TORONTO ANNOUNCES TODAY
We expect to see a bunch of titles announced by the Toronto International Film Festival this morning and them clues as to what films will have been selected for Telluride. Stay tuned to MTFB social Media for those revelations.
On X: @Gort2 and/or @TheMTFB on Bluesky: @gort2.bsky.social
Of course I'll have a full re-cap on Thursday when I post next. That will also include the news from Venice (coming tomorrow) and a new Ten Bets list.
DISTRIBUTOR MONDAY #6: FOCUS FEATURES
While I have been running through the major distribution players based on recent appearances at the Telluride Film Festival I'm sure that many of you have noticed that in some instances the pickings seem lean. That's not the case with Focus Features. I count six films that Focus Features has that could possibly be playing Telluride.
Over the last nine fests, Focus has landed a film at T-ride in seven of those years. They missed in 2016 and 2019. They would have had at least one film in the Covid cancelled 2020 fest. Overall 10 Focus films have screened at Telluride since 2015 (11 if you count the 2020 TFF). Additionally, the Focus presence has increased recently with 7 of these titles playing with the last four years.
Here's their track record at Telluride since 2015:
2015: Suffragette
2017: Darkest Hour
2018: Boy Erased
2020: TFF #47 would have screened The Way I See It
2021: Belfast, The Card Counter
2022: Armageddon Time
2023: The Holdovers, The Bikeriders
2024: Conclave, Piece by Piece
So it's been a pretty solid run and I expect that Focus will have a robust presence at TFF #52. The six films that might make the lineup: Hamnet-which we think is locked as they have been announced as Canadian Premiere for Toronto-, Bugonia, The History of Sound, Anemone, Pressure and Song Sung Blue. Here's some info on each. Participants who have been to TFF previously are indicated with *. The films presented in alphabetical order:
Anemone. Dir. Ronan Day-Lewis. Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis*, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton. Release date: Oct. 10th. IMDb description:
Family bonds between fathers, sons, and brothers are explored as complex relationships unfold through personal journeys and generational conflicts.
Three rime Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of retirement as both acts and co-wrote the script. Of course, Day-Lewis was one of the tributees at TFF in 2007. Brad Pitt is one of two listed producers on the film. If you're not excited to see what this film is...well...
Bugonia. Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos*. Stars: Emma Stone*, Jesse Plemons*, Alicia Silverstone. Release date: Oct. 31st. IMDB description:
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
After having screened The Favourite and Poor Things at Telluride both starring Emma Stone you have to think the chances are good that Bugonia will follow the same path from a Venice premiere to a Telluride play. A couple of notes, though. Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness did not go that direction in 2024 having played Sundance and then Cannes. Also, all three of those films were distributed by Searchlight so what path Focus might desire.
Hamnet. Dir. Chloe Zhao*. Stars: Jesse Buckley*, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson*, Joe Alwyn. Release date: Dec. 12th. IMDb description:
The story of Agnes - the wife of William Shakespeare - as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. A human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet.
As mentioned above, this film seems to be lock for Telluride based on the Toronto Fest announcing it as a Canadian Premiere this past week.
The History of Sound. Dir. Oliver Hermanus*. Stars: Paul Mescal, Chris Cooper, Josh O'Connell. Release date: Sept. 12th.. IMDb description:
Two young men during World War I set out to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen.
Mescal and O'Connor are two of the hottest tickets around right now. I had been pretty high on its chances of a Telluride play what with the distributor and Oliver Hermanus having previously hacing Living at TFF #49, but the announced Sept. 12th release date is awfully soon after T-ride. Also, the lukewarm critical reception at Cannes also made me less bullish. Of late, I'm thinking it's still possible. A quick note: Mubi is also listed by IMDb as a domestic distributor of the film.
Pressure. Dir. Anthony Maras. Stars: Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Brendan Frasier, Damian Lewis, Chris Messina. Release date: TBD. IMDb description:
A ticking clock thriller based on the extraordinary true story of the 72 hours leading up to D-Day.
The more detailed plot summary reads:
In the seventy two hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element--the British weather. Britain's chief meteorological officer James Stagg (Scott) is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history, locking him into a tense standoff with the entire Allied leadership. The wrong conditions could devastate the largest ever seaborne invasion, while any delay risks German intelligence catching on. With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby to confide in, and haunted by a catastrophic D-Day rehearsal, the final decision rests with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.
To be honest, this is more a "wish for" than an expectation. Its lack of an announced release date makes it questionable but I am very intrigued by the premise and it's Andrew Scott.
Song Sung Blue. Dir. Craig Brewer. Stars: Hugh Jackman*, Kate Hudson, Fisher Stephens*. Release date: Dec. 25th. IMDb description:
Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together.
Look, this is doubtful as a TFF play but it sounds interesting. the Dec. 25th release date signals that Focus has some confidence that it will play well with audiences. So, you now...maybe.
Overall, could this be the first year that Focus lands more than two films at TFF? That's possible. Hamnet's in. Bugonia seems likely and maybe History of Sound. I'd love, love, love for Anemone to show up at T-ride as well as Pressure but they're chances are much more tenuous.
Chances:
Hamnet 95%
Hamnet 95%
Bugonia 60%
The History of Sound 40%
Anemone 25%
Pressure 20%
Song Sung Blue 20%
VENICE SET TO ANNOUNCE-MANY POSSIBILITIES
The Venice Film Fest will announce the bulk of its lineup tomorrow. As close observers know, over the years there has usually been a substantial overlap between films that play Venice and then Telluride. So the information we get on what Venice will screen this year will, by itself neither rule in or rule out a T-ride play. Of more import to our Telluride calculus is Venice's schedule which will be announced in about three weeks. Films that screen in the first 2-4 days have a shot at also getting set up to play TFF.
Still what they choose is a nice piece of info to know.
This what he has with what I think are Telluride possibles indicated with ***
MAIN COMPETITION CONTENDERS
After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)***
A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow)***
Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach)***
Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)***
Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro)***
The Smashing Machine (Benny Safdie)
Father Mother Brother Sister (Jim Jarmusch)
The Ballad of a Small Player (Edward Berger)***
No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)
La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino)***
The Wizard of the Kremlin (Olivier Assayas)***
In the Hands of Dante (Julian Schnabel)***
Ann Lee (Mona Fastvold)
Hamnet (Chloe Zhao)***
Orphan (Laszlo Nemes)***
Untitled/Gaza (Kaouther Ben Hania)
One Year of School (Laura Samani)
Mother Bhumi (Chong Keat Aun)
Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi)
Duse (Pietro Marcello)
I Wanted to Kill Her (Leonardo Di Costanzo)
The Stranger (Francois Ozon)***
À pied d’œuvre (Valérie Donzelli)
Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel)
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
The Fence (Claire Denis)
Wake of Umbra (Carlos Reygadas)
Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel)
At the Sea (Kornél Mundruczó)
Caught Stealing (Darren Aronofsky)
Deux Pianos (Arnaud Desplechin)
Anemone (Ronan Day-Lewis)***
Tre Ciotole (Isabel Coixet)
El Ser Querido (Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
The Way of the Wind (Terrence Malick)***
Switzerland (Anton Corbijn)
Deliver Me From Nowhere (Scott Cooper)***
Redoubt (John Skoo)
& Sons (Pablo Trapero)
Occupation (Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi)
Dao (Alain Gomis)
Rosebush Pruning (Karim Ainouz)
Une Illusion (Naomi Kawase)
The Dreamed Adventure (Valeska Grisebach)
Yellow Letters (Ilker Çatak)
Unidentified (Haifaa al-Mansour)***
Silent Friend (Ildiko Enyedi)
Rose (Markus Schleinzer)
Untitled (Abu Bakr Shawky)
Calle Malaga (Maryam Touzani)
Musk (Alex Gibney)***
NO BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Frequent readers will know that I have flirted in recent posts about the outside possibility that Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another might end up screening at Telluride. Well...
World of Reel put that notion to rest Sunday afternoon.
Jordan Ruimy writes:
"A source close to the situation tells me that Warner Bros. has made the decision to skip all the major fall festivals for “One Battle After Another,” including Venice, Telluride, and TIFF."
Unless this is great cover for a TFF "sneak" it looks like to PTA at TFF.
ELEANOR HAS A DATE
Sony Pictures Classics has dated the release of Scarlett Johannsson's directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. The film will be released nationwide on Sept. 26th which feels right for a potential TFF play OR a TFF/TIFF combo OR Toronto only. That's according to Deadline. The film stars 95year old actress June Squibb who might find herself in the Oscar race for Best Actress for this film.
The film screened at Cannes as a part of the Un Certain Regard section. It earned a reasonable 6.64/10 composite rating from Cannes-Ratings.org.
The description from IMDb:
After a devastating loss, witty and proudly troublesome Eleanor Morgenstein, 94, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own.
Here's a clip from the film via YouTube:
EMAIL: mpgort@gmail.com
X (Twitter) @TheMTFB OR @Gort2
Bluesky: @gort2.bsky.social
MTFB's Facebook Page
MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays
If you would like to be added to the MTFB e-mail list send an email to mpgort@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment