Oscar Thoughts/Cannes 66 Dates/IFC and Frances/Royal Foreign Affair/Metacritic/New Players for Oscar/Lincoln Closing/NYFF

OSCAR THOUGHTS

OSCAR TALK

This week's edition of Oscar Talk from Kris Tapley (InContention/HitFix) and Anne Thompson (Thompson on Hollywood).  Links from both of their blogs:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/oscar-talk-considering-new-entry-hitchcock-moving-oscar-dates-the-zeitgeist-and-foreign-language

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/oscar-talk-ep-88-academy-changes-dates-while-searchlight-adds-a-
new-contender

OSCAR POKER

This week's issue of Oscar Poker with Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Jeff Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere):
http://www.awardsdaily.com/podcasts/oscarpoker/episode93.mp3

FEINBERG FORECAST

With the news that Fox Searchlight is going to release "Hitchcock" (see below), Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter factors that into his latest Oscar predictions...I've looked at them.  He thinks it will have some significant impact.  Check it:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-scott-feinberg-forecast-371171



CANNES HAS A DATE

The Cannes Film Festival has released the date for the 66th Edition along with a peculiarly American take on their promotional poster:

Here's the tweet from Cannes:

https://twitter.com/cannes_66

IFC AND FRANCES

The Independent Film Channel peeps have nabbed distribution for Telluride (and Toronto) hit from Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, "Frances Ha".  Reports below from The Movie City News, The Chicago Tribune and Movie Scope:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-20/entertainment/sns-201209201700reedbusivarietynvr1118059563-20120920_1_greta-gerwig-arianna-bocco-ifc-films


http://www.moviescopemag.com/features/ifc-acquires-new-gerwig-and-baumbach-vehicle-frances-ha/

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/09/ifc-films-takes-north-and-latin-american-rights-to-noah-baumbachs-frances-ha/


A ROYAL AFFAIR FOR FOREIGN

Denmark has chosen "A Royal Affair" which played at Telluride a few weeks back as a part of the Mads Mikkelsen tribute, as its official entry for the Foreign Language Oscar.  It edged out Susan Bier's "Love is All You Need".  Mikkelsen was very pleasant to talk to wen I caught him Sunday night of the festival at The New Sheridan Bar.  He said he had been amazed at how friendly the entire atmosphere of the festival was.

Here's a post from The Hollywood Reporter about Denmark's announcement:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a-royal-affair-is-denmarks-372919

METACRITIC AND TELLURIDE (AND CANNES)

Metacritic.com posted a lengthy round-up of critical response to a number of films that have played the fest circuit (Telluride, Venice, Toronto) so I have provided that link here:  I also included a link to their Cannes round-up from last May that includes a number of films that played at Telluride.  You can see the films and links below:

From Telluride (and Venice, Toronto):
http://www.metacritic.com/feature/reviews-from-tiff-telluride-venice-film-festivals-2012

"Argo"
"At Any Price"
"Frances Ha"
"Ginger and Rosa"
"Hyde Park on Hudson"
"Stories We Tell"


From Cannes:
http://www.metacritic.com/feature/cannes-film-festival-reviews-2012

"Amour"
"The Hunt"
"No"
"Paradise: Love"
"Rust and Bone"
"The Sapphires"

NEW OSCAR PLAYERS

There has always been some thought that Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" might get a shot at an Oscar run and we now know hat is true.  What was more surprising this past week was the announcement from Fox Searchlight that they're going to drop the Sacha Gervasi directed Anthony Hopkins starring "Hitchcock" in time for an Oscar run as well.

At some point this last summer I had mentioned both of these as possible Telluride programs depending on whether they were complete or not.  Looks like it was close on both of them.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/trailer-and-poster-for-gus-van-sants-promised-land/

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

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-searchlight-puts-hitchcock-oscar-372431

"Hitchcock's" IMDb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0975645/



LINCOLN WILL CLOSE AFI FEST

For the second consecutive year Stephen Spielberg will have a film concluding the AFI Film Fest.  "Lincoln" has been announced for that spot.  Here are links to that story via IndieWire and The Wrap:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/steven-spielbergs-lincoln-to-make-world-premiere-as-closing-film-of-afi-fest-20120920

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/steven-spielbergs-lincoln-premiere-afi-fest-57286
 


THE NEW YORK FILM FEST BORROWS FROM T-RIDE

The New York Film Festival includes from this year's Telluride program:

"Amour"
"Barbara"
"Frances Ha"
"The Gatekeepers"
"Hyde Park on Hudson"
"No"

More on Thursday...have a great week...

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"Like" The Film Awards Clearinghouse and Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook.

SPC/Half of 2012/12 Years Cast/Bernie's Texas

Good Thursday Everyone!


SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

I am continuing my summer march through film distribution and production companies and their recent past relationship in terms of the Telluride Film Festival as a way of looking at possibilities for what we might see come Labor Day weekend.

Today's focus is on a major player at Telluride: Sony Pictures Classics...what is essentially Sony Pictures Entertainment's indy/foreign wing.

Here's what SPC has shown in Telluride recently:

2011: A Dangerous Method, In Darkness, Footnote, A Separation
2010: Incendies, Of Gods and Men, Tamara Drewe, Another Year, The Illusionist, Inside Job
2009: The Last Station, The White Ribbon, Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet, An Education
2008: Waltz with Bashir, I've Loved You So Long
2007: O'Horten, Brick Lane, When Did You Last See Your Father, Persepolis, The Band's Visit, The Counterfeiters
2006: Jindabyne, The Lives of Others, Volver,
2005: Breakfast on Pluto, Capote
2004: Being Julia, House of Flying Daggers, Bad Education

So you can see, SPC averages about 4 films per TFF over the last 8 years, tending toward more rather than less as you look at the most recent years.

SPC's IMDb page appears to list 4 films that haven't or will not have been released prior to TFF and which did not bow at Sundance making them all prime possibilities:

Susanne Bier's "Love is All You Need" starring Pierce Brosnan.
Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone" with Marion Cotillard
Pablo Larrain's "No" with Gael Garcia Bernal
and Michael Haneke's Cannes Palme D'Or Winner "Amour"

My bet right now is that "Rust", "No" and "Amour" are all going to make the Telluride cut (see Monday's Ten Bets list) and I'd put the odds at 50% for "Love is All You Need".

One final note: should SPC pick up the North American distribution for other films in the next 6 weeks or so (or if they have them already and they just haven't been announced) then depending on strategy, those late acquisitions could stop in Telluride as well.

Tomorrow: The Weinstein Company

HALF OF 2012

2012 starts its downhill tilt this weekend as we pass the halfway mark on the calendar.  Variety put up an interesting piece today discussing Oscar prospects of what has been released thus far and what is still to come.  Look at it here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118056045/

Most interesting from my perspective is the mention near the end of the story about the possible completion of both Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" (which I have been mentioning of late) and Sacha Gervasi's "Hitchcock" before year's end.

I noted yesterday that Fox Searchlight, which is where both of these films are parked, has a thin slate as we look at the end of the year and awards season.  These could change that and if they're ready, they could be on the Telluride radar.

"Hitchcock" (a  look at the story of Hitch's experiences making "Psycho")might be a stretch but it is slated for release in some European nations in mid-February.

I think there would be a greater chance that "Promised Land" might be ready and on the Telluride slate.

Personally, I'm looking forward to both.

12 YEARS CAST

I have been highlighting virtually any news about Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" as I think it's a decent bet for TFF #40.  Of late has come further casting news (for a cast that now is immense and increasingly impressive).  Latest additions are reportedly Michael K. Williams (Life During Wartime) and Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild).  Check the stories:

Get the Big Picture:
http://www.getthebigpicture.net/blog/2012/6/25/omar-comin-yo-to-twelve-years-a-slave.html

The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/twelve-years-a-slave-becomes-more-awesome-by-adding-michael-k-williams-20120623

Shadow and Act
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/beasts-of-the-southern-wild-actor-dwight-henry-added-to-mcqueens-12-years-a-slave#

BERNIE'S TEXAS

One of my favorite films of the year so far is Richard Linklater's "Bernie" with Jack Black in a fine (maybe his best ever) performance.  One of the highlight scenes is this gem explaining the nature of the state of Texas (where the true story that the film is based on took place).  Look at it here:

 

More later...


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