating was a 4.25 which would have put it at #2 and combined with its Peoples rank (had there been a sufficient number of Pro ballots that kept the 4.25 average) would have put it atop of the Composite Poll.

It's that good. But...

So, I have been understandably a bit nervous as no distributor has picked up the film since it's stunning debut at T-ride. So nervous that I reached out to some of the journos I know to ask them if they were hearing anything about distribution or a release date. By and large the responses were along of the lines of "no idea". I did get an encouraging note from one prominent journalist that there was a plan in place for the movie to qualify for Oscar consideration. Then yesterday afternoon came the word from Deadline.com:

"EXCLUSIVE: Zurawski v Texas, the urgent documentary about women who sued Texas after the state’s strict anti-abortion laws almost cost them their lives, will reach theaters before the presidential election.

Deadline can report the film directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, and executive produced by a team including Jennifer Lawrence, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, will launch in New York, Los Angeles and cities across Texas beginning October 25."

Deadline continued:

"The theatrical run will qualify the film for Oscar consideration as Best Documentary Feature."

In addition to the announced screenings in New York, Los Angeles and in Texas the film will screen at the upcoming AFI Fest. I'd encouraging anyone who didn't catch in Telluride to grab a chance to screen it.

The complete Deadline story is linked here.

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