Oscar Update-New Categories: International Feature, Documentary, Cinematography, Film Editing / NYFCC and More / Kershaw Talks Truffles

    OSCAR UPDATE: NEW CATEGORIES!

After several weeks of posting and updating the topline Oscar categories (Picture, Director, Acting and Writing), here's my first stab at additional categories beyond those eight.  As always, TFF films are in Bold.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

1) Another Round

2) Quo Vadis Aida

3) Collective

4) I'm No Longer Here

5) The Night of Kings

6) The Two of Us

7) Dear Comrades

8) A Sun

9) My Little Sister

10) Charlatan

Other Possibles: Sun Children, This Is a Burial Not a Resurrection, Notturno

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Stacey Abrams from All In: The Fight for Democracy

1) Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

2) Dick Johnson Is Dead

3) Collective

4) Boys State

5) Time

6) All In: The Fight for Democracy

7) Welcome to Chechnya

8) The Truffle Hunters

9) John Lewis: Good Trouble

10) The Dissident

Other Possibles: The Way I See It, MLK/FBI, Totally Under Control, The Social Dilemma

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1) Mank

2) Nomadland

3) News of the World

4) Tenet

5) Judas and the Black Messiah

6) Minari

7) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

8) Da 5 Bloods

9) The Trial of the Chicago 7

10) First Cow

Other Possibles: One Night in Miami, Midnight Sky, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

FILM EDITING

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7

2) Nomadland

3) Mank

4) News of the World

5) Tenet

6) The Father

7) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

8) One Night in Miami

9) Da 5 Bloods

10) Judas and the Black Messiah

Other Possibles: Minari, Sound of Metal

NYFCC AND MORE

The New York Film Critics Circle awarded their superlatives for film in 2020 last night.  The NYFCC announcement kicks off a week that will see a number of major film awards announcements including the American Film Institute, the National Board of Review and The Independent Spirit nominations among others.

From the NYFCC, TFF winners:

Best Picture: First Cow

Best Director: Chloe Zhao/Nomadland

KERSHAW TALKS TRUFFLES

The Truffle Hunters has come on like gangbusters as we have moved through the end of 2020 into the beginning of 2021 as a serious threat in the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature.  The TFF #47 selection from Sony Pictures Classics sits in my first pass at predicting the nominees for that category just outside the possible nominees at #8 (in an incredibly competitive category).  Meanwhile Variety's Clayton Davis has the film at #3 and Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter has it at #5.

In light of all of that, Gold Derby featured an interview with co-director Gregory Kershaw this week.

You can take a look at that using this link.

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Oscar Update: Best Original Screenplay / NSFC Names Winners / Feinberg on Docs and International Features

OSCAR UPDATE: BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Original Screenplay updated since I last posted this category on  Dec. 10th.  A screenplay's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 films are indicated in Bold.

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (1)

2) Promising Young Woman (5)

3) Mank (2) 

4) Minari (3)

5) Soul (4)

6) Judas and the Black Messiah (6)

7) Never Rarely Sometimes Always (8)

8) Da 5 Bloods (7)

9) Sound of Metal (-)

10) Palm Springs (9)

Other Possibles: On the Rocks, the 40 Year old Version, Ammonite

Hot: Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal

Not: On the Rocks

Coming on Thursday...a new look at Best Picture.

NSFC NAMES WINNERS

The National Society of Film Critics met this past Saturday and decided on their superlatives for 2020.  TFF #47 selection Nomadland was the big winner as it grabbed four prizes including Best Picture.

Here's the list of winners or runners-up from TFF #47 OR TFF #46:

Best Picture: Winner: Nomadland, Runner-up: First Cow (TFF #46)

Best Direction: Winner: Chloe Zhao/Nomadland, 2nd Runner-up: Kelly Reichardt/First Cow (TFF #46)

Best Actress: Winner: Frances McDormand/Nomadland

Best Screenplay: Runner-up: Kelly Reichardt/First Cow (TFF #46)

Best Cinematography: Winner: Nomadland

Best Foreign Language Film: Runner-up: Beanpole (TFF #46)

Take a look at all of the winners and runners-up at Gold Derby using this link.

FEINBERG ON DOCS AND INTERNATIONAL FEATURES

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg posted an article on Saturday focusing on the race for Oscar nominations in the Documentary Feature and International Feature categories.  Feinberg lists three TFF #47 films, one in both categories in the body of the article:

Docs:

All In: The Fight for Democracy

The Bee Gees: How Do You Men a Broken Heart

Notturno.

Feinberg also puts Notturno in the International Film category as well.

You can catch the rest of the article by clicking here.

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Oscar Update: Best Adapted Screenplay / Indiewire Lists: Top 50 of 2020 / Indiewire Listrs: Contenders for Best International Feature

OSCAR UPDATE: BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay updated since I last posted this category on  Dec. 7th.  A screenplay's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 films are indicated in Bold.

1) Nomadland (1)

2) The Father (3)

3) One Night in Miami (2)

4) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (4)

5) News of the World (5)

6) First Cow (7)

7) I'm Thinking of Ending Things (6)

8) Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm (8)

9) The Mauritanian (-)

10) Pieces of a Woman (10)

Other Possibles: The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Midnight Sky, The White Tiger

Hot: The Mauritanian, First Cow

Not: Billie Holiday

I'll have a look at Original Screenplay on Monday.

INDIEWIRE LISTS: TOP 50 OF 2020

Indiewire posted its list of  the best 50 films of 2020 according to the 200+ critics they surveyed.  That story was posted on Jan. 5th.  Among the 50 films were five films from either TFF #46 or the TFF #47 list of films that would have played the fest.  Here's where those five films landed:

#27 Ammonite

#22 The Assistant

#6 Beanpole

#3 First Cow

#1 Nomadland

The complete listing of all 50 films is linked here.

INDIEWIRE LISTS: CONTENDERS FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Meanwhile, Indiewire's Anne Thompson published an updated selection of what she considers the frontrunners for the Best International Feature Oscar.  Among her frontrunners are three films that would have been screening in Telluride last Labor Day had the fest occurred. 

Thompson's list included:

Charlatan

Apples

Notturno.

The four other frontrunners she names include Another Round, I'm No Longer Here, Collective and My Little Sister.

Thompson's article can be found here.

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Oscar Update: Best Supporting Actor / Variety's Biggest Movies / Deadline's Most Influential Films of the 21st Century / NBP's Best Bets for International Feature

 OSCAR UPDATE: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Supporting Actor updated since I last posted this category on  Dec. 3rd.  A performer's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 performers are indicated in Bold.

1) Sacha Baron Cohen/Trial of the Chicago 7 (2)

2) Leslie Odom Jr./One Night in Miami (1)

3) Daniel Kaluuya/Judas and the Black Messiah (7)

4) Chadwick Boseman/Da 5 Bloods (5)

5) Bill Murray/On the Rocks (3)

6) Paul Raci/Sound of Metal (-)

7) Stanley Tucci/Supernova (8)

8) Mark Rylance/Trial of the Chicago 7 (4)

9) David Stratharin/Nomadland (6)

10) Charles Dance/Mank (-)

Other possibles: Glynn Turman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Eddie Redmayne/Trial of the Chicago 7, Aldis Hodge/One Night in Miami, Frank Langella/Trial of the Chicago 7.

Hot: Daniel Kaluuya/Judas and the Black Messiah, Paul Raci/Sound of Metal, Charles Dance/Mank

Not: Bill Murray/On the Rocks, Mark Rylance/Trial of the Chicago 7, David Stratharin/Nomadland

On Thursday I'll update predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay.

VARIETY'S BIGGEST MOVIES

In a story entitled "The Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2021, Variety chronologically names 33 films to their list.  Of that 33, seven are films that I feel like could be TFF #48 films:

The French Dispatch (which Variety says is a "summer" release)

Dune (10/1)

The Last Duel (10/15)

Nightmare Alley (December)

And films for which a release date has yet to be announced:

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Soggy Bottom (or whatever Paul Thomas Anderson ultimately calls it)

Annette

The complete listing of all 33 films from Variety is linked here.

DEADLINE'S MOST INFLUENTIAL FILMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Deadline staff folks have come up with a listing of what they say are the most influential films of the 21st century (so far).  There are 21 films named.  Of that 21 six where TFF films:

Parasite

Roma

The Shape of Water

Moonlight

Slumdog Millionaire

There Will Be Blood (which I always count as a TFF film due the screening of a chunk of the film as part of the 2007 tribute to Paul Thomas Anderson)

I can't really argue with the choices from TFF but a surprising omission, to me at least, is Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave.

The complete list and commentary can be found via this link.

NBP SAYS THESE ARE YOUR BEST BETS FOR INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Next Best Picture's Tom O'Brien writes in a piece dated  Dec. 30, 2020 that there are 10 films out in front of the pack in the International Feature Oscar race.  Of his list of 10, a couple would have played at a TFF #47: Charlatan (Czech Republic) and Never Gonna Snow Again (Poland).

I would toss in the notion that there are a couple of other TFF #47 choices that could also land in the convo:  Apples (Greece) and Notturno (Italy).

The complete list from NBP is linked here.

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Oscar Update: Best Actress / Capri Hollywood Honors Two TFF #47 Films / Where to Watch TFF #47 Films

OSCAR UPDATE: BEST ACTRESS

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Actress updated since I last posted this category on  Nov. 23rd.  A performer's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 performers are indicated in Bold.

1) Frances McDormand/Nomadland (1)

2) Vanessa Kirby/Pieces of a Woman (2)

3) Viola Davis/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(3)

4) Carrie Mulligan/Promising Young Woman (4)

5) Andra Day/The United States vs. Billie Holiday (8)

6) Meryl Streep/The Prom (10)

7) Michelle Pfeiffer/French Exit (7)

8) Sophia Loren/The Life Ahead (5)

9) Kate Winslet/Ammonite (6)

10) Amy Adams/Hillbilly Elegy (9)

Other possibles: Meryl Streep/Let Them Talk, Carrie Coon/The Nest

Hot: Andra Day, Meryl Streep

Not: Sophia Loren, Amy Adams

 The next Oscar Update will focus on Best Actor.

CAPRI HOLLYWOOD HONORS TWO TFF #47 SELECTIONS

It was announced this week that Capri Hollywood-The International Film Festival will honor Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw's documentary The Truffle Hunters as well as  Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno.  The Hollywood Reporter ran the story on Dec. 19th.  Both films continue to maintain momentum for potential Oscar consideration

Capri Hollywood will be different this year.  Like many fests, it will be virtual this year.

The complete THR article is linked here.

WHERE TO WATCH TFF #47 FILMS

Telluride Film Festival organizers released information this past week about what platforms, festivals and websites would allow access to the films that were selected for the TFF #47 that might have been.  That list of what is available and where was published at tellurideinside.com

Information also includes theatrical release plans for many of the films on the TFF #47 list.

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The Playlist 100 and TFF #48? / Oscar Update: Best Picture / Acquisition News / BIFA Nominations Include TFF #47 Films / Ammonite: The Details of the True Story

THE PLAYLIST 100 AND TFF #48?

Each year around this time The Playlist maps out a list of its 100 most anticipated films for the following year. each year I try to cull some ides for what might be in the mix as possible choices for Telluride.  Last year's assessment ended up with me picking 12 films as possible for TFF #47.  That list ended up having two films that were on TFF's announced list of films for 2020: Nomadland and Mainstream. 

In my defense...Covid-19 happened.  Among the 12 films I named, five were Netflix films ( Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The White Tiger and Midnight Sky) and who knew then that Netflix would opt not to festival any films.

Several have yet to be released and some of those actually will be on the list below of films for the 2021 edition of TFF Such as: Stillwater, Bergman Island, Nightmare Alley and Dune.

So, from the new list for 2021 maybe look out for a couple of these titles to make the TFF #48 schedule:

94) The Woman in the Window

90) Bigbug

88) The Mad Woman's Ball

86) The Last Duel

78) Land

76) The Electric Life of Louis Wain

59) The Velvet Underground

54) Stillwater***

50) The Eyes of Tammy Faye

47) The Card Counter

42) Babylon

36) Les Olympiades

17) Petite Maman

16) Annette

10) The Tragedy of Macbeth

8) Blonde

7) The Power of the Dog

6) Bergman Island***

4) Nightmare Alley***

3) The French Dispatch

*** Was on last year's list

The complete Playlist 100 is linked here.

OSCAR UPDATE: BEST PICTURE

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Picture updated since I last posted this category on  Nov. 16th.  A film's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 films are indicated in Bold

1) Nomadland (1)

2) Mank (2)

3) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (3)

4) Minari (6)

5) One Night in Miami (5)

6) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (7)

7) The Father (4)

8) News of the World (9)

9) Da 5 Bloods (8)

10) Judas and the Black Messiah (-)

Possibles: Promising Young Woman, Soul, Sound of Metal

Hot: Minari, Judas and the Black Messiah

Not: The Father, Soul

ACQUISITION NEWS

A couple of TFF #47 listed films were acquired for North American release within the past week.  Agniezska Holland's Charlatan was picked up by Strand Releasing according to reporting from Variety.

Here is the link to the Variety story.

Meanwhile Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno (which is looking to land Oscar nominations for Best International Feature and Best Documentary) was acquired for North America by Neon's Super LTD.  That story came from The Hollywood Reporter.

Here is the link to the story from The Hollywood Reporter.

BIFA NOMINATIONS INCLUDE TFF #47 FILMS

The British Independent Film Association announced their nominees for outstanding work in Brit indy film this past week and Florian Zeller's The Father (and TFF #47 selection) did quite well with six nominations which included: Best British Independent Film, Best Director (Zeller) , Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Screenplay (Zeller and Hampton), Best Editing and Best Production Design.

In a bit of a surprise Olivia Colman was not nominated for Supporting Actress for The Father.

Other TFF #47 films were in the mix as well.

Ammonite was nominated for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hair.

Nomadland and Notturno were both nominated in the Best International Independent Film category. 

Here's the complete rundown of all of the BIFA nominees from Variety.

AMMONITE: THE DETAILS OF THE TRUE STORY 

The Los Angeles Times' Mark Olsen took an in-depth look at the true story behind Francis Lee's Ammonite starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan.  The film is now available on premium video on demand in a number of outlets.

Here's the link to the story.

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Oscar Update: Best Supporting Actor / Indiewire's Top 20 and TFF / Submissions Are In for Oscar's International Films

 OSCAR UPDATE: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Supporting Actor updated since I last posted this category on  Nov. 5th.  A performer's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 performers are indicated in Bold.

1) Leslie Odom, Jr./One Night in Miami (3)

2) Sacha Baron Cohen/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (1)

3) Bill Murray/On the Rocks (4)

4) Mark Rylance/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (5)

5) Chadwick Boseman/Da 5 Bloods (2)

6) David Startharin/Nomadland (6)

7) Daniel Kaluuya/Judas and the Black Messiah (8)

8) Stanley Tucci/Supernova (-)

9) Frank Langella/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (9)

10) Yahya Abdul-Mateen II/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (-)

Others: Eddie Redmayne/The Trial of the Chicago 7, Charles Dance/Mank, Arliss Howard/Mank, Thomas Pelphrey/Mank

Hot: Odom/One Night in Miami, Tucci/Supernova, Abdul-Mateen II/Trial of the Chicago 7

Not: Boseman/Da 5 Bloods

INDIEWIRE"S TOP 20 and TFF

Indiewire's Eric Kohn has posted his selection of the 20 best films for 2020 and the list contains films that played at TFF #46 as well as films that were on the TFF #47 announced list.  TFF films that were on Kohn's list are:

#12 The Assistant (TFF #46)

#7 The Climb (TFF #46)

#4 Nomadland (TFF #47)

#1 First Cow (TFF #46)

Kohn's complete list is linked here.

SUBMISSIONS ARE IN FOR OSCAR'S INTERNATIONAL FILMS

The deadline has come and gone for submission for International Film Oscar submissions.  As you might expect, some TFF #47 choices were submitted.  Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist has handicapped the field and among the more likely players for an Oscar nomination in his assessment are these TFF #47 selections:

Apples/Greece

Charlatan/Czech Republic

Notturno/Italy

Never Gonna Snow Again/Poland

Here's Ellwood's complete list of predictions from The Playlist.

Additionally, from Matt neglia at Next Best Picture, here's the complete list of all submissions.

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Oscar Update: Best Actor / IDA Nominations and TFF #47 / Dweck and Kershaw on The Truffle Hunters / Italy Chooses Notturno / THR's Favorites of the Decade

OSCAR UPDATE: BEST ACTOR

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Actor updated since I last posted this category on  Oct. 29th.  A performer's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 performers are indicated in Bold.

1) Chadwick Boseman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2)

2) Anthony Hopkins/The Father (1)

3) Delroy Lindo/Da 5 Bloods/ (4)

4) Gary Oldman/Mank (3)

5) Riz Ahmed/Sound of Metal (6)

6) Tom Hanks/News of the World (5)

7) Steven Yeun/Minari (7)

8) Kingsley Ben-Adir/One Night in Miami (-)

9) Ben Affleck/The Way Back (8)

10) George Clooney/The Midnight Sky (-)

Others: Colin Firth/Supernova, Daniel Kaluuya or LaKeith Stanfield/Judas and the Black Messiah

Hot: Bosman, Ahmed, Ben-Adir, Clooney

Not: Firth

IDA NOMINATIONS AND TFF #47

The International Documentary Association announced nominations for this year's crop of docs and a couple of TFF #47 films were among the most nominated.  Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw's The Truffle Hunters and Sam Pollard's MLK/FBI were two of the most honored films as each film nabbed three nominations apiece.  

The Truffle Hunters (which admittedly has now become a bit of an obsession for me this awards season) was nominated for Best Feature Doc, Director(s) and Cinematography.  

Meanwhile, MLK/FBI was nominated for Best Doc Feature, Director an ABC Video Source Award and Director Sam Pollard was also cited for a career achievement.

Also from TFF #47, short docs The Lost Astronaut from director Ben Proudfoot was nominated as was Unforgivable from director Marlen Vinayo.

The complete list of IDA nominees is linked here from Next Best Picture.

DWECK AND KERSHAW ON THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS

A couple of big interviews this week with the directors of The Truffle Hunters.  Eric Kohn of Indiewire leads a 40ish minute video interview with Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck about the film as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series.  That is here from YouTube:

Additionally, Dweck and Kershaw also were interviewed by Pat Saperstein for Variety and that was posted yesterday.  That interview/profile is linked here.

ITALY CHOOSES NOTTURNO

Italy has anmed Gianfranco Rosi's documentary, Notturno as its official selection for competition for the Academy Awards Best International Feature category.  The film was a selection of TFF #47.  Notturno is described as:

"a new documentary is an immersive portrait of those trying to survive in the war-torn Middle East."

In addition to TFF #47, the film was also selected by Toronto, New York, London, IDFA and the AFI Fest among others.

Notturno was chosen over the Edoardo Ponti project The Life Ahead which features the first performance from legend Sophia Loren since Rob Marshall's Nine in 2009.

Variety has the story here.

THR'S FAVORITES OF THE DECADE

The Hollywood Reporter polled 3,500 "industry professionals" and asked them for their "favorite movies" of the decade.  The results of that poll were published Wednesday and TFF films did well.  Among the top 20 fave films of the decade that made an appearance at TFF:

#20 The King's Speech

#11 Birdman

#9 Argo

#6 La La Land

#2 12 Years a Slave

Lots of big budget actioners and superhero films made the list and Jordan Peele's Get Out was named the overall favorite of the decade.

The complete list of 20 films from THR can be found linked here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

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Oscar Update: Best Supporting Actress / TFF #47 Docs Short Listed / Bee Gees Doc Is Dated by HBO / Tidbits

 OSCAR UPDATE: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Here are my latest Oscar nomination predictions for Best Supporting Actress updated since I last posted this category on  Oct. 1st.  A performer's past position is indicated to the right in parentheses.  TFF #47 performers are indicated in Bold.

1) Olivia Colman/The Father (1)

2) Amanda Seyfried/Mank (2)

3) Glenn Close/Hillbilly Elegy (4)

4) Saoirse Ronan/Ammonite (3)

5) Helena Zengel/News of the World (5)

6) Ellen Burstyn/Pieces of a Woman (6)

7) Youn Yuh-jung/Minari (-)

8) Maria Bakalova/Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (-)

9) Lily Collins/Mank (-)

10) Meryl Streep/The Prom (7)

TFF #47 DOCS SHORT LISTED

The International Documentary Association announced their short list for their awards this past week and three films from the TFF #47 announced list made the cut:

Sam Pollard's MLK/FBI

Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno

Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw's The Truffle Hunters

According to Indiewire's Anne Thompson, the IDA will announce nominees on Nov. 24th and winners will be announced via a virtual ceremony at some point in January 2021.

Here's the link to the full story from Thompson/Indiewire.

BEE GEES DOC IS DATED BY HBO

Frank Marshall's documentary about the Bee Gees, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend Broken Heart, which was a TFF #47 selection has been scheduled by HBO and HBO Max.  Deadline reports that the film will drop on HBO on Dec. 12th at 8:00pm (EST) and that it will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

HBO also released a first trailer for the film this past week.  Here that is from YouTube:

The complete Deadline article is linked here.

TIDBITS

Among this Monday's "Tidbits"...

The Cannes Film Festival has announced three separate contingency plans for re-scheduling should Covid conditions in France require that they move off their currently scheduled (and traditional) dates in May (11-22).  Variety reports that Cannes organizers are eye-balling three different sets of dates in July and August.

The whole Variety story is here.

AND... Searchlight Films have grabbed a new film in development.  Currently titled Dust, the film has Clare Foy attached to star at the moment.  I include it into today's post for a couple of reasons:

1) Searchlight and Telluride have had a really good relationship over the years...sooo...maybe a future TFF selection.  and

2) The film is set in the dust bowl of 1930's Oklahoma.  Yea...that's right...the film is set 90 years ago in my backyard.  HELLO SEARCHLIGHT...Location shooting?  Call me.  Extras in the area: Give me a ring-a-ding.  Research co-ordination: Hello???  I mean Guymon, OK. is literally the heart/bullseye for the Dust Bowl.  My only actual IMDb entry is the special thanks for Ken Burns' The Dust Bowl.  The wife and I did some location scouting and co-ordination.

Here's the link to the story about the Searchlight acquisition of the film and some of the details from The Wrap.

And, by way of proof, the screenshot of my Dust Bowl credit from IMDb:

That's Monday...BTW...if you haven't already...vote tomorrow.

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Oscar 2021-First Attempt at Best Picture / Trailer for The Father / Rosi Talks Notturno / McDormand's Side Hustle?

OSCAR 2021-FIRST ATTEMPT AT BEST PICTURE

Well...here we are.  Normally (and I am really tired of writing the word "normally") I'd be collating rating data from TFF attendees and industry professionals as we rated the films that had been screened at the 47th Telluride Film Festival.

Also, normally, I'd be gathering thoughts about making the turn into Oscar season for this space.  Traditionally, after TFF is done this space becomes a tracker, of sorts, for TFF films that become part of the Oscar conversation-and that's still going to be true.  It's just going to be different for a variety of reasons.

1) We have a list of TFF #47 films that none of us saw in Telluride.  That list, however, is going to count for my approach this year.  They are the TFF #47 films I'll be paying attention to.

2) It's a significantly longer Oscar season this time around.  The Academy added two months to the eligibility period as a response to the effects of Covid-19 on the film industry meaning that the window to screen a film so that it would be Oscar eligible went from Dec. 31 to Feb. 28.  It also moved the ceremony to the end of April.  There has been a bit of scuttlebutt that The Academy might further adjust their calendar but at the moment my expectation is that they'll stick with the current dates irrespective of any other considerations such as...

3) The release schedule is...um...fluid.  Frankly, I doubt that the "moveable feast" of what gets released when is over.  The big test case of releasing Christopher Nolan's Tenet to underwhelming box office in its first week and Warners decision to keep the box office numbers under wrap for its second week will probably mean more release date shuffling.  That makes Oscar eligibility for some big films a moving target.

So, I'm going to do the best I can here...but...wow...it's a challenge.

That said...here's my first stab at predicting the Best Picture Oscar for 2020 (and part of 21) with a couple of caveats and comments about the unique circumstances.  TFF #47 films are listed in Bold.

BEST PICTURE

1) Nomadland (Zhao)
2) Mank (Fincher)
3) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Sorkin)
4) West Side Story (Spielberg)
5) Da Five Bloods (S. Lee)
6) News of the World (Greengrass)
7) Ammonite (F. Lee)
8) The French Dispatch (Anderson)
9) Dune (Villeneuve)
10) Hillbilly Elegy (Howard)

That said...I believe fully 4-5 of these films may end up being moved out of the screening eligibility window: West Side Story, News of the World, The French Dispatch, Dune and maybe Hillbilly Elegy.

I can easily envision that any or all of these might hold off for a Cannes premiere or a summer 2021 release or even being held as long as November-December 2021.

So, I'm going list five more films that either have already fit into the new Oscar eligibility window or probably will:

11) The Father (Zeller)
12) Tenet (Nolan)
13) One Night in Miami (King)
14) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Wolfe)
15) Minari (Chung)


TRAILER FOR THE FATHER


From Sony Pictures Classics we have this new trailer for The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.  Both are getting serious Oscar buzz for their performances.  Here's the new trailer from YouTube:

ROSI TALKS NOTTURNO

Alex Ritman, writing for The Hollywood Reporter has a new interview with the director of the documentary Notturno.  Gianfranco Rosi's doc about the Middle East has been a choice of a number of film fests in addition to Telluride with inclusions by Toronto, Venice and New York as well.

Here's that interview from The Hollywood Reporter.


MC DORMAND'S SIDE HUSTLE?

Marta Balaga reports that Frances McDormand was so successful in creating her character for the upcoming Nomadland that a Target store in one of the Nebraska communities in which the film was shooting offered McDormand a job.

McDormand plays a character that becomes a "nomad" in America during the Great Recession.

Balaga's story was in Variety and is linked here.



MLK/FBI HAS DISTRIBUTION

Deadline reports that IFC Films has acquired Sam Pollard's MLK/FBI for U.S. distribution.  That story appeared on Tuesday.  Deadline additionally reported that IFC will release the film on Jan. 15, 2021.

The film focuses on the FBI's surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960's as the civil rights icon's influence grew.

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BFI-London Announces / Teaser Trailers for Nomadland and Mandibles / New Photos of Mainstream and Mandibles/ Interviews: Zhao, Coppola and More / Ronstadt Short Doc Acquired

BFI-LONDON ANNOUNCES

The BFI-London Film Festival announced its 2020 slate on Tuesday morning.  Five of the feature films selected for its main slate were also among the 29 films officially selected by the Telluride Film Festival for its 47th edition that had to be canceled.

Three of the titles have become common place additions to a number of film fests:

Francis Lee's Ammonite
Chloe Zhao's Nomadland
Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno

In addition to those three LFF also selected After Love and Never Gonna Snow Again.

The BFI-London Film Festival will take place Oct. 7-18 and will largely be presented virtually but will have a live cinema presentation of some films as a part of its programming.


TEASER TRAILERS FOR NOMADLAND AND MANDIBLES

Teaser for Nomadland:

Mandibles Trailer from YouTube:

NEW PHOTOS OF MAINSTREAM AND MANDIBLES

From Mandibles:

From Mainstream:

INTERVIEWS WITH THE CREATORS OF NOMADLAND, MAINSTREAM, THE DUKE AND NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN



***Chloe Zhao/Nomadland from The Hollywood Reporter

***Gia Coppola/Mainstream from The Hollywood Reporter

***Roger Michell/The Duke from Variety

***Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert/Never Gonna Snow Again from Variety



RONSTADT SHORT DOC ACQUIRED

photo via Variety and The Shout! Factory

Last year at TFF #46 programmers selected to screen the fantastic documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.  Now comes news that a second Ronstadt doc that was chosen for inclusion on the TFF #47 list has been acquired for release by Shout! Studios.

The short doc (runtime about 40 min.) is titled: Linda Ronstadt and the Mockingbirds focuses on a trip to Mexico as Ronstadt explores her musical roots.

The story was reported by Variety and says that the new work is a follow on to last year's film.

Variety reports that the new film is expected to have a 2020 release on various platforms.

The complete Variety story is linked here.

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