What the Hell Is Going On? / We Have a Poster! / Toronto Announces Some Films Today?

 WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

Figuring out Telluride is never an easy task but this year takes the cake.  Writers' strike, Actors' strike...nothing is stable...all is squishy.

Late Friday/Saturday:

1) Guadagnino's Challengers backs out of Opening Venice and sets a new release date in late April 2024.  Any chance that it might have been a TFF #50 possibility is all but obliterated.  The reason?  No Zendaya because of the SAG-Aftra strike.

2) Bradley Cooper's Maestro going to New York?  That's what World of Reel suggests based on reporting from Indiewire.  If true, that means no TFF #50 bow for the film from Netflix.

3) Also seemingly out of Telluride 2023 is Hayao Miyazaki's anticipated The Boy and the Heron which Indiewire's Eric Kohn suggests might be Opening Toronto '23.  And yes, that would mean no TFF #50 play.

4) However in that same Kohn/Indiewire post there seems to be a level of assurance that Ethan Hawkes' Wildcat WILL PLAY in T-ride over Labor Day.  Kohn writes:

"Buyers are already circling potential TIFF pickups like Ethan Hawke’s “Wildcat,” which stars his daughter Maya Daisy Hawke as Flannery O’Connor. Hawke plans to promote the movie, also expected at Telluride"

5) Intriguingly...none of the news of the last 72+ hours would preclude a North American premiere of either Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon or Fincher's The Killer.  Think on that.

WE HAVE A POSTER!

TFF's 50th edition poster from Meow Wolf artist Luke Dorman (who did the super TFF #48 poster) has been released:

The cool thing here is that Dorman includes Easter eggs for all of the previous TFF posters.  

TORONTO ANNOUNCES SOME FILMS TODAY?

Media reports indicate that the Toronto International Film Festival is likely to announce some of their confirmed titles today after having slid by on July 19th with only a single title named.

You'll want to be paying attention if this actually transpires to the "premiere status" announced for each film as that can give us clues as to whether or not a film may be playing at TFF #50.

I'll be on the road when and if this announcement happens so I may be a bit late to the game in as far as noting what might be in and out vis-a-vis TFF #50.  Rest assured, MTFB will get caught up ASAP.

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB's Facebook Page

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

So There's This Strike Thing... / Indiewire Reports...Nyad? / Could We See Hayao After All?

SO THERE'S THIS STRIKE THING...

I wrote on Thursday that the SAG-AFTRA strike had been called and that there was some uncertainty about what effect that might have on Telluride and other film festivals.  As of this morning's post there really isn't a clear idea yet.  I am waiting to see if the first casualty for film fests is that either Toronto or Venice or both alter their announcement plans.  Toronto is set to announced their first wave of films on Wednesday and Venice is to follow next week on July 25.

I suspect that most festival-goers are crossing their collective fingers that the strike is settled quickly and festivals can proceed normally.  Frankly, I don't think the signs point to a rapid conclusion and past some undefined date the potential for "talent" to be on site to promote their films becomes impossible.

I ran across a good early take on the strike and festivals from Variety's Clayton Davis.  Here's the link to that.

Davis writes in part:

"Of all the upcoming festivals, Telluride may be the least impacted by the SAG and WGA strikes. That’s because there are no press conferences and lavish step-and-repeats outside of the various venues around town." 

Davis reports later in the post that:

“Telluride will be mostly unaffected,” one studio executive tells Variety. “I can’t say the same for the others.”

There have even been some speculation in the ether that Telluride might end up landing some screenings that might not otherwise have made the trip to Colorado as a result of distribs/studios and producers baling on original plans.

INDIEWIRE REPORTS...NYAD?

Anne Thompson, also writing last Thursday about the effect of SAG-AFTRA'S strike on the upcoming film festivals revealed that Annette Bening was to have been a TFF tribute recipient (and I guess still could be should the strike be settled in time) and that her film Nyad would be a part of the TFF #50 lineup.  Nyad was #5 on last week's Ten Bets list.

Thompson also implies that it's likely that Nyad stills screens in Telluride.

From her post:

"Scratch rumored tribute star Annette Bening, star of Netflix release “Nyad.” Directors like Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi will be carrying the ball at Telluride"

Take a look at the complete post here.

COULD WE SEE HAYAO AFTER ALL?

Hardly any hard news about what is purportedly animation master Miyazaki Hayao's final film has been forthcoming over the past few months.  I have noted here that Hayao has had a sturdy presence at Telluride over the last couple of decades but consistent indications that his new film would not be playing any festivals has kept me from even considering it for a place among the Ten Best Bets for Telluride or even among the possibilities.

That, however. might be changing.

Variety's Patrick Frater, among others, reported this weekend that U.S. distributor Gkids had acquired what has been known as How Do You Live and will release it in the U.S. under the title The Boy and the Heron.

Even more intriguing was this passage from the reporting:

"Gkids indicated that it would give “The Boy and the Heron” a North American theatrical release “later this year.” The picture is also expected to make appearances at various fall festivals." 

My thinking is that if festivals are back in play then Telluride has a very good shot at screening the new film as a part of TFF #50.

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB's Facebook Page

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays