DISTRIBUTION MONDAY: AMAZON-MGM
Today we take a look at the sixth distributor that has a common appearance profile at the Telluride Film festival and that is Amazon-MGM.
Since starting this series of reviews of frequent TFF distribution companies I have been taking them in the order of the outfits that have been most prevalent at Telluride over the last nine years. Amazon-MGM (Amazon Studios) has screened a dozen films at T-ride in that time. Actually, it's been eight years in a row with at least one film being screened at TFF:
2016: Manchester by the Sea
2017: Wonderstruck
2018: Cold War, Peterloo
2019: The Aeronauts, The Report
2020: No Fest but would have screened All In: The Fight for Democracy
2021: Encounter
2022: Goodnight Oppy, Wildcat
2023: Saltburn, Cassandro
2024: Nickel Boys
So one or two films per year consistently since 2016 but trying to decipher what Amazon-MGM might have for the 2025 edition of TFF is challenging.
The big film for them this year is Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt. The other was Nia DaCosta's Hedda but we now know that it will World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Once you get past those two there are a few other projects that just don't seem to have a lot of TFF juice.
Here's the rundown:
After the Hunt. Dir. Luca Guadagnino*. Stars: Julia Roberts, Ayo Ediberi, Andrew Garfield*, Chloe Zevigny*, Michael Stuhlbarg*. Release date: Oct. 10th. IMDb description:
A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.
Guadagnino was at TFF in 2022 with Bones and All after it premiered at Venice. Since then his two big 2024 releases- Challengers and Queer -both did not play Telluride. Notably, Queer did play Venice. So...
A Julia Roberts tribute would be cool though.
Preparation for the Next Life. Director: Bing Liu. Stars: Sebiye Behtiyar, Fred Hechinger. Release date: TBD IMDb description:
Upon her release from a detention center, undocumented Uyghur immigrant Aishe moves to New York City, vowing to outrun the many things chasing her. In Queens, she falls in love with Skinner, a recently discharged army vet, and they help each other combat the complexities of starting a new life in America. A gritty love story about two unforgettable people the world forgot..
The thing that makes me list this title is that T-ride regular Barry Jenkins is a producer on the film as is Plan B's Dede Gardner. Could be a real sleeper choice.
The Map that Leads to You. Director: Lasse Hallstrom. Stars: Madelyn Cline, Josh Lucas. Release date: TBD. IMDb description:
A woman meets an enigmatic stranger on a European trip. Their instant attraction faces challenges from life, duty and secrets that change her life forever.
I include this mostly because of director Lasse Hallstrom's past films: The Cider house Rules, Chocolat and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Currently, it appears that Amazon-MGM may just send this direct to streaming.
Amazon-MGM has a couple of comedies (Oh.What.Fun. and The Pickup) neither of which seem TFF possibilities.
Overall, After the Hunt probably has the best TFF shot but I just don't feel it. At the moment I expect a Venice play and then to Toronto just as Queer did.
Chances:
After the Hunt 30%
After the Hunt 30%
Preparation for the Next Life 25%
The Map that Leads to You 0%
Update as of 10:47 am EDT on 7-14-25-Amazon-MGM has dated The Map that Leads to You streaming debut on August 20th.
Up next Monday...Focus Features...and wooooo....they are loaded for 2025.
ONE BATTLE...NO VENICE?
World of Reel reported Saturday that Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is likely to miss the Venice Film Festival. It has been frequently mentioned that the film would probably World Premiere there.
Jordan Ruimy, who runs WOR, made clear that there is no official word as yet regarding One Battle but also claims that the source from Italy is reliable.
The post also talks a bit about whether that means the the film plays Toronto, which Ruimy suggests is the most likely scenario but which he also admits isn't a cinch either. As for Telluride, Ruimy doesn't entirely rule it out writing, "Telluride? Probably not in the cards." but that's a 100% denial of the possibility. Ruimy also writes the thinks the film almost has to land somewhere in the fall fest and it can't be New York as OBAA opens the same day as NYFF opens.
So where? If at all?
Warners, who has the film, has had a fairly regular presence at Telluride. Including the now defunct Warner Independent Pictures, here's what they have screened at Telluride in the time thatI've been attending:
2006: Infamous
2007: Rails and Ties
2012: Argo
2013: Gravity
2015: Black Mass
2016: Sully
2019: Motherless Brooklyn
2022: King Richard
And, of course, PTA was in Telluride in 2007 for the Daniel Day-Lewis Tribute and screening of some of There Will Be Blood.
So...who knows? Not me, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.
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