Indiewire Critics Panel Pick Their Most Anticipated Films for Fall / The Mystery of Lion and TWC / Hidden Figures Heads to Toronto / The People's Telluride

Hello and welcome to your Thursday.  I will be arriving in Telluride, if all goes according to plan, two weeks from today.  Additionally, if all goes according to past patterns, we'll have the official release of the Telluride Film Festival #43 schedule two weeks from today.  So close and still so far.



INDIEWIRE'S CRITIC'S PANEL PICK THEIR MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS FOR THE FALL

Earlier this week the folks at Indiewire asked a panel of film critics to name some of the films they are most looking forward to as we head into the fall season.  A n umber of films that are probably headed to Telluride made a mark in their answers.  Mentioned were:

Barry Jenkins' Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea
Damien Chazelle's La La Land and
Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann

Among the critics queried were Indiewire's own David Ehrlich (who actually wrote the piece) and Tomris Laffly of Film Journal Int'l. both of whom will be contributing to this year's Professionals' Telluride rating of films for TFF #43 reported right here.

Check Ehrlich's complete post here:

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/indiewire-critics-survey-most-anticipated-movie-2016-1201716804/



THE MYSTERY OF LION AND TWC

Loyal MTFB reader Jason Osiason messaged me yesterday asking if I knew what was up with Garth Davis' Lion in Toronto.  Me: Nope.

Osiason pointed out that, "quietly" Lion has gone from a Gala to Special Presentation status and wondered if that signaled that it could be back in play as a possible addition to the Telluride lineup.

I did some due diligence and sure enough, Jason has it right.  The film was originally announced at TIFF to be a Gala but is now listed at the TIFF website as a "Special Presentation".  But it's also still listed by TIFF as a World Premiere.

My original answer to Jason was that it could have been done to move things around concerning the availability of talent.

A couple of other possibilities struck me since that original answer.  The switch may also signal something of the internal distress and possible financial status of The Weinstein Company.  A number of sources of late have mentioned that TWC is under some strain.  I don't pretend to know the veracity of those claims and I'm sure no expert in the workings of the Toronto fest but I believe that Galas and Special Presentations require that the distributor take on certain costs and that the Gala is a pricier situation.  It could be that the switch is simply a matter of dollars and cents.

Or it could be a mistake.

Or it could signal a TFF #43 play...though I think that's an unlikely scenario, I still find it difficult to believe that TWC won't have some sort of presence this year.



HIDDEN FIGURES IS HEADED TO FILM FEST...IN TORONTO

I've been following the increased profile of late of Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures.  The film is about the story of African-American women who worked at NASA in its early days and their little known contributions to the American space effort.

The film has shown up lately in the press with a trailer and images and that rarely happens without a reason.  And now we know what that reason is.

The Toronto organizers announced yesterday that the film will be screened in an unfinished state during TIFF.  It's being billed as an "exclusive sneak peak" which seals its fate in as far as Telluride is concerned.  Not going to happen at TFF #43.  So be it.


The story is here from both The Hollywood Reporter and Awards Circuit:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/taraji-p-hensons-hidden-figures-920326

http://www.awardscircuit.com/2016/08/17/hidden-figures-headed-tiff-exclusive-first-look/


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

Remember to report your ratings for the films you see at TFF #43 and be a part of MTFB's People's Telluride.  Rate films on a 1 to 5 scale (1=BAD, 5=GREAT) once the fest has concluded.  Send ratings via email to:

mpgort@gmail.com OR
michael_speech@hotmail.com

OR send via Twitter to @Gort2

You can also comment to the blog itself or to MTFB's facebook page.

Also, remember to click on the new FOLLOW button in the upper right hand corner of the Blog's page.  That'll make it easier to get the latest Telluride Film Festival news and speculation quickly.

Tomorrow:  A new "Ten (Plus) Bets", films that are still in play and a look at the rumor mill...come on back!

When They Do Your Job for You / Hidden Figures Poster Revealed / The Playlist's 50 Fall Films / Rate Films from The SHOW and Follow, Follow, Follow

Happy Tuesday World!

I think we have another Toronto announcement today...we'll see what we see...


WHEN THEY DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU

It doesn't get easier than this though the confirmation comes from a surprising source.  Werner Herzog's Into the Inferno, which I had penciled into last Friday's Ten (Plus) Bets as probable for Telluride owing to its announced premiere status from Toronto is confirmed by...wait for it...Werner Herzog.

Herzog, speaking on Mark Maron's podcast pronounced that the film would be a part of the TFF #43 lineup.  The admission was reported by a number of film outlets (see below).

It's something of a shocker, as Herzog, who has a lengthy history with the fest, has to be abundantly aware that Telluride doesn't reveal the lineup until the day before the festival begins.

Still, I'll take the confirmation and move on.

Reports of the admission from Mr. Herzog are here:

http://theplaylist.net/werner-herzog-says-volcano-doc-inferno-will-debut-telluride-2-dramatic-features-works-20160815/

https://thefilmstage.com/news/listen-to-werner-herzogs-career-spanning-talk-with-marc-maron/


HIDDEN FIGURES POSTER REVEALED

Hot on the heels of its Olympic debuting trailer the Theodore Melfi film Hidden Figures revealed a poster yesterday:

Again, you have to figure that it's not really a likely Telluride play...as Melfi (or someone purporting to be Melfi) said himself on Twitter over the weekend but there is a difference between "Not likely" and "never gonna happen".

Hidden Figures is currently scheduled to open on Jan. 13, 2017.


THE PLAYLIST'S 50 FALL FILMS

The Playlist was up yesterday with a list of 50+ films that they say are their most anticipated for this coming fall/awards season.  Probable Telluride films are well represented in the article:

Moonlight, Arrival, Manchester by the Sea, La La Land, Things to Come, Neruda, Julieta and Toni Erdmann all make the list.

Also included are a number of films with no fall film fest agenda for the moment:

Sully, Rules Don't Apply, The Accountant, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Allied, Silence, Miss Sloane, Fences, Collateral Beauty, Passengers, Gold and The Founder.

Some of these films aren't ready for screening.  Some will almost certainly be announced for The AFI Fest.  Some won't play a major festival at all.  I can see anywhere between none and five still showing at The SHOW.

The Playlist list is here:

http://theplaylist.net/50-anticipated-films-fall-season-20160815/#cb-content


RATE FILMS FROM THE SHOW AND FOLLOW...FOLLOW...FOLLOW

It's your annual call to rate the films you see at the Telluride Film Festival.  MTFB is once again asking YOU to participate in The People's Telluride...a gathering of film ratings from the ticket buying public at the fest.

It's simple...rate the films you see on a 1 to 5 scale (1 being awful and 5 being masterpiece) and then send those to me via email: mpgort@gmail.com or michael_speech@hotmail.com OR via the comments section here on the blog or to my twitter account @Gort2.

IT'S EASIER TO FOLLOW MTFB NOW

I've added a "FOLLOW" button to the blog page.  You'll see it in the upper right hand area of the page. Just click on it and you can make it much easier to keep up with what's going on here.

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.

Hidden Figures Unhidden / Pitt and Cotillard are Allied / Venice and Toronto Meditations / The People's Telluride Returns / It's Easier to Follow MTFB

Good Monday everyone.  Hope you had an excellent weekend.


HIDDEN FIGURES UNHIDDEN

It's a late entry in the end of the year film sweepstakes and not really a highly likely Telluride candidate but you never know.  Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures (from Fox 2000) debuted a trailer during Olympic coverage last night and then any number of press outlets offered it as well.  The film tells the true story of African American employees of NASA and their contributions to America's successful entry into the space race.

Here's the trailer from YouTube:

Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Keven Costner.  It's set for release (at least for the time being) on Jan. 13, 2017.  However, the film has been reportedly test screening.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hidden-figures-trailer-taraji-p-919428

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/08/14/hidden-figures-movie-sneak-peek/88568332/

http://www.awardscircuit.com/2016/08/14/watch-first-trailer-hidden-figures-debuted-olympics/

http://theplaylist.net/taraji-p-henson-octavia-spencer-calculate-history-first-trailer-nasa-drama-hidden-figures-20160814/

http://awardswatch.com/news/the-hidden-figures-trailer-and-new-pics-of-taraji-p-henson-octavia-spencer-janelle-monae/


PITT AND COTILLARD ARE ALLIED

We saw the release of trailers over the weekend for a couple of films that could well be Oscar contenders and are also not terribly likely films to end up in the Telluride #43 schedule.

Allied is directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt in a WWII set romance/thriller.  Cotillard and Pitt have both attended a Telluride Film Fest and the film is from Paramount, which we're pretty sure is going to have Arrival on the T-ride schedule...so...you know...maybe.

Here's the trailer from YouTube:

Allied is set to open on Nov. 23.

Coverage of Allied and the trailer's release:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/allied-teaser-trailer-brad-pitt-919133

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/allied-trailer-brad-pitt-and-marion-cotillard-test-each-other-in-alluring-spy-thriller-1201716188/

http://www.awardsdaily.com/2016/08/12/first-look-at-allied-brad-pitt-and-marion-cotillard/

https://thefilmstage.com/trailer/brad-pitt-and-marion-cotillard-find-love-in-war-in-first-trailer-for-robert-zemeckis-allied/

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/12/allied-trailer-brad-pitt-marion-cotillard

http://theplaylist.net/brad-pitt-marion-cotillard-face-love-war-first-trailer-allied-20160812/



VENICE/TORONTO MEDITATIONS

The Venice Film Fest have unleashed the screening schedule and that, perhaps, it gives us some clues, questions and validations.

The first concern is whether films that the TIFF announcement's have hinted are probable Telluride films that are also playing in Venice have been scheduled in a manner that would allow their play in both fests.

Those films:

Arrival
La La Land
Frantz.

We already knew that La La Land would open Venice on Aug. 31 which fits with a Telluride play easily.  We now know that Arrival is set for its first screening on Sept. 1.  That works as well.  Of some concern is the Sept. 3 screening date for Frncois Ozon's Frantz.  That's dicey for The Ride.  All of those Venice competition films are slated as world Premieres which, if true, would suggest that Frantz would be on a tight schedule to get set-up for a 9/4 play at T-ride.  We think it's headed to Telluride due to its TIFF designation as a Canadian Premiere.  So...maybe it navigates the tight window, plays T-ride first (thus negating its Venice "world" premiere status) or that it doesn't really play at Telluride.

A couple of additional notes:  Wim Wenders The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez is scheduled for a Sept.1 screening  making it a very real possibility to fly to T-ride after that.  Also, jazz documentary I Called Him Morgan looks like it could make a play at Telluride as it is also scheduled for a Sept. 1 screening.  Three other Venice documentaries could still be in the Telluride conversation are: Chasing Trane, Beauties of the Night and American Anarchist.

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE RETURNS FOR 2016

It's your annual call to rate the films you see at the Telluride Film Festival.  MTFB is once again asking YOU to participate in The People's Telluride...a gathering of film ratings from the ticket buying public at the fest.

It's simple...rate the films you see on a 1 to 5 scale (1 being awful and 5 being masterpiece) and then send those to me via email: mpgort@gmail.com or michael_speech@hotmail.com OR via the comments section here on the blog or to my twitter account @Gort2.

IT'S EASIER TO FOLLOW MTFB NOW

I've added a "FOLLOW" button to the blog page.  You'll see it in the upper right hand area of the page. Just click on it and you can make it much easier to keep up with what's going on here.

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.

Pre-Torotno Announcement Guesses from Experts / Detective Work Reveals Animation Short for TFF #43 / Film Test Screening

Good Tuesday everyone.  I'll have dual posts today.  This one and another a bit later in which I will attempt to parse out what information I can from the first wave of film announcements for Galas and Special Presentations for the Toronto International Film Festival.  That will be livestreamed at 10:00am EDT here:

http://tiff.net/festivals/festival16/pressconferences

Meanwhile, here's the early edition of MTFB for Tuesday, July 26, 2016...

PRE-TORONTO ANNOUNCEMENT GUESSES FROM THE EXPERTS:

I have included links to posts/articles that have made some picks about what might be announced for TIFF later today:

The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2016/jul/20/40-films-predict-premiere-venice-toronto-telluride-festivals

The Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/after-a-dry-summer-movie-season-will-tiff-deliver-salvation/article31055335/

Jeff Wells/Hollywood Elsewhere's Telluride "Spitball" with a good deal of Toronto news in it:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2016/07/no-birth-of-a-nation-at-telluride/

TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey has tweeted that we can expect 60+ Galas and Special Presentations to be announced so we should have a good deal of info to sift through later today.



DETECTIVE WORK REVEALS ANIMATION SHORT FOR TFF #43

Scene from animated short Plein ete via Miyu Productions

Every year something like this happens.  I follow threads, Twitter, Facebook, Google Search, Google News, Google Alerts...what have you.  Most of the time they're dead ends, but every now and then I do turn up some useful information.  It happened over the weekend as I followed a brief tweet in french no less that led me to this:

http://miyuproductions.com/prod/courts-metrages/plein-ete-en-prod/


Plein ete or High Summer appears to be playing TFF #43.  The director is Josselin Fraco.  So count this as another film that will be playing Labor Day weekend.


FILMS TEST SCREENING

Additional screening news came yesterday as we learned that Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea is still test screening.  I'm all be certain that it is likely set for a Telluride play but it also makes me wonder about the possibility of both Ben Affleck's Live by Night and Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures which we know have also been testing within the last week or so.

Of particular interest to me is Live by Night primarily because it's Ben Affleck doing Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Affleck's Gone Baby Gone) and Warner Brothers.  WB has been playing in Telluride since Affleck's Argo four years ago.  They had Prisoners and Gravity in T-ride in 2013, skipped 2014 but were back last year with Black Mass.

I could actually imagine the Affleck brothers in town together (Casey stars in Manchester by the Sea) and throw in Matt Damon too as he's a producer on Manchester.  Suddenly we have Good Telluride Hunting.

WB could also strive to bring The Accountant, the other Ben Affleck starring film it has in its basket. It's slated for Oct. 14th but isn't really a high Telluride possibility.

The Accountant is directed by Gavin O'Conner.



MORE COMING LATER TODAY FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCMENTS FROM TORONTO.

The Euro Producers: The French-France 2 Cinema / The Unknown Girl Gets a New Trailer / Hidden Figures Revealed / And...Snowden Looks Like It's Out

Hello friends, it's Tuesday.

A quick reminder: Toronto announces their first wave of films one week from today and Venice will be right behind them two days later.  We'll get our first real hard data about what could be playing over Labor Day weekend...



THE EURO PRODUCERS: THE FRENCH-FRANCE 2 CINEMA

Here are the films from France 2 Cinema that have played Telluride in recent years:

2006: Indigenes
2009: A Prophet, Coco Before Chanel
2010: The Princess of Montpensier
2011: The Kid with a Bike
2012: Rust and Bone

2013: Blue is the Warmest Color
2014: Two Days One Night,
2015: No film  

After no TFF #42 appearance, France 2's only real shot at a Telluride play in 2016 seems to be Paul Verhoeven's Elle which I have slowly warmed to as a real Telluride possibility.

THE UNKNOWN GIRL GETS A NEW TRAILER

Many sources reported the appearance of a new trailer yesterday for Telluride stalwarts The Dardenne Brothers' latest film The Unknown Girl.  Here it is from YouTube:

I have been including this film in my TFF #43 thinking for a long time simply because The Dardennes are such regulars of the Cannes to Telluride connection.   But...the critical response at Cannes made me step back a bit.  Ad today, the new trailer's drop was also tweeted out by the Toronto Fest.  I have to wonder if that is significant.

Odds are still in the favor of The Unknown Girl playing Telluride but it is not the slam dunk easy prediction that Two Days One Night was.

Here's further coverage of the trailer release:

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/the-unknown-girl-trailer-the-dardenne-brothers-cannes-1201706961/

http://theplaylist.net/first-international-trailer-jean-pierre-luc-dardennes-unknown-girl-unravels-mystery-20160718/

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2016/07/shorter-nothingburger

HIDDEN FIGURES REVEALED

And finally, after being teased by Variety/InContention's Kristopher Tapley early last week, we found out that Fox 2000 has dated the release of their new film, Hidden Figures, for late December.  Does that mean it's an awards player?  Does it's move into pre-2017 mean we should consider it for Telluride?  Probably not...but you never know.  Here's the news about Hidden Figures, a true story of African American women who made a huge contribution to the early U.S. space program.

Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Costner star. Here's the IMDb entry for the film:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1



AND...SNOWDEN LOOKS LIKE IT'S OUT

I had been thinking the last week or so that Open Road might be planning to drop Oliver Stone's Snowden at TFF #43 especially after the announcement of its European Premiere at the San Sebastien Film Fest opening Sept.16.  The film also opens in the U.S. on that date.  BUT...we found out yesterday from The Hollywood Reporter that the film will be "secretly" screened at Comic Con which would seem to move it out of T-ride consideration due to Telluride's North American premiere policy.

Here's the story from THR:


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comic-con-oliver-stones-snowden-912030


That's it for this Tuesday.  Come back tomorrow for more on French producers and other tidbits...

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...