Euro Producers: The French-Arte France / Daughter of the Dawn / Birth of a Nation

Welcome back from the weekend and a good Monday to you...

EURO PRODUCERS: THE FRENCH

After a two day respite, MTFB returns to continue our look at European production companies who have had a significant past presence at the Telluride Film Festival.  Today's producer is...


ARTE FRANCE CINEMA

Their track record looks like this:

2003: Dogville
2004: The Weeping Meadow
2005: The Child, Cache, Paradise Now
2006: Day Night Day Night
2008: O'Horten
2011: Le Havre, Goodbye First Love
2012:
2013: Le Maison de la Radio, The Lunchbox

2014: Diplomacy

2015: No films

But 2016 is chock full of TFF #43 possibilities: Salt and Fire, The Salesman, Peshmerga, The Red Turtle, Slack Bay, Things to Come and Fire at Sea.  My bet is that Arte France is in Telluride in 2016 with at least three films and maybe more.

DAUGHTER OF THE DAWN

You may recall from three years ago that I was dead certain that a silent film featuring Native American actors would play T-ride.  That didn't pan out.  But the film, Daughter Before the Dawn is set for Blue Ray release soon.  Ioncinema covers/reviews the release:

http://www.ioncinema.com/news/disc-reviews/the-daughter-of-dawn-norbert-myles-blu-ray-review




BIRTH OF A NATION

Amid buzz that the Sundance hit, Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation could play Telluride came another arresting image for the film over the weekend in the form of a new trailer and poster (above) for the film.  Coverage is here:

http://theplaylist.net/sundance-sensation-birth-nation-wants-rise-revolt-watch-new-trailer-20160621/


Here's the new trailer via YouTube:

That's going to do it for this Monday.  More tomorrow...

Contact MTFB at:

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OR on Twitter @Gort2

OR check out Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

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OR leave a comment...

Distribution: Open Road and Zeitgeist / Ken Burns, Tom Hanks and Defying Nazis / First 2016 Oscar Poker Talks Some Telluride

Good Thursday Everybody...


DISTRIBUTION: OPEN ROAD AND ZEITGEIST FILMS

Using a baseball metaphor here on this Thursday as we round third base on distribution companies at Telluride and head toward home.  Today we'll examine Open Road Films and Zeitgeist Films. Tomorrow we'll bring the two week review of distributors home with a laundry list of players who are occasionally represented at T-ride.

OPEN ROAD FILMS

Open Road didn't make an appearance at Telluride until the past two years but they have made a substantial impression in that time.  In 2014 they brought Jon Stewart's directing debut, Rosewater, to the fest and though the film wasn't universally embraced, it certainly made some noise.  Then last year, Open Road was back with Spotlight which was universally praised and went on to Oscar glory for Best Picture and Original Screenplay as well as another four nominations.

With that as your preamble, you'd think that they'd be primed for another big run at Telluride and perhaps they are.

Open Road has two films that could figure into the Telluride lineup for 2016.  The most attention grabbing is Oliver Stone's Snowden.  The film features Jopseh Gordon-Levitt as the NSA-secret exposing Edward Snowden.  It also stars Shailene Woodley and Nicolas Cage.  The film is dated to open Sept. 16th.

I've mentioned before that Stone has been to Telluride in the past with U-Turn in 1997.  That's a long time ago.  I'm also a little out off by the 9/16 date, although that's the same weekend that Black Mass had after screening last year.

I have thought that the film could play Venice and Telluride. The Sept. 16 date tells you it's not going to be playing Toronto.

Meanwhile, the other Open Road possibility is Bleed for This with Miles Teller starring as real life boxer Vinnie Pazienza.  The film is directed by relative newcomer Ben Younger.

It seems to me that neither film is a slam dunk for The SHOW but that either or both could make it owing to Open Road's success the past two years.

Chances:

Snowden 40%
Bleed for This 40%


ZEITGEIST FILMS

Zeitgeist has played five films at Telluride over the past nine years.

2007- Chris and Don: A Love Story, Jellyfish
2008- Tulpan
2013- The Galapagos Affair
2014- Diplomacy

This year sees the specialty house with three films that could land on the Telluride list:

Old Stone directed by Johnny Ma (played well at Berlin)
InnSaei directed by Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir and Kristin Olafsdottir
Theo Who Lived directed by David Schisgall.

Old Stone is a feature and both Innsaei and Theo Who Lived are documentaries about which little is known.

Old Stone would seem to have the best shot at Telluride, but because director Johnny Ma has Canadian ties, it could well be a Toronto only play.

Give all three films a 25% chance of making the Telluride lineup.

Tomorrow, a laundry list of distribution houses:


KEN BURNS, TOM HANKS AND DEFYING NAZIS



Telluride regular (and MTFB "Usual Suspect") Ken Burns is a staple at the festival and often, though not every year, he has a project that screens as a part of the fest's lineup including 2012's Central Park Five.  This year, Burns has a documentary ready that is set for its PBS debut on Sept. 9.  Defying the Nazis: The Sharp's War.  The film is narrated by Tom Hanks.

It wouldn't surprise me greatly if the film actually debuts in Telluride.

Check the trailer here:

Defying the Nazis: The Sharp's War trailer via YouTube

Also take a look at this story from Mothers and Critics:

http://smallscreen.monstersandcritics.com/preview-tom-hanks-narrates-ken-burns-inspiring-tale-of-defying-the-nazis/

FIRST 2016 OSCAR POKER TALKS SOME TELLURIDE

Sasha Stone of Awards Daily and Jeff Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere have huddled up for their first Oscar Poker podcast for 2016 and in the course of their discussion they drop a few tidbits about Telluride.

The first is a glancing refernce to Telluride in the context of talking about the recently re-dated Ben Affleck film Live by Night.  The film was recently moved up by Warners to early January 2017 and there has been a good deal of speculation that Warners will release it in a limited fashion in December to qualify it for Oscar consideration.  The Telluride mention comes at about the 9:30 mark.

The duo also mentions Telluride 24 minutes in in regards to Damien Chazelle's La La Land.  It seems that both Wells and Stone feel that it's likely to make its bow at Venice on August 31.

They also spend a good chunk of time discussing Weinstein Company films Lion and HHhH both of which I have mentioned in terms of Telluride but Stone and Wells don't make that connection.  Their discussion of the two films happens about the 41 min. mark.

And finally, Wells re-iterates fairly strongly the notion that he espoused and we reported here June 27 that Olivier Assasyas' Personal Shopper is not going to play T-ride.  That comes near the end at the 57 min. mark.

Finally Stone and Wells more or less agree that they feel that there are six films that are out in front for the best picture Oscar at least perceptually at this point:

Silence
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
La La Land
Birth of a Nation
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Loving

Here's the link to the Oscar Poker podcast:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/podcasts/oscarpoker/episode126.mp3

Can We Talk Tributes? / Distribution: Kino Lorber's Telluride Profile / And a Thank You and a Re-Assessment

Good Independence Day America!  It's also a Monday...


CAN WE TALK TRIBUTES?

I know, I know.  It's too early.  Much smarter to do this guesswork later in the summer when the Telluride lineup has been made clearer by the lineup announcements from other festivals (i.e. Toronto, Venice and New York).  Nevertheless, over the weekend, for hoots, I decided to see if recent Telluride history could tell us anything and if we could apply those lessons in terms of creating some notions of who might get the medallions over Labor Day weekend.

Start with looking at tribute recipients over the past dozen years whose selection was in accordance to a film that was going to be a part of the fall release schedule, and perceptually a possible awards contender.  Here's the list of recipient/film (and distributor):

2004-Laura Linney/Kinsey (Fox Searchlight)
2005-Charlotte Rampling/Lemming (Strand) and The Dardennes Brothers/The Child (SPC)
2006-Penelope Cruz/Volver (SPC)
2007-Daniel Day Lewis/There Will Be Blood ( Paramount Vantage)
2008-David Fincher/Benjamin Button (Paramount)
2009-Viggo Mortensen/The Road (TWC-Dimension)
2010-Peter Weir/The Way Back (Mulitple) and Colin Firth/The King's Speech (TWC)
2011-Tilda Swinton/We Need to Talk (Oscilloscope) and George Clooney/The Descendants (Fox Searchlight)
2012-Marion Cotillard/Rust and Bone (SPC) and Mads Mikkelsen/The Hunt and Royal Affair (Magnolia)
2013-Robert Redford/All is Lost (Lionsgate, Roadside) and The Coen Brothers w/ T-Bone Burnett/Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films)
2014-Hilary Swank/The Homesman (Roadside/Saban)
2015-Danny Boyle/Steve Jobs (Warners) and Rooney Mara/Carol (TWC)

Takeaways:
21 people tributed:

14 men and 7 women

7 actresses
6 actors
9 directors (Redford and Clooney count here as well as the actor category)
1 musician (T-Bone)

The Weinstein Company-3
Sony Pictures Classics-3
Fox Searchlight-2
Lionsgate et al-2
Paramount-2

So...

A tribute recipient is more likely to be a man and slightly more likely to be a director.  Also, you're more likely to be a tribute recipient if you're in  film from one of the five distribution outlets listed above.

Now, let's apply this information to the films we think might be in play from each of these five.

The Weinstein Company: Lion.  Your best tribute bet from Lion is Nicole Kidman  I actually think that this could be a very real possibility (especially if TFF doubles up on Kidman films playing the fest.  I.E. How to Talk to Girls at Parties).  The director here is Garth Davis, who doesn't have a long enough resume to be a believable candidate and no other cast mate suggests the possibility, especially since Rooney Mara was a tributee last year.  The other outside shot is Wild Oats.  Star Shirley MacLaine was a tribute recipient in 1996 but I could see a Jessica Lange tribute as a very real possibility...if the film rises to Telluride standards.

This note, however, see the latest TWC news below [which means we might consider Matthew McConnaughey as atribute possibility]...

SPC-  They're likely to be in The SHOW with at least two films: Toni Erdmann and The Red Turtle and they could conceivably get in a couple more: Julieta and Elle.  Not a soul is terribly probable here.  Director Pedro Almodovar (Julieta) was a tribute recipient in 1988 and actress Isabelle Huppert (Elle) received one in 1986.  No one else stands out with the possible exception of director Paul Verhoeven (Elle) and I just don't see that.  Though, I do have to say, I am increasingly reassessing my insistence that the film won't play Telluride.  As of this morning, it's moved from a "nope" to a "maybe".

Fox Searchlight- Their only shots at Telluride appear to be Wilson and The Birth of a Nation. No one in BOAN seems very likely as a tribute candidate.  But Wilson is a different matter.  The film's star is Woody Harrelson and I could see that easily as a possibility for tribute.

Lionsgate/Roadside/Saban-Their best bets for Telluride are La La Land and American Pastoral.  La La seems all too young.  Certainly not director Damien Chazelle, whose career has just begun. Among the cast, I suppose Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are possible but the most probable might be character actor and recent Oscar winner J.K Simmons.

In as far as American Pastoral is concerned: Director/Actor Ewan McGregor wouldn't be a totally crazy option nor would co-star Jennifer Connelly.  By the by, if American Pastoral makes the trip to the San Juans, can we bring Philip Roth?

Paramount- Paramount's bench is deep with films that could make a T-ride lineup if they and the fest see eye to eye.  Allied, Arrival, The Lost City of Z, Silence.  Let's look at the tribute potential for each:

Allied- Director Robert Zemeckis-sure.  Star-Brad Pitt-Yup.  Marion Cotillard-already got one in 2012.

Arrival- Director Denis Villenueve-probably too early in his career.  Amy Adams-yup.  Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker-maybe.

The Lost City of Z- Director James Gray is a maybe.  The cast all seems too young-Hunnam, Pattinson, Holland.

Silence- Now, both the director, Martin Scorsese and  lead actor Liam Neeson would be a great choice for a tribute but I suspect that if Silence does a fest at all it will be NYFF or maybe AFI.  Hope I'm wrong.



DISTRIBUTION: KINO LORBER'S TELLURIDE PROFILE

Kino and/or Lorber and Kino Lorber were a hit and miss Telluride presence a decade ago.  They had Blind Mountain at TFF in 2007 and weren't back again until 2010 with La Quattro Volte and Poetry. Then after another lengthy layoff, they've become a solid presenter at Telluride over the last three years.

2013- Burning Bush, La Maison de la Radio, Manuscripts Don't Burn
2014-The Decent One
2015- Ixcanul, Sembene!, Taxi

So for 2016?  Kino Lorber has Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire at Sea in their stable and I really do think that it will make an appearance over Labor Day weekend.  Aside from Fire at Sea, however, I'm not as bullish about other films that KL has.

Slack Bay played at Cannes to middling critical response and no wins in competition.  Tower, the animated documentary about the shootings on the University of Texas campus by Charles Whitman in 1966, has played in a bunch of domestic fests, including South by Southwest so it's off the table.

So, Fire at Sea (80%) seems like the lone entry from Kino Lorber this year but also seems virtual lock to me with an outside shot at Slack Bay (35%) making the program.

Tomorrow our distribution odyssey will continue as we take a look at the newest and hottest players at Telluride from the last couple of years and the newest player that could make a splash at T-ride in 2016.


AND A THANK YOU AND A RE-ASSESSMENT

Much appreciation to Sasha Stone who mentioned me and MTFB in her Saturday story about the upcoming HHhH from The Weinstein Company.  I need to probably go back and retroactively add it to last Wednesday story about films that TWC has in its hopper.

Here's the link to her story:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/2016/07/02/best-picture-watch-hhhh-weinstein-project-about-nazis/

Meanwhile, I stumbled across the fact that Jeff Wells has Stephen Gaghan's Gold listed among his Oscar Balloon films as one of those with "highest expectations".  The film stars Matthew McConnaughey and Edgar Ramirez.  I had been discounting the film altogether as it is also listed at IMDb as being under TWC's Dimension branch (which, to be fair, did provide The Road for Telluride in 2009).

Here's Well's latest Oscar Balloon:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/oscar-balloon/

Finally, add to add to the TWC pile this weekend, I heard from a friend who had heard from a friend (so, weigh that as you will) that Lion was screened privately at Cannes and the film wasn't particularly well received.

So after TWC's initial evaluation last week on Wednesday, my thinking has changed just a bit.  On Wednesday I had Lion at 60% and Wild Oats at 30% with Ballerina at 15%.

Now, with the added information add HHhH and Gold to our list and re-adjust:  New TWC chances:

Lion 50%
HHhH 30%
Gold 30%
Wild Oats 30%
Ballerina 15%

And, let me just ask rhetorically, could his be the first year  since I started tracking this stuff (I have TWC/Miramax back to 2006) that The Weinstein Company does not have a film at TFF?


Happy Fourth ya'll.  More on Tuesday...

Contact MTFB at:

mpgort@gmail.com

OR on Twitter @Gort2

OR check out Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse-107846269309712/

OR leave a comment...

Distribution: Searching Fox Searchlight / A24 Sets Dates for American Honey, Moonlight and Picks Up Women / Seeing the First Trailer for Bleed for This

Howdy folks and welcome to Thursday at MTFB



DISTRIBUTION: SEARCHING FOX SEARCHLIGHT

Continuing our look at film distribution companies who have had notable profiles at the Telluride Film Festival over the past decade or so, today we take a look at the outfit that has been the fourth most consistent player in that time frame: Fox Searchlight.

Since 2004, the film company has been represented at Telluride each year but two: 2009 and 2012. In that time FS has averaged 1.4 films per year.  Fox Search has also had Best Picture Oscar winners at Telluride in Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave and Birdman.  So you have to believe that if Fox Searchlight thinks its git a film that can play, they'll pursue a slot at T-ride.


Here's what we have seen from them at Telluride over the past 12 years:

2004: Kinsey
2005: Bee Season
2006: The Last King of Scotland, The Namesake
2007: Juno, The Savages
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2009: ZIP
2010: Never Let Me Go, 127 Hours, Black Swan, Millions
2011: Shame, The Descendants
2012: ZIP
2013: 12 Years a Slave
2014: Birdman, Wild
2015: He Named Me Malala

So what's in the Fox Searchlight larder as I write?  According to the latest IMDb entries here's what FS has in play as we move into the fall:

Wilson
Birth of a Nation

That's it.  Two films.

If you look back to last Friday's Ten Bets list you'll see that I have Craig Johnson's Wilson ranked at #1.  The reasons are clear.  In addition to being on Fox Searchlight's very short list in combination with their long Telluride history, the film also is being produced by Telluride regular and former Guest Director Alexander Payne.  Payne, at one point, was set to direct the film itself.

I'd be very surprised if Wilson is not at Telluride.

Then there's The Birth of a Nation.  Nate Parker took Sundance by storm winning the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award.  Fox Searchlight dropped a ton of dough (north of $17 million) for the rights to distribute the film.

As you know, normally that Sundance play would be enough to mean that I wouldn't even consider it as a Telluride possibility.  As I have written here any number of times, Telluride has made rare exceptions for Sundance films to their "North American premiere" rule.  Sembene! (2015), The An Education (2009) and The Savages (2007) are the rare examples of exceptions.

It's worth noting that The Savages was a Fox Searchlight film and was executive produced by...Alexander Payne.

Also, I have to say that I have been seeing/hearing some rumbles that this film could be one of those exceptions.  Scott Feinberg suggested a Telluride play might be in the works back in April (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-are-any-contenders-cannes-883959) and since there have been others who have suggested that it could happen.  It's been a hot enough rumor that I included Birth of a Nation in the "Close" list of films just below the Ten Bets last week.

So...odds for Telluride:

Wilson 90%
Birth of a Nation 50%


A24 SETS DATES FOR AMERICAN HONEY, MOONLIGHT AND PICKS UP WOMEN

American Honey trailer via YouTube

Distributor A24 has announced release dates for two films that both made last week's Ten Best list. Andrea Arnold's American Honey has been set for Sept. 30th and Barry Jenkins Moonlight has been set for Oct. 21st.  Both openings will be limited on those dates and expansions then planned for both films.

American Honey was listed at #6 and Moonlight at #7 last Friday on MTFB's first Telluride Ten Bets list.  A new Ten Bets list will be posted tomorrow.

The release dates for both out them in positions to play Telluride, Venice and/or Toronto.  That date for American Honey indicates that it's off the table for the B+New York Film Fest.  Moonlight's date leaves it in play for NYFF.

Coverage of the announcement is here-including mxdwn.com's speculation that American Honey "may be a part of the Telluride/Toronto film lineups":

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a24-dates-shia-labeoufs-american-907114

http://movies.mxdwn.com/news/a24-films-sets-release-dates-for-american-honey-and-moonlight/

Meanwhile, the news broke yesterday afternoon that A24 had nabbed the distribution for Mike Mills' 20th Century Women.  That's a film I've mentioned a couple of times and this acquisition makes the film somewhat more Telluride-probable.  Here's a number of links to coverage of the buy, many of which suggest a fall fest play but I couldn't find a mention of Telluride specifically.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/20th-century-women-starring-elle-907348

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/a24-annette-bening-20th-century-women-1201805848/

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/annette-bening-20-century-woman-oscar-release-date-mike-mills-a24-1201700899/

http://deadline.com/2016/06/20th-century-women-annette-bening-a24-film-acquisition-1201781188/

http://theplaylist.net/first-look-mike-mills-20th-century-women-elle-fanning-film-coming-u-k-january-20160617/


SEEING THE FIRST TRAILER FOR BLEED FOR THIS


Ben Younger's Bleed for This has been a blip on my TFF #43 radar this spring into summer.  I'm aware of it and it's from Open Road which brought last year's Oscar winner for Best Picture, Spotlight, to Telluride.  It may be Open Road's best shot to return to The SHOW as its other big player is Oliver Stone's Snowden which is possible for Telluride but my feel for it at this point is that it's maybe more likely for TIFF/NYFF/AFI.  Anyway...

A trailer for the film came down the pike yesterday.  Here it is via YouTube:

Not for nothing is it noted that one of the executive producers of the film is Martin Scorsese who has had a common presence in Telluride as a producer in recent years.  The film is also dated to open on November 4th.  Possible?

Here are a series of stories that accompanied the trailer's arrival yesterday:

http://www.slashfilm.com/bleed-for-this-trailer/

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/29/bleed-for-this-trailer-miles-teller

https://thefilmstage.com/trailer/miles-teller-gets-back-in-the-fight-in-first-trailer-for-bleed-for-this/

http://www.firstshowing.net/2016/miles-teller-as-boxer-vinny-pazienza-in-first-bleed-for-this-trailer/

http://theplaylist.net/miles-teller-punches-way-glory-first-trailer-bleed-20160629/





That's Thursday's blog post.  Come back tomorrow for a new Ten Bets for TFF #43

Contact MTFB at:

mpgort@gmail.com

OR on Twitter @Gort2

OR check out Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse-107846269309712/

OR leave a comment...

Osiason's Take on Possible Telluride Films / Trailer for American Honey Appears / Also a New Trailer for Birth of a Nation

Good Wednesday to all...



OSAISON'S TAKE ON POSSIBLE TELLURIDE FILMS

Jason Osiason is a friend of MTFB and has one of the best predictive minds in all of film twitterdom. He won last year's Gold Derby Oscar contest.  He's really good.

Recently, he put together a list of films that he feels have a real shot at playing Telluride and shared that with me.  With his permission, I thought I'd pass that list along.

Here's what he lists as "Likely" Telluride films:

20th Century Women
Aquarius
Arrival
Bleed for This
Elle
Fire at Sea
Loving
Manchester-by-the -Sea
Moonlight
Risk
The Eagle Huntress
The Red Turtle
The Salesman
Things to Come
Toni Erdmann
Wilson
How to Talk to Girls at Parties

He also lists as "possible":

Good Time
My Life as a Courgette (just won the top prize at the Annecy Fest)
Neruda
Nocturnal Animals
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez
The Meyerowitz Stories
The Son of Joseph
The Mercy
Birth of a Nation
Girl on a Train

Jason has a couple of other ideas but we'll let those percolate for now.  I think his "likely" list is very, very good/impressive.

And I guess this is as good a time as any to announce that MTFB will have its first "Ten Bets" list for 2016 up on FRIDAY, June 26.  It's about to get serious.


AMERICAN HONEY TRAILER APPEARS

Andrea Arnold's American Honey had a trailer drop yesterday.  The film stars Shia LaBeouf and Sasha Lane and is distributed by A24 which was at Telluride recently with Room, Under the Skin and Ginger and Rosa.

Arnold has also been represented at Telluride with Fish Tank.

Here's the trailer from YouTube...it intrigues:

Linked coverage of the film and its trailer are here:

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/american-honey-trailer-sasha-lane-shia-labeouf-andrea-arnold-cannes-1201690990/

http://www.thewrap.com/american-honey-trailer-shia-labeouf-on-road-teenage-troublemaker/

https://thefilmstage.com/trailer/first-trailer-for-andrea-arnolds-cannes-winner-american-honey/

http://www.firstshowing.net/2016/must-watch-first-full-trailer-for-andrea-arnolds-american-honey/

http://theplaylist.net/watch-first-trailer-andrea-arnolds-cannes-prize-winning-american-honey-starring-shia-laboeuf-riley-keough-20160621/

ALSO A NEW TRAILER FOR THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Nate Parker's Sundance sensation, The Birth of a Nation released a new, full length trailer yesterday as well.  I've flogged the notion that Telluride doesn't play Sundance films multiple times in this space but I've also frequently noted that they have had occasional exceptions.  Could this film be one of those rare exceptions?  

Some people think it could.

Here's the new trailer from YouTube:

Links to coverage:

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/the-birth-of-a-nation-trailer-full-nate-parker-1201800389/

http://theplaylist.net/sundance-sensation-birth-nation-wants-rise-revolt-watch-new-trailer-20160621/

https://thefilmstage.com/trailer/a-revolt-begins-in-full-length-trailer-for-nate-parkers-the-birth-of-a-nation/

That's the post for Wednesday...

A reminder that MTFB's forst Ten Bets list goes up on Friday.

Thanks for reading...Have a good weekend.

Contact MTFB at:

mpgort@gmail.com

OR on Twitter @Gort2

OR check out Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse-107846269309712/

OR leave a comment...

Talking Toni Erdmann / Could We See Birth of a Nation?

Hello all on this Tuesday...


TALKING TONI ERDMANN

No.  It didn't win any awards at Cannes last month but it was universally heralded by critics who saw the film screened there and lead every Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann made quite an impression in France last month.  Enough, in fact, that the film was picked up for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.

The combination of critical reception and SPC involvement make me believe that Toni Erdmann has a very good chance of making The SHOW's lineup in September.

We're about three weeks away from the summer's first Ten Bets list but this is a likely candidate to make that first (as well as the final) list.

At any rate, I have included this interview with its director, Maren Ade with The Film Stage:

https://thefilmstage.com/features/maren-ade-on-toni-erdmann-being-inspired-by-andy-kaufman-and-finding-a-dramatic-balance/



COULD WE SEE BIRTH OF A NATION?

It seems that every summer that there are one or two Sundance Film Festival entrants that someone somewhere thinks will make a play at Telluride.  And it does happen sometimes but it's so infrequent as to be almost unguessable.

This year the top candidate is Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation.

I've seen/heard a good deal of buzz since it showed in Park City (and was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight) that Telluride was a possibility.  Now, I almost always discount that because in all the time (since 2008) that I've been writing this blog the Sundance/Telluride crossover hasn't happened but once.

The last time it did was in 2009 when Lone Scherfig's An Education played both Sundance and Telluride.  Additionally, the year before I started this obsession (2007) Tamara Jenkins The Savages played both Sundance and T-ride.  That's two films out of something north of 200 features.

So, it's rare.  Very, very rare. Like a 1% kind of thing.

But...

I've heard some rumblings here and there from some seriously smart people that this could be one of those 1% years.  I remain somewhat dubious as the two instances mentioned above included the participation of people who seem to be very well thought of by the fest (Scherfig for Education and Laura Linney in Savages).  Bit I also can't discount what I've heard on the grapevine either.

Ultimately, I'd love to see BOAN join the Sundance/Telluride 1% club.

Here's the latest teaser for the film and coverage of its release from Variety Latino from about three weeks back:

Teaser for Birth of a Nation via YouTube

http://varietylatino.com/english/2016/cine/noticias/the-birth-of-a-nation-teaser-nate-parker-243533/

That's a wrap for Tuesday...

Contact MTFB at:

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Variety's Tapley Talks Telluride and Makes a Few Guesses / Farhadi Joins Cannes Competition Lineup

Good Monday Everyone.  Thanks for taking the time to take a look at Michael's Telluride Film Blog



VARIETY'S TAPLEY TALKS TELLURIDE AND MAKES A FEW GUESSES

Variety's awards co-editor Kristopher Tapley posted an intriguing piece late last week that talked about the rapidity with which The 43rd sedition of TFF sold out of passes.  Tapley analyzes some of what he sees as reasons for the quick sell out.

He also takes a some time to take a very, very preliminary look at some titles that he thinks might make the lineup over Labor Day weekend.  Some surprises included:

Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman

Garth Davis' Lion

Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant

Andrea Arnold's American Honey

The Dardennes' The Unknown Girl 

Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation

That last, of course was a Sundance hit but has already fairly warmly rumored to be a Telluride possibility.  Both Tapley and The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg have now mentioned the possibility.

Check Tapley's entire article here:

http://variety.com/2016/film/in-contention/telluride-film-festival-2016-sells-out-passes-1201758017/



FARHADI JOINS CANNES COMPETITION LINEUP

As we expected, the Cannes Fest added seven new films to various programs for next months 69th iteration.  Among the was Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman which was added to the Palme d'Or competition lineup.  The addition bodes well, I think, for Farhadi to make a third appearance at Telluride after successful runs there with A Separation and The Past.

I have linked three stories about the additions which also include the new film from David Mackenzie, He'll or High Water which has been added to the Un Certain Regard section.  Mackenzie's Starred Up played Telluride to wide acclaim in 2013 and this UCR selection could foreshadow a return for him this year.

The stories:

http://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/farhadis-the-salesman-completes-cannes-main-comp-mackenzies-hell-or-high-water-in-ucr

http://variety.com/2016/film/global/asghar-farhadi-the-salesman-cannes-festival-competition-1201758950/

http://www.thewrap.com/cannes-film-festival-adds-7-new-films/


That's it for this Monday...more to come on Thursday.

Contact me at:

michael_speech@hotmail.com OR

mpgort@gmail.com OR

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A Weekend of Telluride Speculation / Continuing to Look at Cannes

Good Monday to All...

A WEEKEND OF TELLURIDE SPECULATION

Over the weekend I was in the midst of a good deal of Telluride speculation.  Fueled by mentions on Twitter and a couple of posts from various sources some very interesting and unlikely film titles made up the basis for the weekend's T-ride musings.

A Scott Feinberg/Hollywood Reporter piece about Cannes films and their Oscar potential included a Telluride reference late in the article that Sundance critical darlings Birth of a Nation and Manchester are "rumored" to be playing at Telluride.

If true, that would violate Telluride's "North American premiere" rule, although the fest has occasionally allowed that to happen in rare cases before.

I'm dubious but Feinberg has better ears on the ground than I ever will.  Check his post here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-are-any-contenders-cannes-883959

Birth of a Nation teaser via YouTube

The other news of note focused on an interview with Cannes Artistic Director Theirry Fremaux with Screen Daily.  Fremaux talked about films that didn't make the Cannes lineup including a reference to Oliver Stone's Snowden.  Fremaux suggests that Snowden distributor Open Road is opting for a "different strategy" despite the fact that Fremaux says that Cannes would have liked to have the film.

Snowden's current release date is Sept. 16.

All of which suggests, at least to me, that we need to take the possibility of a Snowden screening at Telluride seriously.


The Fremaux interview is here:

http://www.screendaily.com/news/cannes-thierry-fremaux-interview/5102645.article


CONTINUING TO LOOK AT CANNES

Jeff Nichol's Loving

I have included here a couple of "Cannes breakdown" articles that seek to provide analysis about the films selected for the 69th edition of that festival:

http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/cannes/cannes-2016-the-critics-take/5102617.article

http://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/cannes-official-selection-numbers-1201753696/



That's it for this Monday...more on Thursday...

Contact me at:

michael_speech@hotmail.com OR

mpgort@gmail.com OR

via Twitter @Gort2 OR to

Michael's Telluride Film Blog's Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse/107846269309712