TFF and Oscar / New Posters for Anora and Zurawski v. Texas / Interviews and Profiles: Will Farrell, Jason Reitman, Mikey Madison, Sean Baker and More

TFF AND OSCAR

As we turn the corner after The SHOW to what films from The SHOW will make an impact on the awards season, I thought it would behoove us to look back at the history of the fest and its Oscar players.  So I went back to 2009, the year that the new expanded list of nominees came into effect so that there were more than five Best Picture nominees each year.

One of the reasons I decided to do that is that early Oscar BP lists are indicating that 2024 might be a record year for films that played Telluride.  Since 2009 the largest number of TFF films nominated for Best Picture in a single year is four and that has happened twice.  This year, at least as the early predictions are showing, TFF #51 almost certainly will be the third time that four films from the best will be nominated.  But, there is a reasonable chance that there will be five films among the ten that get the noms.

Here's the history of TFF Best Picture nominees since 2009 (* indicates Best Picture winner):

2009 (2)- An Education, Up in the Air

2010 (3)- The King's Speech*, Black Swan, 127 Hours

2011 (2)- The Artist*, The Descendants

2012 (2)- Argo*, Amour

2013 (3)- 12 Years a Slave*, Gravity, Nebraska

2014 (2)- Birdman*, The Imitation Game

2015 (2)- Spotlight*, Room

2016 (4)- Moonlight*, Arrival, La La Land, Manchester by the Sea

2017 (3)- The Shape of Water*, Darkest Hour, Lady Bird

2018 (2)- The Favourite, Roma

2019 (3)- Parasite*, Ford v. Ferrari, Marriage Story

2020 (2)- Nomadland*, The Father (if TFF had happened these films would have played)

2021 (3)- Belfast, King Richard, The Power of the Dog

2022 (2)- TAR, Women Talking

2023 (4)- Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest

2024- ?????

That's a total of 39 Best Picture nominees over the 15 years for an average of 2.6 per year with 10 winners.  Will the 2024 race be the first wherein Telluride has five nominees?  

NEW POSTERS

International Poster for Anora:

Zurawski v. Texas poster:

PROFILES AND INTERVIEWS

Sean Baker and Mikey Madison for Anora from Entertainment Weekly.

Sean Baker for Anora from The Hollywood Reporter.

Will Farrell and Harper Steele for Will and Harper from The Hollywood Reporter.

How Jason Reitman found the cast for Saturday Night from The Hollywood Reporter.

AND...

The Telluride History 1996-Present page has been updated for 2024 including Films, Guests, Tributes and Guest Director information.  Also, the collection of Ratings from The Professionals, The People and the Composites have been updated with 2024 included.

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

X (Twitter) @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

Bluesky: @gort2.bsky.social

MTFB's Facebook Page

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

If you would like to be added to the MTFB e-mail list send an email to mpgort@gmail.com

Screen Daily's Festival Temptations (Continued) / SAG Awards Handed Out Last Night / Ralph Fiennes' The White Crow Has a Trailer / Interviews / Michel LeGrand 1932-2019

Good Monday everyone.  Welcome back from your weekend...


SCREEN DAILY'S FESTIVAL TEMPTATIONS (CONTINUED)

In my last post I began looking at Screen Daily's series about films "to tempt festival directors".  That post focused on their take on Irish and UK films that might be chosen for film festivals from Cannes all the way to Venice, Toronto and of course Telluride as well as others.

Today we look at their lists for both the U.S., Canada and Latin America and then European selections.

Among the films from U.S., Canada and Latin America that seem like TFF #46 possibilities are:

Coming Home Again dir: Wayne Wang
The Irishman dir: Martin Scorsese (probably more a wish than a possibility)
The Last Thing He Wanted dir: Dee Rees
Little Women dir: Greta Gerwig
Ema dir: Pablo Larrain


The complete post for U.S., Canada and Latin America is linked here.


Here's are films from the Screen Daily European list of tempting titles that seem Telluride friendly:

Ahmed dir: The Dardennes Brothers
Bergman Island dir: Mia Hansen-Love
The County dir: Grimur Hakonarson
Pinocchio dir: Matteo Garrone

The complete article for Europe is linked here.


SAG AWARDS HANDED OUT LAST NIGHT

Winners from last night's Screen Actors Guild from last night:

Best Cast: Black Panther
Actress: Glenn Close/The Wife
Actor: Rami Malek/Bohemian Rhapsody
Supporting Actress: Emily Blunt/A Quiet Place
Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali/Green Book
Stunt Cast: Black Panther

Five performances from TFF #45 films were nominated but none came away with a trophy: Colman, Stone and Weisz for The Favourite and McCarthy and Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me?


RALPH FIENNES' THE WHITE CROW HAS A TRAILER

Here's a trailer for director Ralph Fiennes under seen TFF #45 entrant The White Crow which tells the story of ballet dancer supreme Rudolf Nuryev:

Trailer posted via YouTube.

I have also linked an accompanying story from Deadline.com here.

The White Crow currently has no U.S. release announced. Sony Pictures Classics has the film for U.S. distribution.

INTERVIEWS

Linked here is an Entertainment Weekly interview with Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy (who was lovely when I talked to her in Telluride) for her role in Marielle Heller's Can You Ever Forgive Me?  The interview was conducted by Joey Nolfi.

Here's that link.

Additionally, here's a link to Kris Tapley's Variety/Playback podcast with writer/director Jason Reitman (The Front Runner) who is making a lot of news in the last week as it was announced that Reitman will direct the next iteration of the Ghostbusters franchise.

Here's the link to that podcast.

 MICHEL LEGRAND 1932-2019

I felt I needed to write a quick note on the passing of musician/composer Michel Legrand.  Legrand was a Tribute recipient in 2007.  He won three Oscars for his musical additions to Yentl, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Summer of 42.  He was nominated an additional six times.

One of the most electrifying musical moments I ever saw on television was a duet with Legrand and Ray Charles on some talk show probably in the 70's sometime.  It was breathtaking to watch the two master from very different backgrounds and approaches play off one another.  Thrilling.

Legrand was 86.

Here is his obituary from The Guardian.

That's the MTFB for Monday, Jan. 28, 2019.  I'll have more on Thursday... (expecting a link to a new Gurus of Gold that will turn to predicting this year's Oscar winners)

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Oscar Predictions Update: Picture and Director / New Boy Erased Trailer Arrives / Netflix Sets Roma Release / More from Jason Reitman on The Front Runner

Good Thursday film fans...


OSCAR PREDICTIONS UPDATE: BEST PICTURE AND DIRECTOR

Time to update MTFB's Oscar predictions in the Best Picture and Direction categories.  Green Book is on the move!

BEST PICTURE

Here's the latest Best Picture predictions updating the previous round that I posted back on Oct. 15th.  Each film's previous position is listed in parentheses and TFF #45 films are Bold


1) A Star Is Born (1)
2) Roma (2)
3) Green Book (5)
4) The Favourite (3)
5) BlacKkKlansman (6)
6) First Man (3)
7) If Beale Street Could Talk (7)
8) Black Panther (8).
9) Can You Ever Forgive Me? (12)
10) Vice (10)

Others: Vice, Widows, Boy Erased

Green Book continues to pick up momentum while First Man continues to fall to earth.  Look out for Vice as well.  I think that it could make a real splash as we get closer to its screening.

BEST DIRECTION

1) Alfonso Cuaron/Roma (1)
2) Bradley Cooper/A Star Is Born (2)
3) Spike Lee/BlacKkKlansman (4)
4) Damien Chazelle/First Man (3)
5) Yorgos Lanthimos/The Favourite (5)

Others: Peter Farrelly/Green Book, Barry Jenkins/If Beale Street Could Talk, Ryan Coogler/Black Panther, Marielle Heller/Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Adam McKay/Vice

The category has remained essentially static these last two weeks.  For my money the top three spots feel like locks with a real battle royale for the #4 and #5 spots.

I'll update the lead acting races on Monday.


NEW BOY ERASED TRAILER ARRIVES


Focus Features has released a new trailer for Joel Edgerton's gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.  The film is set to open tomorrow.

Here's the new trailer from YouTube:

NETFLIX SETS ROMA RELEASE

Indiewire's Anne Thompson reported last night that Netflix has arrived at its release strategy for Roma and other films for this year's Oscar season.  The streaming behemoth will release Roma theatrically in a limited fashion (NY and LA) on Nov. 21st.  It will be platformed with additional theaters added on Dec. 7th and Dec. 14th which is also the date that it will available for streaming.

Other films included in Thompson's story include the Coen Brothers' The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Suzanne Bier's Bird Box.

The complete story from Indiewire is linked here.


MORE FROM JASON REITMAN ON THE FRONT RUNNER

Jason Reitman and Hugh Jackman at the Telluride Film Festival Q+A for The Front Runner

Jason Reitman sat down to talk to Awards Circuit's Joey Magidson recently about his upcoming The Front Runner.  Reitman directed and co-wrote the film starring Hugh Jackman as former Sen. Gary Hart.

Jackman's performance and the screenplay have received some attention in regards to possible Oscar consideration.

Here's the interview.


That's today's version of MTFB.  More to come on Monday.


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Re-Post Sunday Done Day / Monday TBAs / Remember The People's Telluride

SUNDAY DONE DAY


Really great day at TFF #45 on Sunday.

Jason Reitman and Hugh Jackman at The Front Runner Q and A

Started the day with Jason Reitman's The Front Runner which moves to the #2 spot for the weekend.  I loved it.  Hits all my politics geek buttons and history and film making.  Hugh Jackman as Gary Hart, Vera Farmiga as his wife Lee and J.K. Simmons as campaign manager Bill Dixon are all in fine form.  Reitman is back, my friends!

Then did the Netflix Doc brunch which was lovely and also allowed me to grab Front Runner co-screen-writer Jay Carson as well as Reitman and express my enthusiasm for their film.

Then Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased.  SUbtle and understated with a subject (gay conversion therapy) that could easily have provided any number of histrionics.  Praise to Edgerton and his cast of Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Edgerton himself.  Beautifully realized and emotionally honest.

Matthew McConnaughey during The White Boy Rick Q and A

The day ended with White Boy Rick which is an entertaining film featuring nice work from Matthew McConaughey and non-actor Richie Merritt...who is fantastic as WBR.  McConnaughey in greta form in the Q and A that followed.



MONDAY TBAs

Palm

7:00 PM, FREE SOLO, Program 23, Cinephile

Galaxy

9:00 AM, COLD WAR, 35, Cinephile

3:00 PM, NON FICTION, 6, Cinephile

Herzog
7:00 PM, THE FAVOURITE, 7a, Cinephile

Sheridan Opera House

3:30 PM, SHOPLIFTERS, 32, Cinephile

8:00 PM, DOGMAN, 36, Cinephile

Nugget

1:00 PM, GHOST FLEET, 29, Cinephile

7:00 PM, THE WHITE CROW, 30, Cinephile

Masons

1:00 PM, THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD, 12, Cinephile

3:15 PM, FISTFUL OF DIRT, 17, Cinephile

5:30 PM, THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS, B, Cinephile (This is not a free show.)

7:45 PM, GIRL, 25, Cinephile

Le Pierre

2:30 PM, HUGH HEFNER’S AFTER DARK: SPEAKING OUT IN AMERICA, D, Cinephile (This is not a free show.)

4:45 PM, THE TARNISHED ANGELS, 39, Cinephile (This is not a free show.)

7:00 PM, BORDER, 14, Cinephile

Backlot (all programs always free)

9:00 AM, IT MUST SCHWING! THE BLUE NOTE STORY, E

1:15 PM, WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL, F

3:30 PM, HAL, C

6:15 PM, IT MUST SCHWING! THE BLUE NOTE STORY, E

Noon Seminar, Town Park FREE

Sponsored by Participant Media

Moderated by Annette Insdorf

How do filmmakers find a formal distance when dramatizing family stories?

With Joel Edgerton, Markus Imhoof, Alfonso Cuaron.

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

For the seventh consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".

When the time comes, you can send those ratings to me in any of the following ways listed as contact info for me listed below.

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

First Signs of Beale Street / The Usual Suspects -Part One 2018 / The Favourite Teaser Appears

Welcome to Tuesday, July 10, 2018...


THE FIRST SIGNS OF BEALE STREET

Stefan James, Kiki Layne, Regina King and Barry Jenkins at Essence Fest

One of the most hotly anticipated titles of the fall has to be Oscar winner Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk.  The film is the writer/director's follow up to the thrice Oscar winning Moonlight.  It's an adaptation of the James Baldwin novel of the same name.

That alone would be enough to pique the interest of Telluriders but adding fuel to the fire has been the relative quiet surrounding the film.

There is a good deal of speculation that it will play Venice and I have had it at the number one spot on this summer's first Ten Bets lists for TFF #45.  We also know that its one of the films that Annapuna Pictures is distributing this fall...as Megan Ellison's production company adds distribution to its list of services.  Other films in their lineup include: Backseat, The Sisters Brothers and Destroyer.

All that to get to the story that Jenkins and some of the actors in the film: Regina King, Stephan James and Kiki Layne, were featured in a Q+A about the film at New Orleans' Essence Fest this past weekend.

Here's the 14 minute interview from YouTube:

I found the interview via a story from Awards Watch and that story is linked here.

More coverage is here from BlackFilm.com and also from Hollywood Elsewhere.

If Beale Street Could Talk is not yet scheduled for release in the United States.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS-PART ONE 2018

If Beale Street Could Talk director and TFF Usual Suspect Barry Jenkins

There are a number of people that have, over the years have become frequent players at Telluride.They're folks that may not always be there and even if they are there, they don't always have a project that screens at the fest but often times you can predict some of the choices for the fest based on The Usual Suspects and what they do have to offer.

For example...Barry Jenkins...who has been a part of the fest in a variety of ways for a decade and a half.  That's why his If Beale Street Could Talk is at the top of the Ten Bets list.

Steve McQueen-His Hunger, Shame and Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave all screened at Telluride which leads one to think that Widows is a good bet.  I've been holding back on putting it in the Ten Bets because the film's description seems less Telluride-y than McQueen's previous efforts.  Still, it wouldn't surprise if it were to screen at T-ride.

Jacques Audiard-Audiard has been represented thrice at TFF 1996- A Self Made Hero, 2009-A Prophet and 2012-Rust and Bone.  However his Palme D'or winning Dheepan wasn't at The SHOW in 2015.  His The Sisters Brothers could get him back to the San Juans.

Alejandro Inarritu is a great example of a "usual suspect" who attends even when he doesn't have a project.  That happened last year when he was in town to support his amigo Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water.  I suspect that could happen again this year for Alfonso Cuaron's Roma.  Cuaron, himself would become a "usual suspect" this year if Roma plays.  I think that could happen.

Jason Reitman- At one point Reitman was a sure TFF bet as he ran off a series of SHOW entrants: Juno (07), Up in the Air (09) and Labor Day (13) but Young Adult and Men, Women and Children which might have played The SHOW did not.  Reitman could return this year with The Frontrunner.  There's a decent chance that could happen.

I'll look at more of  "The Usual Suspects on Thursday.

THE FAVOURITE TEASER APPEARS

Yorgos Lanthimos has made a big splash on the art house circuit over the past few years with The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer including an Oscar nomination for writing The Lobster.

This year he has directed the historically based The Favourite set during the reign of Queen Anne in Britain in the 1700's.  Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone star and the film is reportedly more "accessible" than either Lobster or Scared Deer.  As it is from Fox Searchlight, this might be the year that a Lanthimos film makes the TFF lineup.

All of that reminder material is to get to the fact that the film had a teaser/trailer release on Monday.  Here it is from YouTube:

The Favourite is scheduled for release on Nov. 23rd.

That's your Tuesday MTFB.  More to come on Thursday.


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

The Distributors 2018: Big Dogs / Don Quixote Legal Woes Won't Stop It / Moore's New Doc at TFF? / For Your Consideration

Thursday...July 5, 2018


Welcome back to MTFB...

THE DISTRIBUTORS 2018: BIG DOGS

There are, each year, a number of films that feel like they could have some Telluride potential that are distributed by one of the big studios that often have a limited profile in as far as T-ride is concerned.  This year is no different.

For example, Steve McQueen's Widows is set up at 20th Century Fox and Damien Chazelle's First Man is set to come from Universal.

Because of the two directors, and their pasts with TFF, I have to consider them as possibles for TFF #45 despite the fact that 20th Century Fox and Universal have very limited histories at the fest.

Also included in the calculation are Robert Zemeckis' Welcome to Marwen and Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody.

I might also mention that Columbia has Jason Reitman's take on Gary Hart's 1988 presidential run in The Front Runner and the Matthew McConaughey starrer White Boy Rick directed by Yann Dannage (who, like Chazelle and McQueen has been to Telluride before).  It also falls into this category of films.

Of the six films listed here, my feel is that the most likely to make Telluride is Reitman's The FrontRunner.  Reitman used to be a regular at Telluride and this could be his ticket back to The SHOW.  Give it a 40% chance.

Widows is next in line simply because the Steve McQueen connection has been tight.  He screened Hunger, Shame and 12 Years a Slave at T-ride.  Give it a 35% chance to play.

Chazelle's First Man is next at 30%.

I give Welcome to Marwen a 25% shot, White Boy Rick a 20% chance and Bohemian Rhapsody seems the least likely at 10%.

Tomorrow I'll look at films that feel like they have a decent shot at Telluride from occasional specialty houses that make TFF appearances.

DON QUIXOTE'S LEGAL WOES WON'T STOP IT

After so much back and forth legally regarding Terry Gilliam's long awaited passion project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, it now appears that the film is going to be around quite a lot in the next few months.

The Hollywood Reporter's Nick Holdsworth writes that the film (having just screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Fest) will screen in competition at the Munich Film Fest and Gilliam says it will open wide in Holland and Belgium soon.

This series of events seems to indicate that the film is fully possible to screen in the U.S. at any and all of the fall fests.

It should be noted that the film was, at one point, set to be distributed by Amazon Studios but that they dropped out when legal issues endangered its planned screening at Cannes.

The complete THR story is here.


MOORE'S NEW DOC AT TFF?

Michael Moore has made it clear that he's going to pushing his new Donald Trump documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 hard for the next few months insisting that he wants it seen by as many people as possible prior to November's midterm elections.

One has to suspect that will include some presence on the fall festival circuit and that could include seeing it pop up at Telluride.

Moore has been at Telluride by my count four times-1989, 1992, 2002 and as a guest in 2013 for the fest's 40th anniversary.  So, especially with how much Telluride's profile has increased over the last decade, you have to consider it a possibility.

Here's the Indiewire article from Michael Nordine reporting on Moore's recent appearance on Bill Maher.



FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Recent articles at both The Playlist and World of Reel highlight what seem to be a larger than normal pool of films that might have legitimate aspirations for Oscar glory and that seems to be opening a wide door for those films and where they could land for their premieres.

Both article authors (Jordan Ruimy-World of Reel and Greg Ellwood-The Playlist) mention Telluride in this context.


Interesting tidbits from the Ruimy piece:

Alfonso Cuaron's Roma has hot buzz.
Mike Leigh's Peterloo was submitted for Cannes but was not chosen
Test screening response for Damien Chazelle's First Man has been okay but not through the roof
He describes Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk as "artsy".

Meanwhile, Ellwood's article poses a number of questions about Oscar quirks for 2018.

Check the articles out.

World of Reel

The Playlist

That's today's MTFB.  Come back tomorrow for the week's NEW TEN BETS...


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

The Distributors 2018: Amazon Studios / The Front Runner Looks at Awards Season / Welcome to Marwen Trailer Arrives / And Maybe The Don Is Back On

Thursday marks the return of MTFB for this week with an assessment of the chances of five films that are being distributed by Amazon Studios.

THE DISTRIBUTORS 2018: AMAZON STUDIOS

Amazon had Oscar nominee/winner Manchester by the Sea play in 2016.

Wonderstruck in 2017.

This year could see multiple entrants from Amazon Studios including Mike Leigh's Peterloo, Ritesh Batra's Photograph, Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War. All of these directors have some TFF history, especially Leigh.  In addition, we have to consider Felix Van Groeningen's Beautiful Boy and Dan Fogelman's Life Itself.

Chances in order of likelihood for TFF #45:

Peterloo- 75%
Cold War- 50%
Beautiful Boy 40%
Photograph- 30%
Life Itself- 20%


As a matter of fact, Peterloo will almost certainly be on the opening Top Ten List coming out in a week or two.  Cold War could make that list as well.

I'll look at Netflix tomorrow.


THE FRONT RUNNER LOOKS AT AWARD SEASON

Sony has dated Jason Reitman's The Front Runner with a Nov. 7th limited release date putting it smack in the middle of the awards season.  A wider release will occur the following week on Nov. 14th.

The Front Runner re-visits the real story of Gary Hart's ill-fated 1988 presidential run.  Hugh Jackman stars as Hart.

Deadline reported the story on Wednesday.  Also reporting the dates was Clayton Davis's Awards Circuit.  Both sources suggest that Telluride is a real possibility for Reitman's film despite the fact that Sony/Columbia have a meager TFF profile. 



WELCOME TO MARWEN TRAILER ARRIVES

We passed along Trailer Track's Anton Volkov's news earlier this week that a trailer would be released for Robert Zemeckis's Welcome to Marwen and that trailer dropped yesterday.  Here it is via YouTube:

Further reporting on the film and its trailer release can be found at:

FirstShowing

SlashFilm

The Playlist

Trailer Track


AND MAYBE THE DON IS BACK ON

Reporting from the Czech Republic suggests that Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote will play at the Karlovy Vary Film Fest.  The news was reported by both The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.

That comes after the news reported here Monday that Gilliam had suffered a legal set back with a French court finding in favor of producer Paolo Blanco. 

I wondered  if that decision might nix the chances of Quixote playing T-ride. 

Now, with this latest news that TMWKDQ will screen at Karlovy Vary despite the court ruling, I am again considering that the Gilliam passion project might still have a shot at the San Juans in a couple of months.



That's all for today.  More tomorrow.

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Cannes Adds Classics and Docs About Films / Some Films Are Off the Telluride Table / Re-visiting the 29th Telluride Film Festival 2002

It's Monday...welcome back...



CANNES ADDS CLASSICS AND DOCS ABOUT FILM

The 70th Cannes Film Fest seems to have finished all of their lineup announcements this past week with the addition of classic films and documentaries.  In as far as Telluride is concerned, the documentaries likely provide more ground for potential TFF programming.  Two jumped out at me as interesting and, perhaps, TFF possibilities:  Filmworker focuses on the story of an assistant for Stanley Kubrick and Becoming Cary Grant takes a look at the life of the icon with a focus on his use of LSD.

Though you wouldn't expect to see them at Telluride, I was struck of the inclusion of Blow Up, A River Runs Through It, All That Jazz and Belle du Jour among the classics selections

The Film Stage lays out the details here.


SOME FILMS ARE OFF THE TELLURIDE TABLE

Brie Larson in The Glass Castle (via Collider)

A couple of films that I have been keeping my eye on as potential TFF #44 titles went by the wayside this week as they were dated for release in windows that make TFF #44 either impossible or extremely unlikely;  Jason Reitman's newest collaboration with Diablo Cody is headed for release in April of 2018.  Tully has been on my radar simply because it's from the creators behind 2007's Juno. Reitman has had significant run through Telluride over the past decade with Juno (07), Up in the Air (09) and Labor Day (13) but his Young Adult (11) and Men Women and Children (14) did not play the fest.

Details including a suggestion that Tully might play Toronto (and the dating of the new Paul Thomas Anderson film) can be found in this post from The Playlist.

Meanwhile, Destin Daniel Cretton's The Glass Castle starring Brie Larson has been announced for Aug. 11th , making it out of play for T-ride.  It's been on my list as the twosome of Cretton and Larson were paired in the critical success Short Term 12 in 2013 and also as a result of Larson's Best Actress win for 2015's Room.

Reports of the dating for release are here from Variety and here from The Wrap.


RE-VISITING THE 29TH TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2002

In an effort to provide a history of the Telluride Film Festival I continue to use the wayback machine and take a look back at past Telluride Film Festivals.  Utilizing past programs, yearbooks and conversations with past attendees, I have undertaken to supplement the History section of the TFF official website.  The website includes links to TFF programs dating from last year's fest back to the 33rd TFF in 2006.

Beginning a few weeks past with TFF 32, MTFB is attempting to fill in the gaps back to the beginning.  In addition to supplementing the official website, it is my intent that this stroll down memory lane will eventually take the place of the "Selected TFF History" page here at MTFB.  Obviously, it is not going to be a rapid process...that said...

The 29th Telluride Film Festival took place form Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2002.

Guest Director: Alberto Barbera
Tributes: Peter O'Toole, Paul Schrader, D.A. Pennebaker

Here are the feature films that were a part of The SHOW:

Antychryst
Auto Focus
Bandits of Orgosolo
Bitter Rice
The Black Pirate
Blind Spot
Bowling for Columbine
Cinerama Adventure
City of God
Cuckoo
Frida
Ikiru
Il Posto
Irreversible
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell
Ken Park
Le Corbeau
Lost in La Mancha
The Man Without a Past
Max et les Frerailleuers
Morvern Callar
My Mother's Smile
Naqoyqatsi
Night Mail II
Old Believers
Only the Strong Survive
Rabbit Proof Fence
Respiro
Russian Ark
Safe Passage
Scarecrow
See What Happens: The Story of D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus
Singin' in the Rain
Spider
Spirited Away
Talk to Her
The Tramp and the Dictator
The War
Willie Nelson: Still is Still Moving
The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrowna

Partial List of Guests:

Ken Burns
Betty Comden
David Cronenberg
Willem Dafoe
Roger Ebert
Ralph Fiennes
Thierry Fremaux
Terry Gilliam
Philip Glass
Werner Herzog
Christopher Hitchens
Mary-Beth Hurt
Greg Kinnear
Ed Lachman
Leonard Maltin
Fernando Meirelles
Michael Moore
Gaspar Noe
Peter O'Toole
D.A. Pennebaker
Lynne Ramsay
Salman Rushdie
Paul Schrader
Jerry Schatzberg
Peter Sellars


Among the short films you'd find that Australian actress Rachel Griffiths (Blow, Saving Mr. Banks, Hacksaw Ridge) as the director of Roundabout.

That'll do it for this Monday.  I'll have more on Thursday...

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT to the BLOG