Ten Bets #5/More News of "The Revenant" from THR/"Miles Ahead" Will Be at the End/"Son of Saul" and "Freeheld" Have Trailers

Hello to All on a Friday!



TEN BETS #5

For the fifth time this summer and the last time prior to the beginning of announcements from the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday (and the likelihood that their announcement gives solid clues about what could be playing Telluride), here are your latest, best "Ten Bets' for TFF #42 starting with a refresher of the "Ten Bets" from last week:

10) "The Club"

9) "Truth"

8) "Queen of the Desert"

7) "Suffragette"

6) "Youth"

5) "45 Years"

4) "I Saw the Light"

3) "Carol"

2) "Dheepan"

1) "Son of Saul"

Now, taking into consideration the Jeff Wells piece from last week as well as this week's Guardian piece and the comment traffic here on MTFB and this week's review of "The Usual Suspects" here's the latest incarnation of my "Ten Bets" list:

10) "Black Mass"
9) "Suffragette"
8) "He Named Me Malala"
7) "The Club"
6) "45 Years"
5) "Carol"
4) "Truth"
3) "I Saw the Light"
2) "Son of Saul"
1) "Dheepan"


COUSINS ON "BELFAST" AND OTHER TOPICS

Mark Cousins and Helena Bereen of "I Am Belfast"

Earlier this week, as a part of the first wave of "The Usual Suspects" I wrote about director Mark Cousins and his latest documentary "I Am Belfast".  Coincidentally, Britains' Fred: The Festival Insider posted a podcast interview with the film maker about that film and his "Hibrow Trilogy" that has just played as a part of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.  Check the 11+ minute podcast here:

http://www.fred.fm/uk/mark-cousins-i-am-belfast-the-mark-cousins-hibrow-trilogy-kviff2015/


MORE NEWS OF "THE REVENANT" FROM THR

Following the very insightful Grantland piece about the making and finishing of Alejandro Inarritu's "The Revenant" comes another, separate long piece from Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter:


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-leonardo-dicaprios-revenant-shoot-810290

Still (sigh), this reminder that the film won't be ready in time for a Labor Day screening.


"MILES AHEAD" WILL BE AT THE END



Meaning that we found out Wednesday that Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic/passion project will close the New York Film Festival and they are labeling it a world premiere.  That designation, assuming that everyone is following the protocol from last year, means that the film is definitely off the Telluride radar.

In reality, I haven't had it on my radar in any significant fashion as it is still looking for U.S> distribution.

The film would have earned a mention on Monday's post when I will be addressing this year's version of "The Unified Clooney Theory" ahead of Tuesday's first announcement of films from the Toronto International Film Festival.

New York has already also announced that it will open with Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk".

Here's a bit of coverage on the NYFF announcement from Wednesday:

http://www.filmlinc.com/daily/entry/don-cheadles-miles-ahead-to-make-its-world-premiere-on-the-closing-night-of

http://www.awardscircuit.com/2015/07/22/don-cheadles-miles-ahead-selected-as-the-closing-film-for-new-york-film-festival/



"SON OF SAUL" AND "FREEHELD"  HAVE TRAILERS

Yesterday, we saw the release of an international trailer for Cannes sensation "Son of Saul".  I have that film sitting at the #2 spot on today's latest "Ten Bets" list.  We also saw the release of this first trailer for the Julianne Moore social drama "Freeheld".  Here they are via YouTube:

"Freeheld"

Here are three stories to accompany the "Freeheld" trailer:

http://www.indiewire.com/article/watch-julianne-moore-and-ellen-page-will-break-your-heart-in-romantic-freeheld-trailer-20150722

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-ellen-page-and-julianne-moore-fight-for-gay-rights-in-first-trailer-for-freeheld-20150722

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/freeheld-trailer-julianne-moore-ellen-page#.jmkQpXnbMO

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/watch-freeheld-trailer-starring-ellen-page-and-julianne-moore/

"Son of Saul"

And a couple of stories that came with the "Son of Saul" trailer release:


http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/first-trailer-for-cannes-winner-and-oscar-contender-son-of-saul/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-operatic-first-international-trailer-for-cannes-winner-son-of-saul-20150723


LATEBREAKING

An interesting tidbit from the Italian online edition of Vanity Fair that claims that Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight", the drama concerning the revelation of  wrong doing and cover up in the Boston Archdiocese of the Catholic Church, will play as a part of the Venice Film Fest.  If accurate, that would be a bit of a surprise as it has been heavily rumored as a likely opener for Toronto.  A Venice play also opens the door a tiny bit to a Telluride play.

Google translate the story that is linked here:


http://www.vanityfair.it/show/cinema/15/07/19/mark-ruffalo-al-giffoni-film-festival-2015-intervista-e-foto

That's all for Friday.  Expect more Monday though special reports could pop up this weekend depending on the information that shakes out in the run up to Toronto's first announcement of films on Tuesday.

Leave a comment here at the blog.

Email me at michael_speech@hotmail.com or mpgort@gmail.com

Tweet/Follow at me @Gort2 on Twitter

You can also message me on Facebook (and "Like" me too)

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

Distribution: Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, Saban Films/Ten Bets #3/The Playlist's 50 Film Wish List for Fall Film Fests

It's Friday, Friday, Friday...

DISTRIBUTION: ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/LIONSGATE/SABAN FILMS

On this Friday I continue my extensive look at film distributors with pasttrack records at the Telluride Film Festival to suss out clues about what films might play at this year's 42nd edition of the fest. Today I'm looking at the inter-related companies of Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate and Saban Films.


Taking each as an individual entity, here are their recent Telluride histories, such as they are:

Roadside Attractions:

2010: Biutiful
2011: Albert Nobbs
2012: Stories We Tell
2013: All is Lost, Gloria
2014: '71, The Homesman, Mommy


Lionsgate

2013: All is Lost

Saban:

2014: The Homesman



As you can see, Roadside has steadily increased its presence in the five year run since it first showed up at The SHOW in 2010.  Lionsgate and Saban have been peripherally involved on a couple of projects in that time.  So, what do these firms have in their collective quiver that might whet the appetite of T-ride programmers?

From Roadside: "A Hologram for the King", "Miss You Already", "The Sea of Trees", "Stonewall",

From Lionsgate: "A Hologram for the King", "Freeheld", "Miss You Already", "Sicario" "The Sea of Trees", "Genius"

Saban Films doesn't appear to have any film that looks Telluride-y, at least according to their IMDb listing.

It seems to me that Lionsgate actually has the strongest hand in as far as possible Telluride programming is concerned.  Probably the safest "bet" is Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario".  After that, it's all relatively doubtful for the remainder of the Roadside/Lionsgate/Saban field and even "Sicario" is iffy.

Chances:

"Sicario" 50%
"Freeheld" 40%
"A Hologram for the King" 35%
"Genius" 30%
"Miss You Already" 25%
"The Sea of Trees" 25%

Roadside, after a strong run last year, may be on the outside looking in.




TEN BETS #3

Last week's "Ten Bets" were:

10) "Queen of the Desert"
9) "Mountains May Depart"
8) "Suffragette"
7)  "13 Minutes"
6) "I Saw the Light"
5) "Youth"
4) "45 Years"
3) "Carol"
2) "Son of Saul"
1) "Dheepan"

This week's updated "Ten Bets" for TFF #42:

10) "The Club"
9) "Suffragette"
8) "13 Minutes"
7) "Queen of the Desert"
6) "45 Years"
5) "I Saw the Light"
4) "Carol"
3) "Youth"
2) "Son of Saul"
1) "Dheepan"

Pablo Larrain's "The Club" bumps "Mountains May Depart"...but it's close.


THE PLAYLIST'S 50 FILM WISH LIST FOR THE FALL FILM FESTS

The Playlist was up yesterday with their annual "wish list" of films for the upcoming fall film fest.  The yearly "wish/prediction" post has come to be a staple for parsing here at MTFB...

So, here's what they "wish/predict" as it pertains to what films they feel might make the lineup for Telluride:

The first film referenced for Telluride is the Bradley Cooper starring, Weinstein Company distributed "Adam Jones".  The Playlist says Telluride is a "possibility".

Next is Scott Cooper's "Black Mass" starring Johnny Depp as mob murderer Whitey Bulger.  "Black Mass" is from Warners.  You may recall that I think Warners will have a film or two at Telluride this year's list.  The Playlist suggests that a "sneak preview" is "very possible".

The next Telluride mention is for Guillermo Del Toro's "Crimson Peak".  Read my earlier posts that suggest that Del Toro could follow the footsteps of his "three amigos hermanos" Alejandro Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron.

Their next T-ride mention surprised me a bit as they suggest that Tom Hooper's "The Danish Girl" starring last year's Oscar Best Actor winner Eddie Redmayne could play Telluride as Hooper could follow the path that his "The King's Speech" did to Oscar glory with a Telluride appearance in 2010.

"I Saw the Light" from director Marc Abraham ("Flash of Genius" T-ride 2008) is called a "maybe" for TFF #42.  It's a biopic about country music legend Hank Williams starring Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen.  I think this film is a real Telluride possibility.

The next film that The Playlist gives a "maybe" is Derek Cianfrance's "The Light Between the Oceans" with Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.  It's distribution is still up for grabs for the U.S.

Kenneth Lonergan's "Manchester-by-the -Sea" is suggested as a Telluride possible.  The film stars Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler and is also looking for U.S> distribution.

Joe Nichols' "Midnight Special" starring Michael Shannon is termed a "good bet" and is another of the four Warners films that could make the trip to the San Juans.

The Playlist actually says that Jodie Foster's "Money Monster" starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts could make the Telluride program.  That would be cool.  Sony Pictures/TriStar are distributing.  (See my upcoming 2015 edition of "The Unified Clooney Theory" in a week or so).

David Gordon Green's "Our Brand is Crisis" is the third Warners film that the article says could make it to Telluride.  The film stars Sandra Bullock and is produce, in part, by Clooney (see "UCT" note above).

Sarah Gavron's "Suffragette" is said to be "expect(ed)" for Telluride after its announcement as a "European" premiere to open the London Film Fest.  The film stars Carey Mulligan and is distributed in the U.S. by Focus Features.

Richard Linklater's follow up to his critical darling "Boyhood" and the "spiritual sequel" to his classic "Dazed and Confused",
"That's What I'm Talking About" is called "very likely" for Telluride or Toronto or New York.

The last film that The Playlist lists Telluride as a possibility is "Truth" from director James Vanderbilt.  The post says that the film is "very likely" as it's from  Sony Pictures Classics.  The film stars Robert Redford as newsman Dan Rather and tells the story of his fall from grace at CBS News.

That's 13 of the 50 films listed in the post mentioning Telluride.

There are 37 other films (plus a bonus set at the end of the article) that The Playlist does not mention Telluride as a possibility.  Of those, I actually think that some DO have a shot.  For example:

Thomas Vintenberg's "The Commune"
Jean-Marc Vallee's "Demolition"
Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight"
Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea"
Stephen Frears' "The Program"
Billy Ray's "Secret in Their Eyes"
Thomas McCarthy's "Spotlight"
Danny Boyles' "Steve Jobs"
Jay Roach's "Trumbo"
Justin Chadwick's "Tulip Fever"

are among The Playlist's 50 that they don't peg for a Telluride slot but that I think could play.

The only "Honorable Mentions" that they include that I feel have some shot at making Telluride is "Freeheld"

A lot to digest...

The complete post is here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/50-movies-on-our-fall-film-festival-wishlist-20150709

That's all for Friday.  Have a great weekend!  More on Monday...


Like/Follow Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

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

Follow @Gort2 on Twitter

"Hateful" Release Date and Strategy Revealed/First Look at "Freeheld"/Trailering the "Queen"

Welcome back from the weekend...It's Monday!


"HATEFUL" RELEASE DATE AND STRATEGY REVEALED

Last week, I reported that Quentin Tarantino had committed to retro-fitting 50 screens across the nation to be able to screen "The Hateful Eight" in 70mm.  News emerged over the weekend that revealed the release date and strategy for the film that was shot near Telluride last winter.

The film will be released on Christmas Day in 70mm and then go wide two weeks later digitally.  Over the weekend a number of the Telluride Film Fest faithful and I engaged in a fairly involved Twitter convo about the chances that we might still see "Hateful" at TFF #42.

My feeling is that time doesn't favor that approach but that we might see a sequence or a selection of clips.  It would be a thrill to get Tarantino in Telluride during Labor Day weekend.  We'll see...

Here's coverage of the "Hateful" release story from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire, The Playlist, Rope of Silicon and The Wrap:

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/quentin-tarantino-hateful-eight-christmas-release-1201518619/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/quentin-tarantinos-hateful-eight-gets-802117

http://www.indiewire.com/article/quentin-tarantinos-the-hateful-eight-to-be-widest-70mm-release-in-over-20-years-20150612

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-hateful-eight-sets-christmas-day-release-2-week-70mm-roadshow-to-be-followed-by-digital-wide-release-20150612

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/quentin-tarantinos-hateful-eight-gets-70mm-digital-release-dates/

http://www.thewrap.com/quentin-tarantinos-hateful-eight-to-hit-theaters-in-70mm-on-christmas-day/


FIRST LOOK AT "FREEHELD"

Julianne Moore and Ellen Page in "Freeheld" via Entertainment Weekly

Lionsgate has the distribution for the Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carell starrer "Freeheld" based on the true life experience of policewoman Laurel Hester (Moore) who fought the power when she was faced with dying and wanted her survivor benefits to go to her same sex partner (Page).

The Lionsgate as distributor might seem to be a TFF disqualifier (listed as a distrib for "all is Lost" in 2013...and that's all) but the Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions (also "All is Lost" as well as "Mommy", "The Homesman", "'71") /Saban ( "The Homesman") connections make it a possibility.  "Freeheld" is directed by Peter Sollett ( "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist").

Entertainment Weekly had the image (above) and the story:


http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/11/ellen-page-julianne-freeheld-first-look


TRAILERING THE "QUEEN"

Lots of new pics last week from Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" and over the weekend, an international trailer for the film which you can see in any of the below linked stories from The Playlist, First Showing and Rope of Silicon:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-international-trailer-for-werner-herzogs-queen-of-the-desert-with-nicole-kidman-robert-pattinson-and-more-20150613

http://www.firstshowing.net/2015/watch-werner-herzogs-queen-of-the-desert-international-trailer/

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/nicole-kidman-is-the-queen-of-the-desert-in-first-trailer-poster/



More on Tuesday...

Follow Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook: 

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


And on Twitter @Gort2