New Toronto Titles/Tale of Toronto and "Leviathan" Part 2/New York Times Post Kills Big Titles for TFF

Good Wednesday everyone...


NEW TORONTO TITLES


The Toronto International Film Festival announced its final titles this yesterday and there, again, are conclusions that we can reach.  We can't guarantee that these conclusions are 100% correct but we're probably pretty close.  Takeaways:

The announcement of " '71" and "The New York Review of Books: The 50 Year Argument" as Canadian Premieres is a good indication that both of those titles are headed to Telluride.  We've been thinking that was probably the case the last couple of weeks.  I'm particularly excited about " '71" which has a trailer that was associated with its play at the Berlin Film Fest back in February.  Here's that trailer:

" '71" trailer via YouTube

Here's the story that The Playlist ran yesterday with the release of the trailer:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-trailer-for-berlin-sensation-71-led-by-rising-star-jack-oconnell-20140819

We also found that three films that we had continued to think might be Telluride possibilities will NOT be as they are either World or North American premieres.  As reported earlier, "St. Vincent" starring Bill Murray is a World premiere and so will not be in T-ride.  TIFF has announced that Sept. 5th will be Bill Murray Day.

Announced as North American premieres were the Cannes Palme d'Or winner "Winter Sleep" and another Cannes standout, "The Tribe".  That means neither of those will play in the San Juans.  Too bad, especially about "The Tribe" which I have been really intrigued by.

Finally, four titles were announced as International premieres that we may need to consider for Telluride. There is limited screening history information about each of the four which, at least at the moment, leaves them as theoretical Telluride possibilities.

The most intriguing is the filmed version of Julie Taymor's stage production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Also in play: "Life in a Fishbowl", "The Little Death" and "Senza Nessuna Pieta".

Here's the Variety report on yesterday's Toronto announcement:

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/toronto-film-festival-completes-lineup-1201285802/

TALE OF TORONTO AND LEVIATHAN PART TWO

Over the weekend, I mentioned that a reader had alertly noticed that the TIFF website had listed "Leviathan" as a North American premiere and was asking if that meant no Telluride play.  It was a reasonable question. I did some research and source work and couldn't find any explanation for why a film that I was pretty sure had been announced as a Canadian premiere was listed as North American.

I contacted an acquaintance or two that have a way better knowledge of Toronto's workings than I do and they suggested that the "Canadian" designation was probably correct.

Yesterday, I checked back in to the TIFF.net website and someone had changed the designation.  So, suffice to say that "Leviathan" IS a Canadian premiere for Toronto and a very likely film for Telluride.

Check this link to "Leviathan's" TIFF page:

http://www.tiff.net/festivals/thefestival/programmes/masters/leviathan-1


NEW YORK TIMES POST KILLS BIG TITLES FOR TFF

The New York Times put up a lengthy post yesterday that dissected the Telluride/Toronto situation.  In the course of the story, the Times nukes the notion of three major films making their appearance at Telluride:

David  Ayers' "Fury"
Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" and
Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar"

The Times story says that the three films are, "sitting out the season's opening festivals, according to people briefed on the films, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of confidentiality rules."

The Times says the reasons range from not being ready to differing marketing and awards season strategies.

Makes me sad to mark them off the prospective list though "Fury" was really gone already and I was always dubious about "Interstellar".

That leaves "Big Eyes" and "Exodus: Gods and Kings" as the biggest fish out there without an announced festival.

Here's the story from the Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/movies/in-the-race-for-oscars-toronto-puts-up-a-hurdle.html

 More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Correction and Apology/"Fury" Buzz Continues/Tapley on Telluride...And a New Thought/Thanks Sasha!/The Latest Look from "Two Days, One Night"

It's Tuesday everyone!  Telluride's 41st Film Fest kicks off in 10 days!

CORRECTION AND APOLOGY


Well, yesterday I mentioned that an alert reader had put me onto a story that confirmed "99 Homes" was headed to Telluride from thehindu.com.  Turns out, I credited the wrong reader...so here's the correction and apology.  BoomBoomChris gets the story right!  The original tweet:

BoomBoom ‏@BoomBoomChris  Aug 17

@Gort2 I'm sure you saw this but looks like "99 Homes" is confirmed for #TFF41 http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/ashok-amritrajs-latest-production-99-homes-makes-it-to-three-prestigious-film-festivals/article6324273.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication …

"FURY" BUZZ CONTINUES

Brad Pitt and crew in "Fury" via Rope of Silicon

Suspicions that David Ayers' "Fury" (starring Brad Pitt as a war tested tank commander at the end of World War II in Europe) will pop up at Telluride.  Last week we learned that the film will close the London Fest on Pct. 19th.  It's set to open here in the U.S. on Oct. 17th,  That date was originally in November, but was pushed back presumably to co-ordinate with the London screening.  Nevertheless, within the past few days a number of publications have noted that the new date pushes the film closer to both Telluride and Toronto.  The L.A. Times and Tech Tell.com go even a bit farther.  The Times says, "So where will "Fury" play first?  The most likely spot is the Labor Day set Telluride Film Festival,"

Yes please...Here's the link to the complete "Fury" story from the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-brad-pitt-fury-movie-premiere-release-date-20140814-story.html

Meanwhile, technologytell.com says, "(it's) not in Venice, not in New York though, so that leaves Telluride in contention."

Here's the complete article:

http://www.technologytell.com/entertainment/49517/david-ayer-brad-pitts-fury-wrap-2014-london-film-festival/


Despite all this, and I make no bones about it, I'd like "Fury" to make a T-ride appearance, I'm still dubious. Kristopher Tapley at HitFix/InContention has said-and said again yesterday that he's heard no Telluride or Toronto for the film and I tend to believe Kris. See his latest post below...it's...very interesting.

So, bottom line, "Fury" would be a welcome add to the TFF #41 lineup, but it's probably not in the cards.


TAPLEY ON TELLURIDE...AND A NEW THOUGHT

Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in Tim Burton's "Big Eyes"

As mentioned above, Kris Tapley posted a combo piece yesterday that focused on the surprise last minute addition of Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" starring Bradley Cooper to the list of end of the year releases and the second half of the piece focuses on Telluride.

Kris mentions most of the titles that we've got on our radar and in the "Ten (Plus) Bets".  He continues to bum me about both "Fury" and J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year".  The first with no T-ride plans and the latter not ready for another three weeks or so...come on J.C...you can do this!

The real excitement comes at the end of the post when he suggests the possibility of a presentation of Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" and a tribute for the director.  Now, I've suggested the possibility of both things here previously but admittedly without a great sense that the scenario would be likely.  I suggested late last week that it was (along with "Unbroken") perhaps the most likely of the "big" films still out there that might turn up at Telluride.  I also suggested at least the chance of a corresponding Burton tribute on Aug. 6th.

Now, I don't know if Tapley knows anything concrete or not...but wouldn't "Big Eyes" in the San Juans be cool?  And a Burton film at Telluride is not unprecedented.  "Ed Wood" was there in 1994.  Bring it!

Here's the link to the Tapley post:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/off-the-carpet-eastwood-crashes-the-season-as-telluride-gears-up-for-another-edition


THANKS SASHA!

A Big Shout Out to Sasha Stone and her site Awards Daily for posting  nice article yesterday that featured this blog.  It was very kind of her to shed a light on this slightly manic endeavor.

Did it boost traffic?  Ummm...yeah.  So, thanks again Sasha!  Right back atcha...

Here's the link to the Awards Daily story about Telluride from yesterday that featured Michael's Telluride Film Blog:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/08/spitballing-telluride-lineup/


THE LATEST LOOK AT "TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT"

At # 10 on the latest "Ten Bets" is the Dardennes Brothers "Two Days, One Night" which stars Oscar winner Marion Cotillard.  I'm telling you it's playing this year's fest.  Now, personally, I'd be thrilled if Ms. Cotillard returned to Telluride.  She received a tribute in 2012 with "Rust and Bone".  I don't really think that will happen...but a guy can dream, right?

At any rate, a new clip sprouted from the film late yesterday featuring Petula Clark singing in French.  Take a look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLA_fovLifw


Accompanying stories are here from The Playlist and Rope of Silicon:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-marion-cotillard-listens-to-petula-clark-in-new-clip-from-two-days-one-night-20140818

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/watch-marion-cotillard-new-clip-dardennes-two-days-one-night/



Finally, this reminder...later this morning we should have more news from Toronto.  We'll read those tea leaves later today...stay tuned...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

"Rudderless" Ever Closer/Toronto's Not as Big/Best of the Week: Ten Bets #7; Looks at: Rosewater, Big Eyes, She's Funny That Way, 99 Homes; Who Gets a Tribute? Tapley Muses; Maybe Mommy

Hello Saturday...

"RUDDERLESS" EVER CLOSER

"Rudderless" poster via IMDb

You know, if you've been reading this blog over time, that I have been following the development of William H. Macy's directorial debut "Rudderless" since before Macy was attached to the project.  That obsession continues.  It was rewarded yesterday as Macy tweeted that the film (which will be released on Oct. 17) had an official poster and that the trailer would be dropping next week.  Producers Unified Pictures also promised in their own tweet that there are other "fun surprises" in store.  Very exciting.

As you can see above, I have included the poster and will let all know when the trailer drops next week.

TORONTO'S NOT AS BIG THIS YEAR

Toronto will announce a number of additional Galas and Special Presentations on Tuesday and earlier this week I had written that we could expect 7 Galas and another 20-30 Special Presentations to be announced.

Yesterday, "Rich" reminded me via comment to the blog that Toronto has said that those sections will not be as large this year.  After the comment showed up, I remembered that I had read that in couple of places along the way this summer.  "Rich" says TIFF will top out at 18 Galas (so five more) and fewer Special Presentations.

Good to know...makes Tuesday's upcoming announcement even more interesting.


BEST OF THE WEEK

TEN (PLUS) BETS #7

We're down to three weeks and counting until we lift off the 41st Telluride Film Festival.and the anticipation is growing.  Each day I'm scouring the interweb and looking/listening for sources to come forward to dig out the best guess at what the lineup will be.  We should add more clarity on Tuesday as Toronto is scheduled announce another raft of films including, I believe, their additional Galas and Special Presentations.  If past trends hold we can expect another seven Galas and anywhere from 20-30 more Special Presentations.  That info should give us even more insight into Telluride's unannounced lineup.

At any rate, here's last week's "Ten Bets plus Two"

12) Red Army

11) The Look of Silence

10) Two Days, One Night

9) Leviathan

8) Rosewater

7) Wild Tales

6) Wild

5) The Imitation Game

4) Queen of the Desert

3) Mr. Turner

2) Foxcatcher

1) Birdman

And now THIS WEEK"S TEN (PLUS) BETS

15) 99 Homes

14) Life May Be

13) The Homesman

12) Two Days, One Night

11) Red Army

10) The Look of Silence

9) Wild Tales

8) Rosewater

7) Leviathan

6) Queen of the Desert

5) Wild

4) The Imitation Game

3) Birdman

2) Mr. Turner

1) Foxcatcher

Simmering just under these Ten (Plus) Bets:

Serge Bromberg's "Retour de Flamme/Brinton Documentary ( http://nitratediva.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/retour-de-flamme/ )

Ken Burn's "The Roosevelts"

"She's Funny That Way"

"One Day Since Yesterday" 

"The Price of Fame" 

"Winter Sleep"

"Whiplash"

"Mommy"

"Merchants of Doubt"***

"Clouds of Sils Maria"
"The Wonders"

"The Blue Room"

"Bird People"

"Juaja"

***Sony Pictures Classics just announced late yesterday that they were partnering with Participant Media for the release of "Merchants of Doubt".  That is almost enough to lift it to the #16 spot for this week's "Ten (Plus) Bets".  I've included links to a number of reports about the partnership including the first from Screen Daily which claims it IS headed to Telluride:

http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/spc-acquires-merchants-of-doubt/5076042.article

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/merchants-of-doubt-documentary-gets-distribution-from-sony-classics-1201277476/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-kenners-doc-merchants-doubt-723991

http://www.indiewire.com/article/sony-pictures-classics-acquires-conspiracy-documentary-merchants-of-doubt-20140807

The jury is still out, but I'd like them to show up:

"Slow West"

"Suffragette"

"A Most Violent Year"
"Kill the Messenger"

Big 'uns that have no announced film fest as yet (and maybe won't at all):

"Fury"

"Unbroken"

"Big Eyes"

"Interstellar"

"Exodus: Gods and Kings"



VIEWS OF "ROSEWATER"

Over the weekend Entertainment Weekly put out two photos from Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" starring Gael Garcia Bernal as real life journalist Maziar Bahari who was arrested in Iran in 2009 as he was reporting the election in that country.  Any number of outlets reported the photos with an accompanying story.  We believe fairly strongly that "Rosewater" will make the Telluride lineup owing to its designation by the Toronto film fest as a Canadian premiere.

Here are those photos:

Stories/Posts that went with these photos this weekend:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/open-road-sets-jon-stewarts-film-rosewater-to-open-in-november/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-gael-garcia-bernal-in-jon-stewarts-directorial-debut-rosewater-20140801

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/first-look-gael-garcia-bernal-jon-stewarts-rosewater-release-date-announced/

LOOKING AT "BIG EYES"

We have our first photos of Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in a true story about the art of Margaret Keane and her husband Walter who was credited for a good long while with the artwork of characters with "big eyes".  The film has not been announced for any festival to date and Burton did play "Ed Wood" AT TFF in 1994 so it's not a complete impossibility that we could see it pop up in three and a half weeks in the San Juans.  Here from The Playlist and FirstShowing are the pics:

And the link to The Playlist's story:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-amy-adams-and-christoph-waltz-in-tim-burtons-big-eyes-20140803

And from FirstShowing.net:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/first-look-amy-adams-as-margaret-keane-in-tim-burtons-big-eyes/

A LOOK AT WHAT WAS "SQUIRREL"

Jennifer Aniston and Peter Bogdanovich via The Playlist

Last week Venice Film Fest officials said that they knew that they had five films scheduled that would roll on to Telluride.  One of those could be Peter Bogdanovich's "She's Funny That Way" which for a good long while was titled "Squirrels to the Nuts".  The comedy stars Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Aniston and more.  Bogdo has often been a part of past Telluride fests and it wouldn't surprise me greatly if this was included on the program this year.

The Playlist dropped a number of photos of the film late yesterday one of which is posted above.

Check the story and the other photos:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-owen-wilson-imogen-poots-jennifer-aniston-in-peter-bogdanovichs-shes-funny-that-way-20140804


EW LOOKS AT "99 HOMES"

"99 Homes" with Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon via Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly was up yesterday with a first photo from Ramin Bahrani's "99 Homes" as you can see above.  The film is scheduled to play the Venice fest in competition and I think, given its premiere status vis-a-vis Toronto that it's very likely to play Telluride as well.  Bahrani was at T-ride in 2012 with "At Any Price" with star Dennis Quaid in attendance as well.  "at Any Price" didn't exactly set the world on fire scoring a 60 rating at Metacritic and earning a reported $379,000 domestically.

"99 Homes" focuses on the U.S. housing crisis as Garfield plays a man who gets in over his head and ends up working with Michael Shannon who plays an unscrupulous realtor.

Stories are included here from Entertainment Weekly and The Playlist:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/05/andrew-garfield-michael-shannon-99-homes/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-michael-shannon-andrew-garfield-in-ramin-bahranis-99-homes-20140805


Couple of stray thoughts: "Spiderman vs. General Zod".

And one wonders if Garfield, who attended the fest 2010 with "Never Let Me Go" might return and if he does, if it's possible that his current significant other, Ms. Emma Stone, might be there as well as she's co-starring in Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman".

WHO GETS A TRIBUTE?

I was noodling around the rising suspicion that Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman" will be screened in just over three weeks in Telluride and as I was doing that, it struck me that a TLJ tribute in coordination with that film.  I can see it pretty clearly.  Maybe co-star and two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank attends as well. Makes a lot of sense to me.

And that got me to thinking seriously about other tribute possibilities.

Pete Hammond suggested a couple of weeks ago that Telluride might be dangling the tribute carrot in front of Chris Nolan in a play to get "Interstellar" on board.  I've never thought it was a big likelihood and recent buzz is that no fest may have the film on its lineup.

I have suggested Nicole Kidman as a tribute possible in conjunction with the almost certain play of "Queen of the Desert".

I have also mentioned a Juliette Binoche tribute should Olivier Assasyas "Clouds of Sils Maria" be a T-ride selection.

Some weeks back, I mentioned a Michael Keaton tribute as a possibility with the screening of "Birdman", although that does seem a little far fetched.

How about Tim Burton if Telluride gets "Big Eyes"...yeah. that would make some sense.

MAYBE IT'S BOGDO...

Earlier this week I speculated about who might get a tribute this year.  I mentioned Tommy Lee Jones, Juliette Binoche...others.  One name I should have included, but didn't, is Peter Bogdanovich.  Bogdo was a TFF Guest Director in 1998 and attended with frequency through 2006 but hasn't (to my knowledge) been back since.

This year he has a Venice competition film: "She's Funny That Way" which could make the Telluride lineup but he's also the focus of a documentary that is playing Venice as well: Bill Teck's "One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich and the Lost American Film".

I can see that being part of a Bogdo tribute in three weeks.

That would also mean that this doc is one f the "Venice Five" (Venice director Alberto Barbera is on record as having said that five films will play Venice and Telluride).

I've included a link to a story about the Venice goings-on here from Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/two-auteur-docs-play-venice-classics-on-bogdanovich-and-penn-20140806


MAYBE IT'S REESE

And in the same vein as Bogdo above, another good possibility for a tribute (as was pointed to me yesterday in a comment from "Anonymous" here on the blog) is Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon.  We're about 98% certain that her new film "Wild" is going to be seen for the first time at Telluride.  We know that she won her Oscar for 2005's "Walk the Line" which started her run to the win at TFF.

And don't discount the connection to Alexander Payne.  Payne directed her in what was a big breakout for them both in "Election" in 1999.

So, yes indeed, boys and girls...Reese Witherspoon is definitely a TFF tribute candidate.

TAPLEY MUSES

"Fury" trailer via YouTube

HitFix/InContention's Kristopher Tapley posted a fairly extensive look at the awards season last night that also included his thoughts about what is/might be/is unlikely to be Telluride bound.  As you might expect, he comes to a number of the same conclusions that you've already read here.

He does mention a few things that are of specific interest...some intriguing...some a little disappointing.  Tapley suggests that David Ayer's "Fury" might have a reasonable shot at playing T-ride but that Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" is unlikely/unprepared for fests.

Tapley mentions a couple of films that I haven't had on my Telluride radar at all.  Tom McCarthy's Adam Sandler starer "The Cobbler" and William Monahan's "Mojave" starring Mark Wahlberg.  Additionally, he suggests a Telluride screening of "Whiplash" as he includes it on a list of Sony Pictures Classics "possibles/probables".

Tapley also says that J.C. Chandor is still editing "A Most Violent Year" which doesn't mean that the film is completely off the Telluride table...but it sure isn't encouraging.

Check the entire story here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/off-the-carpet-will-it-be-brad-pitt-vs-angelina-jolie-this-oscar-season

ANOTHER TORONTO ANNOUNCEMENT-MAYBE "MOMMY"

The Toronto International Film Festival announced a slew of Canadian titles yesterday that have been added across many of the different sections that the fest features.  There was a film here and there that piqued my interest in terms of Telluride potential but none to the point that I'm ready to declare any of the films announced yesterday as Telluride likely.

Take a look at the new films announced here via Indie Wire:

http://www.indiewire.com/article/toronto-international-film-festival-reveals-slate-of-canadian-features-and-short-films-20140806

The Playlist looked at the same list yesterday and they claim that Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" (which played well at Cannes in May and is being distributed in the U.S. by Roadside attractions) by being a "Toronto" premiere "suggests that it'll be going to Telluride to make its North American debut".

The Playlist post is here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/xavier-dolans-mommy-leads-canadian-line-up-of-new-tiff-2014-announcements-20140806

So, "Mommy" is a maybe.

That's it for today...more on Monday...have a great weekend!

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Views of "Rosewater"/New Friends in Crested Butte/Looking at "Big Eyes"

Welcome to Monday...

VIEWS OF "ROSEWATER"

Over the weekend Entertainment Weekly put out two photos from Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" starring Gael Garcia Bernal as real life journalist Maziar Bahari who was arrested in Iran in 2009 as he was reporting the election in that country.  Any number of outlets reported the photos with an accompanying story.  We believe fairly strongly that "Rosewater" will make the Telluride lineup owing to its designation by the Toronto film fest as a Canadian premiere.

Here are those photos:

Stories/Posts that went with these photos this weekend:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/open-road-sets-jon-stewarts-film-rosewater-to-open-in-november/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-gael-garcia-bernal-in-jon-stewarts-directorial-debut-rosewater-20140801

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/first-look-gael-garcia-bernal-jon-stewarts-rosewater-release-date-announced/

NEW FRIENDS IN CRESTED BUTTE

As I'm sure you're aware, I have posted most recently from Crested Butte, CO. as the CEO and I have been Art Festivaling this past weekend.  Interestingly, I met Michael Brody who is the co-head honcho of the Crested Butte Film Festival.  Michael is in his fourth year re-constructing a festival that was defunct for about six or seven years.

I took a look at their program form last year and ;let me tell you, they've got things going in the right direction.  Last year's lineup included "20 Feet from Stardom", "After Tiller" and "Rust and Bone" among other offerings.

Michael also shared some of the films that they've planned for this year's fest which runs Sept. 25-28, and they've got some quality lined up.  If you're in the neighborhood the last weekend in September, run to Crested Butte and catch a film.

Check their website:

cbfilmfest.org

LOOKING AT "BIG EYES"

We have our first photos of Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in a true story about the art of Margaret Keane and her husband Walter who was credited for a good long while with the artwork of characters with "big eyes".  The film has not been announced for any festival to date and Burton did play "Ed Wood" AT TFF in 1994 so it's not a complete impossibility that we could see it pop up in three and a half weeks in the San Juans.  Here from The Playlist and FirstShowing are the pics:

And the link to The Playlist's story:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-amy-adams-and-christoph-waltz-in-tim-burtons-big-eyes-20140803

And from FirstShowing.net:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/first-look-amy-adams-as-margaret-keane-in-tim-burtons-big-eyes/

More on Tuesday...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Weinstein's at Telluride/Wild Makes an Appearance/Pixar's Short Lava

Good Monday everyone.  I'm back in the Oklahoma Panhandle after 2 1/2 weeks on the road and some fantastic lifetime memories...

Today, I conclude my look at U.S. distributors that have films that could play Telluride with one of the biggest players in that field....The Weinstein Company:



WEINSTEIN'S AT TELLURIDE

Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob have had a fairly common presence at the Telluride Film Festival over the years.  Their current incarnation is as The Weinstein Company.  Previously they were Miramax.

Tracking both companies as distributors at Telluride for the past decade shows us that they've been a part of The SHOW for a good long while.  Here's their Telluride slate as Miramax or The Weinstein Company since 2006:


2006: Venus
2007: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, My Enemy's Enemy, I'm Not There
2008: Happy-Go-Lucky
2009: The Road
2010: The King's Speech
2011: The Artist, Butter
2012: The Sapphires  (also was represented during the Marion Cotillard tribute by James Gray and 5 min. of The Immigrant)
2013: The Unknown Known, Salinger, Tracks

So over 8 years...13 films.  1.6 per year and TWC has been repped at TFF consistently each year since 2006.  So what's in TWC's stable this year that has a chance to play in T-ride?

"MacBeth"
"St. Vincent"
"The Imitation Game"
"Suite Francaise"
"Big Eyes"

And from TWC's Radius arm, the best chance is Cannes film "It Follows".

What seems likely here?  Because you have to believe that TWC will want to play.  Maybe more than any other distributor, the Toronto/Telluride show down may have its greatest effect here.  I believe that their decision will be propelled by their analysis about which fest and what platforming of films in which places will do them the most good.

It seemed pretty clear last year that TWC placed more faith in Toronto when they made the last minute switch from "Philomena" as a Monday TBA to "Salinger".  But Harvey and company also can't ignore that their greatest successes in recent years: "The Artist" and "The King's Speech" both played Telluride on their way to Oscar glory.  Another factor is that I don't really see a slam dunk Best Picture player here.  All of them could be but none of them are perceived as having an inside track to a nomination for BP at this point (as, for example. "Unbroken" or "Foxcatcher" seem to have at this point).

Bottom line is that I expect a two or three of these films to make the Telluride lineup but discerning, at least at this point, which are the most likely is really difficult.

I'm personally campaigning to see Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch telling the true story of British genius and hero Alan Turing but it may actually be the least likely choice insofar as Telluride is concerned.  Almost everyone that guesses at this sort of stuff thinks it's headed to Toronto.  Tim Buton's "Big Eyes" also seems fairly unlikely...my bet is that it goes to New York.  That leaves "Suite Francaise", "MacBeth" and "St. Vincent" for Telluride.  I'd be pretty happy with any or all of them.  At this point, Murray's "St. Vincent" might actually be the most likely.


WILD MAKES AN APPEARANCE

Jean Marc Vallee's follow up to "Dallas Buyers Club" is "Wild' starring Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon.
Over the last few days we have seen a new poster appear as well as a trailer for the film.  Here's the trailer:

"Wild" Trailer via YouTube

 and the poster:

Friend of MTFB Kris Tapley, writing at HitFix, seems to think that "Wild" could be a Telluride choice as you'll see when you read this post from the weekend:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/wild-trailer-reveals-a-de-glammed-reese-witherspoon-hiking-the-pain-away

Here is a another post about the trailer:

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=877035

PIXAR'S SHORT LAVA

Pixar's new animated short film is entitled "Lava" and will precede their feature "Inside Out" in the summer of 2015.  I wouldn't be all that surprised to see it pop up somewhere in Telluride's program over Labor Day.  Read about it here:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/first-look-pixars-lava-new-short-film-coming-2015/

More to come on Tuesday...including our annual look at "The Usual Suspects"...not the film...

Tidbits/20 Films from HitFix/SPC vs. TWC/Poland on Leviathan

Good Monday in June everyone...

TIDBITS

Over the weekend I finished a screenwriting project that I had been working on for two years.  It felt good. The project has been a collaboration with rock guitarist Mark Austin King of Hinder.  Got it WGA registered.  Entered it a couple of places including "friend of MTFB's" Screencraft.org (shout out to John Rhodes).  It's titled "The Remains" and tells the story of a rock band 's rise and fall.  It's mostly a comedy...with a little drama.

Also, tidbit #2...I can't talk about...yet.  Suffice it to say that I should have an interesting post in a day or so.

20 FILMS FROM HITFIX

Michael Fassbender as "MacBeth"

Last week, the staff at HitFix posted a story entitled : "20 Movies Coming Out in 2014 That Aren't on Your Radar Yet".  Maybe they're not on everyone's radar, but most of them have been on the MTFB radar and some of them for quite awhile.  Of the 20 films that HitFix include are a good half dozen that have real Telluride potential:

"Birdman" from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.  Inarritu and distrib Fox Searchlight make this one to watch for TFF #41.

"MacBeth" from Justin Kurzel.  Distrib is The Weinstein Company.

"The Imitation Game" from Morten Tyldem...also distributed by TWC.

"Men, Women and Children" from T-ride fave Jason Reitman.  Paramount is distributing and had both Reitman's "Up in the Air" and "Labor Day" at Telluride.

"A Most Violent Year" from J.C. Chandor.  A24 is the distributor (which had "Enemy" and "Under the Skin" at T-ride last year)

"Suite Francaise" from Saul Dibb.  Another TWC film.

From this list of six films I feel the most strongly about "Birdman".  I actually think "A Most Violent Year" is the next most likely TFF #41 selection from this particular list.  I'm personally pretty hot to catch "MacBeth" and "The Imitation Game" but one of the big mysteries for puzzling out Telluride titles this year is trying to figure out how Harvey Weinstein is going to play with the pieces he has.  Last year TWC had "Tracks", "The Unknown Known" and "Salinger" which was  a last minute replacement for "Philomena".  The year before, they were repped at Telluride only by "The Sapphires".  But Harvey has also had great success in past years with both "The King's Speech" and "The Artist" running through Telluride before going n to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Three other films that are on the HitFix list that have what I would term a "theoretical" chance to play T-ride are Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" (another TWC film), James Marsh's "Theory of Everything" (Focus Features) and Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" (Open Road Films).

All of this comes with the same caveat that I have already been repeating fairly ceaselessly which is: Toronto's demands to chose them or Telluride for prime screening  times is a joker in the deck that adds an incredible level of uncertainty into the mix.

Here's the link to the HitFix post:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/20-movies-coming-out-this-year-that-arent-on-your-radar-yet#oErfmwXyRE1WK7bP.99

SPC VS. TWC

I have often wondered about the dynamic that exists between these two powerhouse independent distributors and now we have a really good article that addresses that very situation.  Steven Zeitchik in the Los Angeles Times wrote this analysis about the battle for Indie supremacy between the two:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-sony-weinstein-20140529-story.html#page=1


POLAND ON LEVIATHAN

David Poland from The Movie City News put up his latest DP/30 focusing on Cannes hit (and screenplay winner) "Leviathan" from director and co-writer Andrey Zvyagintsev.  SPC has the U.S. distribution.  That combined with the high profile success at Cannes makes it a very real Telluride #41 lineup possibility.  Here's the link:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-sony-weinstein-20140529-story.html#page=1


More tomorrow...

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