TFF40/NBR'S Lists/New York Critics/TFF39 Film News/Oscar Matters/Coming Attractions

SECOND FILM FOR TFF #40...I KNOW IT...

A documentary based on Roger Ebert's autobiography and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.  This article claims that it's coming to TFF #40.  Sounds very plausible.  The big question...will Ebert and/or Scorsese attend?

http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/martin-scorseses-roger-ebert-documentary-debut-2013/

Back on Aug. 29th I reported that the first known film would be a restoration of a silent film focused on Native Americans that has Ken Burns attached as one of the producers.  Here's the link to that blog post:

http://michaelstelluridefilm.blogspot.com/2012/08/welcomeleaning-towardsvenitianscentral.html

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW ANNOUNCES THEIR BEST FILMS YESTERDAY

Best Film:  ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED

Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO

Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, THE IMPOSSIBLE

Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis,  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Foreign Language Film:  AMOUR

Best Documentary: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

William K. Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS

Best Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES

Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: CENTRAL PARK FIVE

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: PROMISED LAND

OTHER TOP TEN FILMS: ARGO, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, DJANGO UNCHAINED, LES MISERABLES, LINCOLN, LOOPER, PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, PROMISED LAND, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK.

BEST FOREIGN FILMS: BARBARA, THE INTOUCHABLES, NO, THE KID WITH A BIKE, WAR WITCH.

BEST INDEPENDENT FILMS: ARBITRAGE, BERNIE, COMPLIANCE, END OF WATCH, HELLO, I MUST BE GOING, LITTLE BIRDS, MOONRISE KINGDOM, ON THE ROAD, QUARTET AND SLEEPWALK WITH ME.

BEST DOCUMENTARIES: AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY, DETROPIA, THE GATEKEEPERS, THE INVISIBLE WAR AND ONLY THE YOUNG



Telluride films recognized today: Argo, The Gatekeepers, Amour, Central Park Five, and from TFF #38: The Kid with a Bike.

Biggest surprise(s) to me...Bradley Cooper over Day-Lewis and Phoenix and no mention of "Life of Pi" anywhere...which I'm OK with...Also a little surprised that neither the NYFCC on Monday or NBR today gave a shout out to Anne Hathaway in Les Miz...

NEW YORK'S CRITICS SAY...

The New York Film Critics Circle named their "Best of" for 2012 on Monday...
(Telluride #39 film(s) in Bold)



Best First Film: How to Survive a Plague
Best Documentary: The Central Park Five
Best Cinematography: Zero Dark Thirty
Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field/Lincoln
Best Supporting Actor: Mathew McConnaughey/Magic Mike and Bernie
Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie
Best Foreign Language Film: Amour
Best Actress: Rachel Weisz/The Deep Blue Sea
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis/Lincoln
Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner/Lincoln
Best Direction: Kathryn Bigelow/Zero Dark Thirty
Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty
 
The Los Angeles Film Critics announce their awards this weekend and the Golden Globe nominations come out next Thursday...


AMOUR DOMINATES THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS

The Michael Haneke directed and written film won awards for Best European Film, Direction, Actor and Actress last weekend.  Also scoring well, TFF #38 feature (and my Best of 2011)  Steve McQueen's "Shame".  TFF #39's "The Hunt" was also honored.  Check the full report from The Playlist here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/michael-hanekes-amour-dominates-european-film-awards-20121203#



TFF 39 FILM NEWS

     HYDE PARK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-nelson/hyde-park-on-hudson_b_2236995.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment

     RUST AND BONE

http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/200301-theyre-antiheroes-matthias-schoenaerts-on-rust-and-bone

http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/video-marion-cotillard-on-not-preparing-for-a-role/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/12/02/marion-cotillard-s-stellar-turn-in-rust-and-bone.html

     AMOUR

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/michael-hanekes-amour-dominates-european-film-awards-20121203

http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/amour-gains-a-euro-prize-and-perhaps-momentum/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/michael-haneke-on-amour#

     ARGO

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-ben-affleck-george-clooney-argo-20121203,0,4455721.story

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2012/11/29/argo_director_actor_ben_affleck_named

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-ben-affleck-to-cast-himself-in-argo-actor-plays-an-angle-video-20121202,0,4462174.story


http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/argo-actors-get-palm-springs-honor-go-their-oscar-buzz-67951

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/palm-springs-intl-film-festival-honors-argo-with-ensemble-performance-award

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-argo-awardbre8b502f-20121205,0,6534033.story




OSCAR MATTERS

     FEINBERG FORECAST

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/zero-dark-thirty-les-miserables-394768

     A FEW MINUTES WITH FEINBERG

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/scott-feinberg-85th-oscars-best-398583

     OSCAR PODCAST/SASHA STONE

http://awardsdaily.com/podcasts/oscarpodcast/episode10.mp3

     ROPE OF SILICON OSCAR PODCAST

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/podcast-a-lot-more-awards-talk-genre-categories-at-the-critics-choice-awards-and-new-dvds-and-blu-rays/


     DOC SHORT LIST...AND EGG ON THE FAC...

Just days after I posted the list of ten "most likely nominees" for, among other categories, Best Doc...the Academy releases its list of 15 semi-finalists and The FAC's #1 (The Central Park Five), #4 (West of Memphis) and #9 (The Queen of Versailles) and #10 (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) all ailed to be named to the final 15.  The complete list of semi-finalists is here and does include Telluride #39 entrant "The Gatekeepers"

http://www.indiewire.com/article/oscar-doc-race-narrows-to-15#

BITS AND PIECES

Here's a really useful collection of awards season dates from Sasha Stone at Awards Daily...

     AWARDS CALENDAR FROM AWARDS DAILY:
http://www.awardsdaily.com/calendar/?doing_wp_cron=1354557055.3870060443878173828125


COMING ATTRACTIONS

     GHOSTBUSTERS 3

This is NOT a Telluride possible, but it does have a Telluride?MTFB connection...

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Ghostbusters_3_is_a_go_as_Billy_Murray_signs_on_report/45472977

The first year I was at Telluride my wife and I were sitting at The Chuck waiting for some screening and Kris struck up a conversation with the young man to her left.  I really don't know how they got to it, but at one point she was telling him (and he claimed to be a minion at Universal...but who said his dad was some big VP there) about MY idea that I've had for years for GB#3...that Dr. Pete Venkman (Bill Murray his own self) IS...DEAD... and must be raised from the Great Beyond to help solve some existential threat from beyond the grave.  Really...that's MY idea.  Now with Murray's acquiescence to the project, I'm telling you...even if the film isn't parked at Universal...I'm going to think I need a civil attorney if that plot point shows up.

Remember, you read it here first...


     THE NIGHTINGALE (PREVIOUSLY "LOW LIFE")

One of the surprise highlights of this year's Telluride Fest was the super sneak peak at a few minutes of James Gray's "The Nightingale" starring tributee Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner.  Its brief appearance makes me think that it's a very real possibility for TFF #40 (and a Cannes appearance in May, I'll wager).

Here are a few posts about "The Nightingale":

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-weinstein-company-snaps-up-director-james-grays-formerly-titled-low-life-for-2013-release-20120615

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movie/nightingale/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/new-look-at-joaquin-phoenix-and-marion-cotillard-in-james-grays-untitled-period-drama-formerly-known-as-low-life-20120723


More on Monday...Have a good weekend, everyone!

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

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

New Theater In T-Ride?/Independent Spirit/Oscar Matters/TFF 39 Films/Two Directors

Good Thursday to Everyone!

A NEW THEATER FOR TELLURIDE?

The Telluride town council appears to moving forward with plans to convert The Haney Pavilion in Town Park to an enclosed facility (with financial help from the Festival) which is intended to have it ready as a new theater space for the 5 day 40th anniversary festival next Labor Day.  Here's the story from The Telluride Daily Planet:

http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2012/11/26/news/doc50b393bbb660c659837852.txt

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

The Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced earlier this week.  Here's a list of the nominees via Awards Daily:

2013 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Bernie
Keep the Lights On
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Julia Loktev, The Loneliest Planet
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Fill the Void
Gimme the Loot
Safety Not Guaranteed
Sound of My Voice
The Perks of Being a Wallflower

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Rama Burshtein, Fill the Void
Derek Connolly, Safety Not Guaranteed
Christopher Ford, Robot & Frank
Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, Celeste and Jesse Forever
Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Breakfast with Curtis, WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Laura Colella
Middle of Nowhere, WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Ava DuVernay, PRODUCERS: Howard Barish, Paul Garnes,
Mosquita y Mari, WRITER/DIRECTOR: Aurora Guerrero, PRODUCER: Chad Burris
Starlet, WRITER/DIRECTOR: Sean Baker, PRODUCERS: Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Kevin Chinoy, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Francesca Silvestri
The Color Wheel, WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Alex Ross Perry, WRITER: Carlen Altman

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini, Return
Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Thure Lindhardt, Keep the Lights On
Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe
Wendell Pierce, Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister’s Sister
Ann Dowd, Compliance
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice
Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
David Oyelowo, Middle of Nowhere
Michael Péna, End of Watch
Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths
Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Yoni Brook, Valley of Saints
Lol Crawley, Here
Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Roman Vasyanov, End of Watch
Robert Yeoman, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
How to Survive a Plague
DIRECTOR: David France
PRODUCERS: David France, Howard Gertler

Marina Abramoviæ: The Artist is Present
DIRECTOR: Matthew Akers
PRODUCERS: Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre

The Central Park Five
DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon

The Invisible War
DIRECTOR: Kirby Dick
PRODUCERS: Tanner King Barklow, Amy Ziering

The Waiting Room
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Peter Nicks
PRODUCERS: Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
Amour
Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
Rust And Bone
Sister
War Witch

16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 16th annual Piaget Producers
Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources
demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce
quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted
grant funded by Piaget.

Nobody Walks PRODUCER: Alicia Van Couvering
Prince Avalanche, PRODUCER: Derrick Tseng
Stones in the Sun, PRODUCER: Mynette Louie

19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 19th annual Someone to Watch
Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet
received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000
unrestricted grant.

Pincus, DIRECTOR: David Fenster
Gimme the Loot, DIRECTOR: Adam Leon
Electrick Children, DIRECTOR: Rebecca Thomas

STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 18th annual Truer Than
Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features
who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a
$25,000 unrestricted grant.

Leviathan
DIRECTOR: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel
The Waiting Room, DIRECTOR: Peter Nicks
Only the Young, DIRECTOR: Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and
its ensemble cast)
Starlet, Director: Sean Baker

Telluride connections included nominations for "The Central Park Five", "Amour", and "Rust and Bone".

Also I have included links to posts for the Indy Spirits from Awards Daily, InContention and Movie City News:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/11/27/film-independent-spirit-awards-coming-at-10am-pacific/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/2013-independent-spirit-awards-nominees

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/11/the-28th-annual-film-independent-spirit-award-nominations-announced/


OSCAR MATTERS

     AWARDS DAILY OSCAR PODCAST

http://www.awardsdaily.com/podcasts/oscarpodcast/episode9.mp3

     ROPE OF SILICON OSCAR PODCAST

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/podcast-talking-oscars-award-screeners-ending-of-life-of-pi-and-new-dvds-and-blu-rays/

     THIS WEEK'S "FEW MINUTES WITH FEINBERG"

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/a-few-minutes-feinberg-voters-394080


     ROGER EBERT'S OSCAR PREDICTIONS (FROM HOS BLOG)

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2012/11/and_the_nominees_are.html

     THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER DIRECTORS' ROUND TABLE:  AFFLECK, TARANTINO, VAN SANT, LEE, RUSSELL AND HOOPER

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-quentin-tarantino-4-394576



TFF #39 FILMS IN THE NEWS

     "HYDE PARK ON HUDSON" AND BILL MURRAY

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-murray-talks-fdr-comparison-395151

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/movies/bill-murray-star-of-hyde-park-on-hudson.html?_r=1&

     "RUST AND BONE" AND MARION COTILLARD

http://www.hulu.com/watch/428816#i0,p0,d1

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062441/

     "THE GATEKEEPERS"

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/dror-moreh-q-a-the-gatekeepers-pops-the-lid-off-israeli-arab-conflict


TWO TFF DIRECTORS WITH ONE STONE



I loved Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" which showed at the SHOW in 2010 and I also loved Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" and "127 Hours" which SHOWED in 2008 and 2010 respectively...so when I saw that this had happened...well...

Aronofsky and Boyle discuss directing in the same interview that Fox Searchlight had put together in 2008 when the two men were in the midst of "Slumdog" and Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" so I had to provide the link:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/darren-aronofsky-danny-boyle-interview-each-other-on-directing/?uid=6e9c63f1183d2627a911d0de9748ed1c04590c8c


That's going to have to do it for today.  I'll get a new "Coming Attractions" segment on Monday's post.  More then...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

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The Film Awards Clearinghouse 2012 #1/Oscar Notes and Changes/Argo in Front?/Post Festival Analysis

THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE #1

My first FAC for the year and I’ve added and changed a few things.  First, I have included Cinematography and Film Editing for as a part of the FAC starting with this first post.  That expends from what I’ve called The Big 8 categories the last three years to “The Big Ten”.

Also, I took a look back this week at the predictive success of The FAC for its first four years.  I compared the initial projections for 2008, 09, 10, and 11 with the actual nominees for each of those years and found that, on average, 60% of the predicted nominees actually become nominees.  Further, another 21% of actual nominees get listed as “possible” in the first FAC.  19% of all nominees don’t show up either place on the first pass.

Also, The FAC was great in 2010 with a 95% success rate for predicted nominees and possible.  2009 was awful  with only a 62%  success rate.  So, some facts to ponder as we head to the first actual predictions…

Mining the Predictive power of Kristopher Tapley (InContention/HitFix), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Peter Knegt (IndieWire), Anne Thompson (Thompson on Hollywood), Scott Feinberg (The Hollywood Reporter), Nathaniel Rogers (Film Experience) , Alex Carlson (Film Misery), and Clayton Davis (Awards Circuit).  Telluride Films are Bold!

BEST PICTURE (Again this year there will be 5 to 10 nominees.  Last year there were 9.)

1) Argo

2) Silver Linings Playbook

3) Lincoln

4) The Master

5) Beasts of the Southern Wild

6) Les Miserables

7) Amour

8) Life of Pi

9) Zero Dark Thirty

10) Django Unchained

11) Promised Land

12) Moonrise Kingdom

13) Flight

14) The Sessions

15) Anna Karenina

Comment:  I would bet that the first four are locks even this early and that one of them win. This could be the most competitive Best Picture race we’ve seen in a long, long time.  After the first four , it’s anyone’s guess.  Frankly, I’ll be a bit surprised if Michael Haneke’s “Amour” is a BP nominee.

BEST DIRECTOR

1) Paul Thomas Anderson/The Master

2) Ben Affleck/Argo

3) David O. Russell/Silver Linings Playbook

4) Steven Spielberg/Lincoln

5) Michael Haneke/Amour

6) Tom Hooper/Les Miserables

7) Ang Lee/Life of Pi

8) Behn Zeitlein/Beasts of the Southern Wild

9) Quentin Tarantino/Django Unchained

10) Kathryn Bigelow/Zero Dark Thirty

Comment: The top five look good.  I might trade Zeitlein for Haneke.

BEST ACTRESS

1) Jennifer Lawrence/Silver Linings Playbook

2) Quvenzhane Wallis/Beasts of the Southern Wild

3) Naomi Watts/The Impossible

4) Marion Cotillard/Rust and Bone

5) Keira Knightley/Anna Karenina

6) Emanuelle Riva/Amour

7) Meryl Streep/Hope Springs

8) Viola Davis/Won’t Back Down***

9) Laura Linney/Hyde Park on Hudson

10) Maggie Smith/Quartet

(***it’s unclear whether Davis will be considered in Lead or Supporting)

Comment: At this point, I think the only sure bet is Lawrence.  Although I have to say I’d be surprised to see a nomination for any of the women in the 6 through 10 spots.

BEST ACTOR

1) Joaquin Phoenix/The Master

2) John Hawkes/The Sessions

3) Daniel Day Lewis/Lincoln

4) Denzel Washington/Flight

5) Bradley Cooper/Silver Linings Playbook

6) Hugh Jackman/Les Miserables

7) Jean Trintignant/Amour

8) Bill Murray/Hyde Park on Hudson

9) Jamie Foxx/Django Unchained

10) Philip Seymour Hoffman/The Master***

(***Hoffman is also splitting votes between Lead and Supporting)

Comment: This is a category that has been very Telluride-centric over the past several years but that same dominance doesn’t look likely this year.  The top three guys are probably locks.  I’m leery of a Denzel nomination with no others likely for “Flight”.  Cooper is pretty hot coming out of Toronto.

First shameless plug for someone from The FAC…Jack Black in “Bernie”.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1) Anne Hathaway/Les Miserables

2) Amy Adams/The Master

3) Helen Hunt/The Sessions

4) Sally Field/Lincoln

5) Maggie Smith/Exotic Marigold Hotel

6) Samantha Barks/Les Miserables

7) Kerry Washington/Django Unchained

8) Vanessa Redgrave/Song for Marion

9) Judi Dench/Exotic Marigold Hotel***

10) Annette Bening/Imogene

(***Dench also is possible as either Lead or Supporting)

Comment:  Not one Telluride possibility to be found in this category in our first iteration.  I’d guess Hathaway, Adams, Hunt and Field are all very likely.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) Leonardo DiCaprio/Django Unchained

2) Philip Seymour Hoffman/The Master***

3) Alan Arkin/Argo

4) David Stratharin/Lincoln

5) Dwight Henry/Beast of the Southern Wild

6) Matthew McConnaghey/Magic Mike

7) William H. Macy/The Sessions

8) Robert DeNiro/Silver Linings Playbook

9) Hal Holbrook/Promised Land

10) John Goodman/Argo

(***see Best Actor note above)

Comment: It’s possible that “Argo” could land more than one nomination in this category.  My personal plug here would be for Bryan Cranston who had some notice form some of the predictors but not enough to crawl onto the chart.  Maybe next time.  I’m not sure that any of the top five are truly locks at this point.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) Argo

2) Silver Linings Playbook

3) Beasts of the Southern Wild

4) Lincoln

5) Life of Pi

6) Les Miserables

7) Anna Karenina

8) The Sessions***

9) The Dark Knight Rises

10) Killing Them Softly

(***The Sessions is also getting substantial votes in the Original Screenplay category.  I think it will be in the Adapted category)

Comment:  The screenplay nominations are notoriously difficult to predict even when you get close to the nomination announcement.  Still, I might place money on the top four.  I'll be pumping for a nomination here for "The Sapphires" if The Weinstein Company decides to drop it into the 2012 awards season.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Moonrise Kingdom

2) The Master

3) Django Unchained

4) Amour

5) Zero Dark Thirty

6) Promised Land

7) The Sessions***

8) Flight

9) Seven Psychopaths

10) Frances Ha

(***See note above concerning “The Sessions”)

Comment: See note above…  This category seems very, very fluid as we begin.  I’m not sure that anything is a lock except maybe “The Master”.  I'm pushing for a nomination for "Frances Ha".

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1) The Master

2) Life of Pi

3) Lincoln

4) Beasts of the Southern Wild

5) The Dark Knight Rises

6) Anna Karenina

7) Django Unchianed

8) Les Miserables

9) Cloud Atlas

10) The Hobbit

Comment: New category to start this early and all 10 seem reasonable possibilities. 

BEST FILM EDITING

1) Argo

2) Lincoln

3) The Master

4) Zero Dark Thirty

5) The Dark Knight Rises

6) Life of Pi

7) Les Miserables

8) Django Unchained

9) Silver Linings Playbook

10) Beasts of the Southern Wild

Comment:  The other new category for this early and often a key indicator of Best Picture success.  I’m thinking the top five are good guesses but not necessarily carved into stone.

OTHER OSCAR NOTES

The Gold Derby is up with its first lineup of predictions as well.  Find it here:

Gold Derby
http://www.goldderby.com/awardshows/experts/oscars-2012-nominations-nominations/best-picture.html

ALSO SOME CHANGES ARE COMING TO OSCAR #85

Those changes include new dates for nomination ballots to be due and nomination announcements. Pete Hammond at Deadline.com has that explanation here:
http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/oscars-surprising-changes-hammond-analysis/

Oscar has also altered the way its voters can vote as outlined by Reuters:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/19/idINL1E8KIL5F20120919

OSCAR POKER

The first post Telluride Oscar Poker podcast from Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Jeff Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere) with guest Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby) has been posted.  You can find it at both of these places:
http://www.awardsdaily.com/podcasts/oscarpoker/episode92.mp3

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/09/post-toronto_po.php

ARGO IN FRONT

HitFix's Greg Ellwood agrees with The FAC's first assessment and that Telluride sneak preview "Argo" is the front runner for Best Picture at this early point in the season.  Here's his rationale:
http://www.hitfix.com/awards-campaign/contender-countdown-argo-is-on-the-lookout-for-frontrunner-killers

And with the approaching release on Oct. 12 there is a new "Argo" poster:

POST TORONTO

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood has posted a Toronto wrap up:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/toronto-wrap

And also with a view of the post Telluride/Venice/ Toronto landscape:
Peter Knegt of IndieWire with 10 things we "know" post-festivals.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/for-your-consideration-10-things-the-fall-fests-did-tell-us-about-award-season

And finally, Entertainment Weekly eyes 10 films that they think boosted their Oscar profile in Toronto:
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20628605,00.html#21211285


More on Monday...

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TFF #39 Day 2 in the Books; TBA's for Day 3/A Few Moments with Alexander Payne/The Sapphires Rock (as they sing Soul)/Amour/Hyde Park Surprise/The Sunday Sked

Good Sunday Everyone...

A rare post from MTFB on a Sunday...but it IS festival time!


DAY 2 DONE; DAY 3: SUNDAY TBAs

I meet the legendary Roger Corman...gracious man.

The second day at Telluride 2012...had a fantastic day...Started with the tribute to Roger Corman with Q & A moderated by Leonard Maltin...before it even starts I had a chance to sit down with writer/director and Oscar winner Alexander Payne (see below)...very exciting!  Then the tribute, which was terrifically entertaining.

I followed that with brunch and strolled into the screening of "The Sapphires" at the Chuck where I was called for by name by a rep from The Weinstein Company...she said they wanted to talk to me after the screening, get my opinion...

Really?  Me?  OK.

Then watched the film...see below...

Next "Amour"...see below

And finally, "Hyde Park on Hudson"...and a surprise entrance by Bill Murray...

Nice day, friends.

Tomorrow...here are the Sunday TBAs:

TBAs Sunday, September 2, 2012

• Added Conversation:
Chuck Jones Cinema Lounge/5:30p Sunday FREE
"Animation: Evoking Life?" 
With Chuck Jones' daughter Linda Jones Clough, Leonard Maltin (author "Of Mice and Magic"), Annecy Animated Film Festival director Serge Bromberg, Ethan Clarke (DRIFTERS) and Sara Gunnarsdottir (THE PIRATE OF LOVE)

• 42) Annecy Animation Masons/1:15p Sunday

• 27) The Attack Nugget/6:30p Sunday

• 31) Stalker Pierre/7:45p Sunday

• 14) A Royal Affair Masons/9:30p Sunday

• 16) Frances Ha Galaxy/10p Sunday

• Sunday, Noon, Elks Park "Injustice, Reconciliation and Cinema"
"How are filmmakers addressing terrorism and political strife? Can movies help us move forward?"
With Ben Affleck, Mark Danner, Ziad Doueiri, Dror Moreh, Joshua Oppenheimer; moderated by Annette Insdorf

A FEW MOMENTS WITH ALEXANDER PAYNE

Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne has 2 Oscars...both for screenwriting  One for "Sideways' and the other for last year's "The Descendants".  He's funny, acerbic and very smart.

Saturday morning as I was walking into The Chuck for the Roger Corman tribute I noticed that he was in the house and 4 rows in front of me...so, on a whim, I approached and asked if we could do an interview...he said then would be good and suddenly I found myself talking to one of the industry's brightest lights.

Giddy?  Um...Yes.

And so, here's what I learned from/about Alexander Payne on a Saturday morning in Telluride (Mountain Village), CO.

Payne's involvement in the TFF came as after having been invited twice to present his own features here and having been unable to accept those invitations due to logistical and timing issues.  Payne was then asked to Guest direct in 2009.

He's returned each year since.  In 2010 as a fan.  In 2011 as the writer/director of "The Descendants" and this year as a presenter/programmer.  He explained that the Festival directors have given him license to "eyes" as he put it.  To be on the lookout for interesting film possibilities.  He told me that he'd stumbled across "I Knew Her Well" from Italian director Antonio Pietrangeli, suggested that it be programmed and it was.

I also asked Payne to talk a little bit about his upcoming project.  Payne set aside pre-productiion time this weekend as he seems to really enjoy the difference about the Telluride Film Fest compared to most other major festivals.  That being said, Payne revealed that shooting for his next feature "Nebraska" is set to start in 6 weeks.  "Nebraska" stars Will Forte (of Saturday Night Live and "MacGruber" fame) and Bruce Dern.  Bruce's daughter Laura arrived just as I was concluding my 2 minute/3 question session (I told him I'd be short!)  She was stunning.

Mr. Payne...If you're reading this...I hope you feel that I've done you proud.

Alexander Payne's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668247/

THE SAPPHIRES ROCK

Me and "The Sapphires" director Wayne Blair

Following the very entertaining Roger Corman tribute, I caught Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires".  And so should you...

First of all, Chris O'Dowd, playing a washed-up Irish keyboardist who stumbles upon an aboriginal girl group in 1968 Australia is wonderful.  He manages them into a gig entertaining American troops in Vietnam. The Weinsteins need to seriously think about a qualifying run for the film as O'Dowd should be a legitimate contender in the Best Supporting Actor category.  Superlative work.

Secondly, the music...I'm a sucker for old school soul and R+B and it is executed with aplomb.  The 4 women playing the "Sapphires" just nail it.

Thirdly... it's a feel good true story well executed.  Director Wayne Blair has achieved a small miracle.  Blair, in post screening comments, said that the film has been a hit in Aussie land as well it should be.

Fourth, not only has it got soul (music) but heart as well as we learn the back story of these 4 women, sisters and a cousin and how their family story acts as the mechanism to explore Australia's history of racism, exclusion and subjugation of its native peoples.  So some big themes as well.

Director Blair and screenwriters Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson manage to mix this all together winningly.

Catch this if you can today at The Palm at 4:00 (or at a TBA Monday)...thank me later.

The Sapphires IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/


AMOUR

Michael Haneke follows "The White Ribbon" with this story of an octogenarian couple faced with a wife's increasing disability due to stroke.  This won the Palme D'or at Cannes this year.  Fine performances from Jean Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert and an incredible turn by the 85 year old Emmanuelle Riva...she IS fearless!

Tough story... and perhaps too astringent from Haneke for my pallette.

"Amour's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602620/


HYDE PARK ON HUDSON SURPRISE

Well, you've heard, Bill Murray showed up last night as an unannounced guest for the screening of "Hyde Park on Hudson" at The Galaxy.

For my money, it's a pleasant enough film...good performances from all concerned with Murray as FDR and Samuel West as the King of England particularly good.

It's pretty to look at, just doesn't seem to have a lot going on dramatically.

Tipped in some quarters as possible Oscar material for Murray, Laura Linney (as FDR's mistress) as well as Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams (Queen Elizabeth and Eleanor Roosevelt respectively), I'd be a bit surprised if it has that kind of traction.

But it was great to be surprised by Murray's entrance and to listen to his humor in the Q+A that followed.  Maybe I'll get a chance to run into him today.

Hyde Park's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477855/


MY SUNDAY SKED

I'm catching the Marion Cotillard tribute and "Rust and Bone" first thing today.  Then the animation program that has been TBAed at The Mason's.  After that...up in the air...maybe the Polley Doc.


More later...

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Friday's Done/Saturday TBAs/Argo Happened/No is a Maybe

Good Saturday from Telluride!

FRIDAY: IN THE BOOKS

What a great start to the 39th Telluride Film Festival.  Set out to talk to specific people and re-connect with others and had a good deal of luck on all fronts.  I am angling to get an actual interview with Ben Affleck in town with his "Argo" which preemed Friday afternoon at The Chuck to rapturous response.  Maybe it happens, maybe not...talked to him about it for 15 seconds Friday morning.

Re-acquanited with Ms. Laura Linney...gracious as always.

Had a fantastic time meeting and talking to Serge Bromberg and Mark Cousins.

And Peter Sellars...the man, the myth, the legend...and incredible generosity as he met me and my wife today.

Telluride 39...much love!


SATURDAY TBAs

SNEAK PREVIEW

Argo Palm/1p Saturday Q&A

While 50 Americans are held hostage by the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Revolutionary Guard, six U.S. Embassy employees hiding at the Canadian ambassador’s residence in Teheran stage a daring escape. “Extraction” expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) enlists a veteran Hollywood make-up expert and producer (John Goodman and Alan Arkin, each giving disciplined comic performances) to create a sham sci-fi movie epic in the hopes of finding a way out of the country. Affleck directs with formidable precision and documentary-style immediacy, intercutting between turf battles between the CIA and Washington diplomats, the chaotic street violence during Iran’s revolution and the black comedy of spies pretending to be Hollywood types. This is thrilling, nail-biting entertainment. (U.S., 2012) In person: Ben Affleck

SNEAK PREVIEW

Argo CJC/6p Saturday

17) No Masons/3:45p Saturday

1a) Masque of the Red Death CJC/11:45p Saturday

Prededed by the Chuck Jones cartoon WEARING OF THE GRIN (U.S., 1951, 7m)

41) Calling Cards Pierre/3:45p Saturday

(Replaces PIAZZA FONTANA)

28) Amour Pierre /8:45p Saturday

The TFF Website with all programming info: http://telluridefilmfestival.org/


ARGO HAPPENED!!!

World premiering at Telluride on Friday afternoon at The Chuck Jones Theater was Ben Affleck's "Argo".  The crowd loved it and the early critical response seems enthusiastic as well.  A number of mentions of Oscar potential.  I'm not so sure about that but I will say it is an expertly crafted film and that Mr. A seems to have absolutely mastered the art of film direction.  Further, I'd be remiss if I didn't add that the support work is very, very good.  John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy and Bryan Cranston all light it up.  If acting nominations come it will be here in supporting actor for one of these guys...most likely Cranston...who really is fantastic.

If you're in T-ride and reading this...see "Argo" this weekend and thank me when you see me...and Ben too!


"Argo's"IMdb entry:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/

"NO" IS A MAYBE

Caught Pablo Larrain's "No" at The Galaxy last night...nice performances, especially be Gael Garcia Bernal in the lead but it's a tad sluggish and overly long.

"No's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2059255/


SATURDAY'S PLAN

At this moment is to start the day with the Roger Corman tribute and follow that with "The Sapphires" and "Amour" at The Chuck.  May try to catch "Hyde Park" tonight...maybe "The Iceman" after.


A BIG THANK YOU

To Mitzi and Larry Mallard of The river Club for hosting The Second Annual(?) Guide to the 'Ride" and to all of you readers that were kind enough to come and join my on-going obsession with film and this festival.  I had an incredible time.


More later...

And thanks for playing...

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