Obsessing about the Telluride Film Festival and the film awards season since 2008!
"The best blog out there for predicting what will be going to Telluride."-Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
"The Nostradamus of Telluride"
-Tim Appelo, Movies for Grownups
"But it's our job." - Anne Thompson, Indiewire
Oscars #94 are in the book and so it's time to get serious about potential titles for TFF# 49. To that end, I'm parsing this week's post from Indiewire that names their 50 hoped for films for the Cannes Film Fest, which as many MTFB readers know, is often the starting line for films that make The SHOW. So...here are films from the Indiewire list that seem to me to be Telluride potentials:
Celine Sciamma's critically acclaimed Petite Maman, which was a part of the TFF #48 lineup, has a U.S. trailer as of this week. The film's poster can be seen above and the film drops in the U.S. on April 22nd.
Here's the trailer:
MORE KILLERS FOR YA
Word from The Tulsa World (after a heads up from Jordan Ruimy's World of Reel) that Martin Scorsese will be returning to Oklahoma in May to shoot additional footage for Killers of the Flower Moon.
As close readers of MTFB know, I was a background player for KOTFM in August. Reading between the lines of the Tulsa World story, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be called back for the new scenes.
Of course it is my great hope that Killers plays Telluride this year. I will volunteer to be present as a "cast member" for each of its screenings at The SHOW. A friend of mine who also worked the film gifted me with a cast/crew baseball cap this week. You might see me sporting it on Labor Day weekend.
WORLD OF REEL SURVEY THE BEST OF THE 70'S
Speaking of Ruimy's World of Reel, he posted a survey of folk about the best films of the 1970's on Mar. 31.
Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather topped the list.
Somewhat unbelievably, I was included in the survey. Others that were also counted included:
David Ansen/Newsweek
Peter DeBruge/Variety
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter
Peter Howell/The Toronto Star
Larry Karaszewski/Screenwriter, The People vs. Larry Flynt
Dave Karger/Turner Classic Movies
Eric Kohn/Indiewire
Todd McCarthy/Deadline
Daniel Waters/Screenwriter, Heathers
The 15 films I submitted (and where they ended up in the overall)
Taxi Driver (3) The Godfather (1) The Godfather Part II (4) Apocalypse Now (6) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (24) Nashville (7) Jaws (5) The Last Picture Show (25) Deliverance (-) American Graffiti (34) Chinatown (2) Dog Day Afternoon (15) Network (10) All the Presidents Men (9) All That Jazz (28)
Here's an update for my predictions of the lead acting categories for the 94th Academy Awards. As always, TFF #48 performers are in Bold. The performers' last position in these predictions is indicated to the right in parentheses. These categories were last predicted on Oct. 21st.
LEAD ACTING
BEST ACTRESS
1) Kristen Stewart/Spencer (1)
2) Jessica Chastain/The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2)
3) Lady Gaga/House of Gucci (5)
4) Olivia Colman/The Lost Daughter (4)
5) Frances McDormand/The Tragedy of Macbeth (3)
Alternates: Penelope Cruz/Parallel Mothers and Jodie Comer/The Last Duel
BEST ACTOR
1) Will Smith/King Richard (1)
2) Denzel Washington/The Tragedy of Macbeth (2)
3) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Power of the Dog (3)
4) Pere Dinklage/Cyrano (4)
5) Andrew Garfield/tick, tick...BOOM (5)
Alternates: Joaquin Phoenix/C'mon C'mon and Clifton Collns/Jockey
NEW CATEGORIES:
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1) Dune
2) The Tragedy of Macbeth
3) Belfast
4) The Power of the Dog
5) West Side Story
Alternates: Nightmare Alley and Spencer
EDITING
1) Belfast
2) Dune
3) King Richard
4) The Power of the Dog
5) Nightmare Alley
Alternates: West Side Story and Licorice Pizza
PRODUCTION DESIGN
1) Dune
2) Nightmare Alley
3) The French Dispatch
4) West Side Story
5) The Tragedy of Macbeth
Alternates: The Power of the Dog and Belfast
BIFA NOMINATIONS AND TFF #48
The British Independent Film Awards announced nominees for its 2021 edition and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast (and TFF #48 selection) co-lead the haul with 11 total nominations. Boiling Point also had 11 nominations. Other TFF #48 films picking up BIFA noms included: Encounter, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Cow, Flee, Petite Maman and TFF #47 selection First Cow. TFF films had a total of 26 nominations.
Here's the breakdown by film:
Belfast (11): Actress (Balfe), Supporting Actress (Dench), Supporting Actor (Hinds), Breakthrough Performer (Hill), Casting, Cinematography, Costumes, Music, Editing, Makeup/Hair and Production Design.
Encounter (4): Actor (Ahmed), Supporting Actor (Chauhan), Music and Sound.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (4): Costume, Effects, Makeup/Hair and Production Design.
Cow (4): Documentary, Cinematography, Editing and Sound.
Flee (1): International Independent Film.
Petite Maman (1): International Independent Film.
First Cow (1) (TFF #47): International Independent Feature.
Indiewire's crew this past week has profiled actor Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) and multi-hypenate Kenneth Branagh (Belfast). Passing those along to you with the following links:
TFF has denied my application to be an accredited journalist again this year. Here's the wording of the denial email:
"We unfortunately unable to offer you media accreditation for the 2021 Telluride Film Festival".
It's been exactly the same language for three years running. They last accredited me in 2018.
Here's a question- anyone else reading this been denied or know of someone who has been denied?
Never a reason. Just "unfortunately unable". And believe me, I've asked for a rationale.
I've been fairly sure that it really comes down to a couple of posts that specifically upset TFF leadership. So, I've tried to be more sensitive to how what I write might be viewed by TFF leadership. Tried very hard after a couple of things that the fest let me know that they were not fond of. Over the last year or so, I have sat on a couple of stories that I felt that the fest would rather not be out of the bag until they were ready. Just a two-three weeks back, I became aware of a situation wherein a film's IMDb listings had it playing at Telluride. Rather than report that, I sent a heads up email to the festival. Those efforts seem to have cut zero ice.
And then there's the general acrimony about what the central organizing principle of this space has been for 13 years.
But, you know, lots of other outlets speculate about possible Telluride selections. Of recent vintage I would point to Pete Hammond's June 18th Deadline post concerning TFF's annual L.A,. party. In that piece Hammond mentions no less than half a dozen films by name and hints at another four from Netflix. Yet, I have little doubt that Mr. Hammond and Deadline will receive accreditation and I wonder if Telluride emailed him a note of approbation like they've emailed me in the past.
Same with Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere yesterday (citing the Jordan Ruimy/World of Reel piece you'll see below, in which he rattles off more than a dozen titles of potential T-ride titles.
"But, Mike, maybe it's just because MTFB has such a small readership?" I hear you asking. And sure, I'll be the first to admit that the blog's numbers aren't big but I would argue that among that number, it lands with some impact. I won't get into followers and industry folks who have reached out over the years to remark to me how valuable a resource this thing has been and is, but it's substantial. And, again, I can imagine someone saying..."well, sure, anyone can claim that what they do has influence-show me the proof." And I'll say...won't name names...but you know who you are.
Also, if it's about smallish numbers...why where my numbers big enough for the eight years I was accredited?
And then there's the point that maybe there are limited spots for journalists. Could be, but they accredited a brand new Oscar outlet in 2019 which had had absolutely no previous experience at the fest.
TEN BETS #5 FOR TFF #48
Well, this is weird. Normally. the first Ten bets after Toronto's first announcement of titles causes a massive re-organization of the Ten Bets in the following post. This year...not so much. Last week's ten Bets and other possibilities were:
1) Something from Mark Cousins***
2) Muhammad Ali/Burns. Burns and McMahon
3) The Card Counter/Schrader
4) The Power of the Dog/Campion
5) Madres Paralelas (Parallel Mothers)/Almodovar
6) The Velvet Underground/Haynes
7) Nightmare Alley/Del Toro
8) A Hero/Farhadi
9) Julia/Cohen and West
10) Spencer/Larrain
Other Possibles: Dune, Where Is Anne Frank?, Paris 13th District and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Blonde, Cow, House of Gucci, The Last Duel, Mothering Sunday and Bergman Island.
***Mark Cousins projects that could play:
The Story of Looking
The Storms of Jeremy Thomas
The Story of Film: The Next Generation
With the addition of information from Toronto our fifth edition of "Ten Bets" looks like this:
1) The Electrical Life of Louis Wain/Sharpe
2) Petite Maman/Sciamma
3) The Card Counter/Schrader
4) Something from Mark Cousins***
5) The Power of the Dog/Campion
6) The Velvet Underground/Haynes
7) Madres Paralelas (Parallel Mothers)/Almodovar
8) Julia/Cohen and West
9) A Hero/Farhadi
10) Spencer/Larrain
Other Possibles: Dune, The French Dispatch, Nightmare Alley, Where Is Anne Frank?, Blonde, Cow, House of Gucci, The Last Duel, Mothering Sunday, Encounter, The Velvet Underground, Muhammad Ali, The Hand of God, Don't Look Up, tick, tick..BOOM, Antlers, Being the Ricardos, Titaine, Pig, C'mon C'mon, The Humans, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Red Rocket, Last Exit: Space, Flee, King Richard.
***Mark Cousins projects that could play:
The Story of Looking
The Storms of Jeremy Thomas
The Story of Film: The Next Generation
Paris 13th District, Bergman Island and The Eyes of Tammy Faye all drop from the "Other Possibles" list as their premiere designation for Toronto indicates that they will not have played Telluride but nary a one of the Ten Bets from last week completely disappears this week and that's remarkably unusual.
Also of interest (to me anyway) is that the only film from this year's initial Ten Bets that looks to be out so far is Mia Hansen-Love's Bergman Island.
LOOKS AT POTENTIALS INCLUDING NEW DUNE TRAILER
Continuing to pass along sporadic looks at films that could make the TFF #48 lineup.
***LATE BREAKING: NEW DUNE TRAILER
***TRAILER AND POSTER FOR RIDLEY SCOTT'S THE LAST DUEL
THE CARD COUNTGER POSTER
TRAILER FOR FLEE
VENICE IS COMING
The Venice film Festival is set to announce the bulk of their lineup next week and the reality is that announcement really doesn't rule anything in or out for Telluride. The real info from Venice will be when they announce their schedule because that will tell you more about what's possible in an overlap between T-ride and Venice. We won't see the schedule until August, though.
We know that Almodover's Madres Paralelas is opening Venice on Sept. 1 and that Denis Villenueve's Dune is set for Sept. 3. Both of those are early enough in the Venetian sked to make a cross Atlantic jaunt and be at Telluride. Films have made that kind of schedule work in the past.
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel, just yesterday posted a "likely for Telluride" list and also some titles that he thinks will NOT play. Among other notes, he's very confident that Del Toro's Nightmare Alley and Dominik's Blonde will not be on the Telluride list. That bums me out as they were two of most hoped for Telluride titles.
The good news is that, in his estimation, Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch is back in Telluride play as well as a number of other films...many of which (seven to be exact) are on the Ten Bets list above.
The Toronto International Film festival announced Galas and Special Presentations this morning and reading the tea leaves of the premiere status they designated each film with, here are some guesses about what they tell us about Telluride in 2021:
PROBABLY PLAYING TELLURIDE:
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Petite Maman
Enocunter
LOOKS LIKE NO TELLURIDE:
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Jagged
Bergman Island
The Worst Person in the World
Drive My Car
Paris 13th District
The Starling
Three Floors
FILMS WE STILL DON'T KNOW ABOUT:
So many...
The Power of the Dog, The Card Counter, Madres Paralelas, Nightmare Alley, The Velvet Underground, A Hero, Spencer, Blonde, House of Gucci, The Last Duel.
And not a peep about Dune, which has been previously announced as a World IMAX Exclusive presentation.
There are more announcements to come from Toronto in next few weeks. Venice is set to announce next week.
Distributor Neon's existence has not been terribly long. The outfit was founded in 2017 and in that short span has landed seven films at Telluride:
2020: Ammonite
2019: Parasite (nominated for six Academy Awards and won four including Best Picture and Director). Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Amazing Grace
2018: Border (Oscar nominated for Best Makeup and Hair), The Biggest Little Farm
2017: The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography
Seven films in four years and still basking in then glow of the success that was Parasite, you have to figure that Neon will land a film or two or three at TFF #48. What might they be?
My guess that the most likely is Celine Sciamma's Petite Maman, her follow-up to the very well received Portrait of a Lady on Fire (noted above as having played at TFF #46). Sciamma could actually double-dip at Telluride should the fest chose to screen Jacques Audiard's Paris 13th District as she is a co-writer of that screenplay.
Also possible for TFF #48 from Neon include:
Pablo Larrain's Spencer starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Memoria
Michael Sarnoski's Pig starring Nicolas Cage as a man searching for his kidnapped truffle hunting pig
Julia Ducournau's Titane
And a couple of documentaries: The First Wave and Ailey.
ODES FOR THE PALME D'OR
The Film Lounge has set odds for films that are rumored as possible Cannes competition selections. At the top of the list is Apichatpong Weerasethekul's Memoria. Weerasethekul previously won the Golden Palm at Cannes back in 2010 for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Its odds are set at 4-1. Currently in the 2nd spot is Asghar Farhadi's A Hero at 9-2. Farhadi's film is on my TFF #48 watch list.
Films that are also on my watch list and their odds are:
