Oscar and Cannes/Trailers from Cannes/Carol: Views and Cate/Kurzel on "Macbeth"/"Sea of Trees" Goes to Roadside

OSCAR AND CANNES

Sasha Stone of Awards Daily and Kris Tap;y of InContention (HitFix) both take a look at the connection or lack thereof between Cannes and Oscar and what that might mean for this year's incarnation of both events:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/how-will-the-2015-cannes-film-festival-set-the-stage-for-this-years-oscar-race

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/05/the-state-of-the-race-making-room-for-cannes/


TRAILERS FROM CANNES

I have linked a modestly comprehensive look at the trailer for films playing at the Cannes Film Festival from IndieWire here:


http://www.indiewire.com/article/watch-here-are-all-the-cannes-trailers-available-so-far-20150511


CAROL: VIEWS AND CATE

"Carol" clip via YouTube

I feel fairly optimistic that we'll see Todd Haynes "carol" at Telluride in September.  It's currently at the starting gate in Cannes as a Palme d'Or competition film.  As a part of the run up to the screening, a 22 second clip has been made available and that is what you see from YouTube above.  

Additionally, Cate Blanchett is all over the media this week talking about her own personal connection to the character she is playing.  I have linked The Playlist's story about the clip and Blanchett features from Variety, The Dissolve and Thompson on Hollywood below:



http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara-begin-to-fall-in-love-in-the-1st-clip-from-todd-haynes-carol-20150513

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/cate-blanchett-on-cannes-lesbian-drama-carol-its-not-blue-is-the-warmest-color-20150512

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/cate-blanchett-lesbian-carol-cannes-todd-haynes-women-in-hollywood-1201492632/

http://thedissolve.com/news/5673-7-fascinating-things-cate-blanchett-said-about-her/


KURZEL ON MACBETH

Director Justin Kurzel talks his "Macbeth" that features Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender (and that Awards Daily's Sasha Stone, who is currently in Cannes, thinks might well be on Telluride's lineup over Labor Day).  From Screen Daily:

http://www.screendaily.com/features/justin-kurzel-macbeth/5087732.article



"SEA OF TREES" GOES TO ROADSIDE

I have been less than upbeat about the chances that Gus Van Sant's Cannes Palme competitor "The Sea of Trees" was a likely T-ride prospect.  The fact that it's at Cannes and in competition makes me notice it.  Gus Van Sant's name on it would have moved it into the "possible/probable" area a few years ago, but Van Sant has been absent from Telluride since 2003.

However, news yesterday that U.S. distribution has been picked up by Roadside Attractions makes it a little more likely.  Roadside has really blossomed at Telluride the last two years with films such as "All is Lost', "The Homesman", " ,71", "Gloria" and "Albert Nobbs".  The acquisition moves "The Sea of Trees" which stars Matthew McConnaughey up a tad in my Telluride reckoning.

Here's a slew of stories from yesterday's RA pickup:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-matthew-mcconaugheys-sea-trees-795284

http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/cannes-roadside-attractions-buys-sea-of-trees-1201494490/

http://www.indiewire.com/article/gus-van-sants-the-sea-of-trees-goes-to-roadside-lionsgate-before-cannes-debut-20150513

  And this story, that reports that the film has a clip:


http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/cannes-watch-the-first-clip-from-gus-van-sants-sea-of-trees-starring-matthew-mcconaughey-and-ken-watanabe-20150513


More on Monday, including the first critical reactions from the films that have screened at Cannes to that point...

Eggers and Telluide/UK Film/Love is All?/Beauties and Bale

Good Tuesday to All!


EGGERS AND TELLURIDE

The news release hit my email yesterday at 11:44 AM CDT.  I had a post up at 12:02 PM CDT.  The news from the Telluride Film Festival Press Office was that author Dave Eggers had been selected as the poster artist for TFF#39...and the poster was up and running...

I think I had the story up first anywhere on the web...by a ways...

The frustration, such as it was, when it came to re-tweeting/re-posting...nada...zip...zilch.  As the story rolled through the afternoon all of the movie blog type outlets you'd expect got it posted and it looks like Anne Thompson's "Thompson on Hollywood" got the majority of re-production.  Good for her.

I had hoped that the rapidity of getting their first would have reaped some more online love...not so much.

Nevertheless, there's an interesting side note to the Dave Eggers selection.  Eggers will obviously be in Telluride to schmooze and sign the poster and the press release says he will be honored by the UCLA film school in the course of the weekend's activities...but here's the intriguing thing...Dave Eggers also has film bona fides.  He was the screenwriter for 2009's "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Away We Go" (starring Jon Krasinski and Maya Rudolph.  His novel "Zeithoun" has reportedly been optioned by director Jonathan Demme and if you check his IMDb page you'll find that he has provided the "story" for "Promised Land".

"Promised Land"???  Wait.  Isn't that the Gus Van Sant directed (TFF in 1995-"Elephant" and 2003-"To Die For"), Matt Damon and Jon Krasinski co-written and co-starring film being distributed by frequent Telluride participant Focus Features that The Playlist has reported could well be ready for a fall film fest debut?  Here's The Playlist post:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/gus-van-sants-the-promised-land-could-hit-theaters-by-the-end-of-the-year-not-an-anti-fracking-movie-says-john-krasinski-20120618 

Yes to all...

So does that mean "Promised Land" is suddenly a lock for TFF #39?  No...but it does make me suspect it has a much better shot at being there than it seemed to have yesterday.

"Promised Land's" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091473/

AND...maybe there is a continuing connection with/to Maya Rudolph who shares three children with Paul Thomas Anderson who also happens to be directing a film with some buzz about it.  You know..."The Master".

Last year my grand conspiracy theory was that George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon might all three show up in Telluride and have an "Oceans" movie reunion while their respective films ("Descendants", "Ides of March, "Moneyball", and "We Bought a Zoo") all played...

Only the Clooney part with "The Descendants" actually happened...but it was fun to spin the grand story.

This Dave Eggers/TFF #39 Poster/"Promised Land"/Gus Van Sant/Focus Feature/Maya-PTA/"Master" thing looks like it will be the story I spin for this year.  

Chances that it happens: 1%...but it's a good story.

UK FILM COUNCIL

I continue looking at European film production houses that have had some Telluride presence in that past and to see if they have any films in the pipe that look reasonably Telluride-ish and today that's The UK Film Council.  Their past at Telluride includes:

2011: Shame, We Need to Talk About Kevin

2010: The King's Speech, The First Grader, Tamara Drewe, Another Year, Camerman: Jack Cardiff

2009: Bright Star, Fish Tank

2008: Happy Go Lucky

2007: Brick Lane, When Did You Last See Your Father

2006: Venus, The Last King of Scotland, Severance

As you can see, the last 6 fests have had a substantial UKFC footprint with 2 films common and 2010 being the banner year with 5 films playing.

So what does their announced 2012 slate hold that might have Telluride potential?

The best bet is the Dakota Fanning starrer "Now is Good".  I think the only other possibility (and I think it's not highly likely) is the Scarlett Johansson as an alien film "Under the Skin" from director Jonathan Glazer who is probably best known for 2000's "Sexy Beast".

I'd put "Now is Good's" chances at 30% and "Under the Skin" at 10%.

"Now is Good" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937264/

"Under the Skin" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441395/

LOVE IS ALL?

The international trailer for Susanne Bier's film (and thus T-ride possible) "Love is All You Need" popped up over the weekend.  Here's the link to the story and the trailer from The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-international-trailer-for-susanne-biers-love-is-all-you-need-starring-pierce-brosnan-20120707

BEAUTIES AND BALE

And yet at least two more sets of photos have emerged from the Terrence Malick shoot of his "Knight of Cups" project starring Christian Bale.  These feature Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four) and are beginning to make me think that the film is nothing more than Bale with 37,000 beautiful women...and a beach or an outdoor concert.  You can find these stories both at The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/freida-pinto-is-the-latest-actress-shooting-with-christian-bale-on-terrence-malicks-knight-of-cups-20120627#

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/teresa-palmer-the-latest-beauty-to-join-terrence-malicks-knight-of-cups-20120707

More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

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Anna Teased/Gus Promise/Warner's

Good Thursday Everyone!


Finally saw "Prometheus" last night...liked it...a lot.  Kind of want to see it again and will be excited when the next chapter comes along...

ANNA TEASED

"Anna Karenina" is getting the P.R. roll out this week with a trailer and poster.  "Anna" is directed by Joe Wright and follows the generally well received 2007 film "Atonement" (83% all critics/88% "top" critics on Rotten Tomatoes),and his less well received  2011's "Hanna" (71%/59%) and 2009's "The Soloist" (56%/62%).

It's certainly a possible Telluride choice.  Factors pointing toward its possible inclusion: the occasional T-ride connection to distributor Focus Features ("Into the Wild" TFF '07, "Catch a Fire" TFF '06).  Focus also is distributing "Hyde Park on Hudson" which will appear on this summer's first "Ten Bets" list on Monday...so my bet is that Focus is in Telluride for that at least and might desire to double dip.


Both of "Anna's" production companies, Working Title and Studio Canal,  were a part of "Catch a Fire's" production.  


So, let's say it's a 25% possible...


Here's the trailer:

Also two recent posts from
Rope of Silicon:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/anna-karenina-trailer-keira-knightley-joe-wright/

And The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/glitzy-first-poster-unveiled-for-anna-karenina-starring-keira-knightley-aaron-johnson-jude-law-20120620

"Anna's" IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781769/


GUS PROMISE

Gus Van Sant was once a frequent invitee to the Telluride Film Festival ("Elephant" in 2003, "To Die For" in 1995)...but hasn't been back in a long time ( last year's "Restless" was not well received critically and 2008's Best Picture contender "Milk" didn't come to T-ride).

But he's got a new film in play this year featuring his old "Good Will Hunting" collaborator Matt Damon and written by Damon and "The Office's" John Krasinski  (who also co-stars) entitled "Promised Land" and this week The Playlist contends that it just might be ready for the end of the year and that a "fall festival" appearance is a possibility.

Here's The Playlist story:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/gus-van-sants-the-promised-land-could-hit-theaters-by-the-end-of-the-year-not-an-anti-fracking-movie-says-john-krasinski-20120618

And the "Promised Land" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091473/

The producer and distributor is the above mentioned Focus Features...so...maybe they go for three films in TFF #39.


WARNER BROTHERS

Deadline. com reported last week that at least one "major" studio was showing film to TFF programmers in an effort to polish Oscar chances who were in L.A. during the L.A. Film Fest and so this week I have been trying to nail down some possibilities.  Today: Warner Brothers.

According to their IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/company/co0026840/) WB is distributor for a ton of Oscar bait  films: Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" (DiCaprio, Maguire and Telluride favorite Carey Mulligan), Ben Affleck's "Argo"( Affleck, Goodman, Arkin) , The Wachowski Bros."Cloud Atlas"(Hanks, Sarandon, Berry), Robert Lorenz's "Trouble with the Curve" (Eastwood, Adams), and Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad" (Penn, Gosling, Brolin).  Oh, and that "Hobbit" thing.

There's a lot there and WB has played in Telluride before...just not recently.  They distributed "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008 and "Rails and Ties" in 2007...Allison Eastwood's directing debut...I have a nice New Sheridan story about her.  WB also produce "Benjamen Button" and "zodiac" which were a pert of the festival's David Fincher tribute in 2008.

For my money...if it was Warners...I'd guess "Argo" and "Curve" would be the best possibilities and "Gatsby" on the outside.

Tomorrow, I'll spend a little time assessing these "majors" and why it might be true.

More later...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Restless Trailer/Women of Oscar at TFF#38?/Play Dates/Marlon and Me

Good Morning Ladies and Germs,

RESTLESS TRAILER

Gus Van Sant has been to Telluride more than once with films that he's directed.  In 2008 we thought he could be there with "Milk."  Of course, that didn't happen.  Now the auteur has a new film described, probably pretty accurately, as "quirky".  "Restless" could be a part of Telluride's lineup this year.  It features red hot actress Mia Wasikowska (one of the busiest actresses during this year's coming awards season), Henry Hopper (Dennis Hopper's son), Jane Adams and Ryo Kase.  It involves a dying girl, a Japanese ghost and a young man who likes to attend funerals.  Sounds "Van Santy."
The film also appeared at Cannes as the opener to the Un Certain Regard segment.  It is also in the Sony Pictures Classics stable.  All of which are good indicators that "Restless" could be programmed at TFF #38.  But...
The critical reception at Cannes wasn't raving...so maybe not.
All of that to say this:  a couple of outlets posted the trailer for it yesterday.  You can access it at firstshowing.net here:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/newest-theatrical-trailer-for-gus-van-sants-quaint-indie-restless/
or via The Playlist here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/watch_new_trailer_for_gus_van_sants_relentless_quirk_fest_restless/


WOMEN OF OSCAR

Movieline.com had an interesting piece on the perceived looming Best Actress battle between Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) both of which could be on the Telluride slate in September.
You can see that story here:
http://www.movieline.com/2011/07/who-gets-your-unqualified-vote-in-the-2011-oscar-race-thus-far-meryl-or-glenn.php#.ThYu9Xx1gFE.email

Add to that the chance that we could also have "My Week with Marilyn" starring Michele Williams and "We Need to Talk About Kevin" starring Tilda Swinton and (I suppose) the still outside shot that Lars Von Trier's "Melancholia" with Kirsten Dunst all at the Opening Night Feed on Colorado Avenue and this could be the year that the Best Actress battle starts and ends in Telluride.
Wouldn't that be cool?
And that would also defy recent Telluride convention.  Best Actor Oscar winners have been coming out of Telluride with a lot of frequency in recent years, 4 of the last 6...

2010: Colin Firth-"The King's Speech"
2007: Daniel Day-Lewis-"There Will Be Blood"
2006: Forest Whitaker-"The Last King of Scotland"
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman-"Capote"

And, yes, I know that Natalie Portman won for "Black Swan" last year, but you have to go back to 2005 and Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line" to find the next previous Best Actress Oscar winner from Telluride.  The women could be dominant this year...no jokes please...

PLAY DATES

A nice article yesterday from Brad Brevet at ropeofsilicon.com about release dates for Oscar bait-type films including these which I think have at least some potential to play at this year's Telluride Film Festival:

Carnage
The Artist
Coriolanus
W.E.
My Week with Marilyn
The Iron Lady
That post is here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/oscar-update-start-engines-release-dates-set-flag-waved

MARLON AND ME

I sometimes forget that this happened when I was in college but I met Marlon Brando.  Yeah, I know.  It happened on Labor Day (there's your tenuous connection to Telluride) 1978.  I was in school at Southwestern Oklahoma State University ("Standing firmly on the hilltop..." Go Bulldogs!) in Weatherford, Oklahoma.  I was in my senior year as a Speech/Theater Ed major and working almost full time at a local motel as Asst. Manager and general flunky.  Thanks to my wife (who was working at the Weatherford Police Dept. at the time) I found out that Brando was in Weatherford and staying secretly at the motel where I was employed and though I hadn't planned to go in on that Labor Day...I changed plans in a heartbeat.  As a result, I got a chance to meet and talk to a man who is arguably America's finest actor...ever.

Brando was purportedly in the area scouting locations for a project he wanted to do and to attend a large Pow Wow that was going on just down the road from Weatherford.  At the time he had just finished shooting as Joe-El for the original "Superman" and was about to film his stunning turn as American Nazi George Norman Rockwell in "Roots II."  He won an Emmy for that.

Needless to say, as a theater major, I was on the verge of exploding.  And I'm fairly certain that Brando thought I was mentally challenged as I don't think I strung together a single coherent sentence.  But what a thrill for a 20 year old college kid in nowheresville south central Oklahoma to stand next to one of the all time greats.

The picture above is my college copy of "A Streetcar Named Desire".  Below is me and the 2 time Oscar winner (On the Waterfront and The Godfather):

Who is that young kid standing to Brando's left...HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND ME!

Here's the inside cover of my copy of "Streetcar":

Yes, that's right, an autographed copy of "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Other than the pictures (and there are one or two others), the only objective proof I have that any of this actually happened was this blurb that ran the next day in the local Weatherford newspaper:

Brando had already achieved his reputation for prickliness when this happened, but I will tell you that he was nothing less than pleasant, kind and charming to a grinning kid who was clearly overwhelmed to have the opportunity to be in the same room with him.

It's all in a small shrine in my living room bookshelves.

Parsing the Cannes Prizes

Will "The Source" be in Telluride?

The 64th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is in the books.  Now we look at the outcome and see if we can read the tea leaves and divine any conclusions for the Telluride Film Festival 3 months from now.

One conclusion...for the second consecutive year the Palme D'Or winner will NOT be on Telluride's list.  Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" begins its roll out in the U.S. on May 27th and will continue on a 5 week schedule to add theaters nationally.  You can find that schedule on the Fox Searchlight website at:
http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/4851
(I'll always say that "The Tree of Life" played at Tff#37 because that's where the deal was made for Fox Searchlight to pick it up after an incredibly small special screening occurred there).

Here is the list of winners from this afternoon's announcement (and from all categories in addition to the main competition) from Cannes:

In Competition :


Feature films

Palme d'Or

THE TREE OF LIFE directed by Terrence MALICK

Grand Prix Ex-aequo

BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU'DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) directed by Nuri Bilge CEYLAN

LE GAMIN AU VÉLO (THE KID WITH A BIKE) directed by Jean-Pierre et Luc DARDENNE

Award for Best Director

Nicolas WINDING REFN for DRIVE

Award for Best Screenplay

Joseph CEDAR for HEARAT SHULAYIM (Footnote)

Award for Best Actress

Kirsten DUNST in MELANCHOLIA directed by Lars VON TRIER

Award for Best Actor

Jean DUJARDIN in THE ARTIST directed by Michel HAZANAVICIUS

Jury Prize

POLISSE (POLISS) directed by MAÏWENN

Short Films

Palme d'Or - Short Film

CROSS (CROSS - COUNTRY) directed by Maryna VRODA

Jury Prize - Short Film

BADPAKJE 46 (SWIMSUIT 46) directed by Wannes DESTOOP

Un Certain Regard :

Prize of Un Certain Regard Ex-aequo

ARIRANG directed by KIM Ki-Duk

HALT AUF FREIER STRECKE (STOPPED ON TRACK) directed by Andreas DRESEN

Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize

ELENA directed by Andrey ZVYAGINTSEV

Directing Prize of Un Certain Regard

BÉ OMID É DIDAR directed by Mohammad RASOULOF

Cinefondation :

1st Prize Cinéfondation

DER BRIEF (THE LETTER) directed by Doroteya DROUMEVA

2nd Prize - Cinéfondation

DRARI directed by Kamal LAZRAQ

3rd Prize Cinéfondation

YA-GAN-BI-HANG (FLY BY NIGHT) directed by SON Tae-gyum

Golden Camera :

Caméra d'or

LAS ACACIAS directed by Pablo GIORGELLI





From this list I'd venture to guess that the Dardennes "The Kid with a Bike" still stands an awfully good chance to be at TFF #38.  I'm also betting on "The Artist."  Other "in competition titles that I still think have a good shot at being in T-ride despite not winning a prize include: Lynne Ramsey's "We Need to Talk About Kevin," Aki Kaurismaki"s "Le Havre."
 
I am less inclined to think we'll Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In (or Inhabit...depending on how you want to translate it) or Winding Refn's "Drive" (despite the fact that it stars Carrie Mulligan).
 
I also continue to think the Lars Von Trier probably closed the book on his chances to have "Melancholia" play at Telluride with his press conference antics concerning Nazism from earlier this week.
 
In the "It wouldn't surprise me" category: "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" and "The Source."
 
And let's not forget that over the years Telluride programmers have not limited their Cannes selections to the main competition category.  Telluride films have also been culled from Un Certain Regard and Special Screenings as well.   Among those from this year that might be part of the Telluride program are Gus Van Sant's "Restless" and don't forget Serge Bromberg's restoration project of "A Trip to the Moon" that we reported about earlier this week.

Attention now turns to upcoming announcements about what will play at other fests especially Toronto, Venice and New York as those announcements can sometimes provide insight into whether a particular film may be in the San Juans on Labor Day.  Meanwhile, congratulations to Terrence Malick and "The Tree of Life."

Cannes Lineup Announced...What's It Mean?

Sean Penn...yes, it IS Sean Penn in Paolo Sorrentino's "This Must Be the Place"

The Cannes Film Festival announced its lineup Thursday. Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" will open that festival on May 11. Here's the lineup via Hollywood.com:

Opening Film Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

Competition

The Skin I Live In - Pedro Almodovar

House of Tolerance - Bertrand Bonello

Pater - Alain Cavalier

Footnote - Joseph Cedar

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia - Nuri Bilge

Ceylan Le Gamin au Velo - Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Le Havre - Aki Kaurismaki Hanezu

No Tsuki - Naomi Kawase

Sleeping Beauty - Julia Leigh

Poliss - Maiwenn

The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

La Source des Femmes - Radu Mihaileanu

Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai - Takashi Miike

We Have a Pope - Nanni Moretti

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lynne Ramsay

Michael - Markus Schleinzer

This Must Be the Place - Paolo Sorrentino

Melancholia - Lars Von Trier

Drive - Nicolas Winding Refn

Out of Competition

The Conquest - Xavier Durringer

The Beaver - Jodie Foster

The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Rob Marshall

Un Certain Regard

Restless - Gus Van Sant (opening film)

The Hunter “ Bakur Bakuradeze

Halt auf freier Strecke - Andreas Dresen

Hors Satan - Bruno Dumont

Martha Marcy May Marlene - Sean Durkin

The Snows of Kilamanjaro - Robert Guedeguian

Skoonheid - Oliver Hermanus

The Day He Arrives - Hong Sang-soo

Bonsai - Cristian Jimenez

Tatsumi - Eric Koo Arirang - Kim Ki-duk

Where Do We Go Now? - Nadine Labaki

Loverboy - Catalin Mitulescu

Yellow Sea - Na Hong-jin

Miss Bala – Gerardo Naranjo Trabalhar

Cansa - Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra

L’Exercice de l’Etat - Pierre Schoeller

Toomelah - Ivan Sen

Oslo, August 31 - Joachim Trier

Midnight Screenings Wu Xia - Chan Peter Ho-Sun

Dias de Gracia - dir. Tekla Taidelli

Special Screenings Labrador - Frederikke Aspock

Le Maitre des Forges de l’Enfer - Rithy Panh

Michel Petrucciani - Michael Radford

Tous Au Larzac - Christian Rouaud

What didn't make it (that had been rumored and that we thought were pretty good T-ride possibles...) included “Chicken with Plums” from Persepolis creators Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, “The Descendants” from Alexander Payne and “The Exchange” from Eran Kolirin. This doesn’t mean that these films won’t be in Telluride, but Cannes is usually a pretty good connection for about half a dozen films at Telluride each year.

Perhaps getting a boost from the Cannes announcement would be past Telluride tributees, The Dardennes and their film “Le Gamin au Velo” (Set Me Free). Pedro Almodovar’s “The Skin I Live In” which was reported in and out and back in for Cannes and finally ended up in the competition category. Maybe Gus Van Sant’s inclusion with “Restless” as the opener for the Un Certain Regard section of the Festival portends a return to Telluride for the director. He has been there before with “Elephant” in 2003. It’s possible that we could see Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” (he was at TFF #23 with “Breaking the Waves” in 1996 and “Dogville” in 2003).

Among the other films chosen for Cannes, intuition suggests that we might also see: “We Have a Pope’” “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” and “This Must be the Place,” and perhaps the Carey Mulligan starrer “Drive.”

In the last five festivals the Cannes-Telluride connection has been strong and consistent with an average of half a dozen films playing in France in May and then again in Telluride in September.

In 2010 the cross-pollination included: “Of Gods and Men,” “Biutiful,” “Poetry,” “Another Year,” “The Princess of Montpensier,” “Tamara Drewe,” “Carlos, “and “Inside Job.”

In 2009: “Bright Star,” “A Prophet,” “The White Ribbon, “Vincere,” and “Fish Tank.”

In 2008: “24 City,” “Gomorra,” “Waltz with Bashir,” “The Good, The Bad and The Weird,” “O’ Horten,” and “Tulpan.”

In 2007: “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Persepolis,” “Terror’s Advocate” and “The Band’s Visit.”

In 2006: “Volver,” “Babel,” and “Ten Canoes.”

Almost certainly we'll see the same situation occur this year.