LATE BREAKING: Toronto Titles Today Offer New Telluride Clues

LATE BREAKING: TORONTO TITLES TODAY OFFER NEW TELLURIDE CLUES


Toronto's purported final announcement of titles today sheds light on films that we think are now newly added to our list of T-ride screenings or confirms others that we thought were going or reveals titles that we thought might play that will not.

TIFF announced further Galas, Special Presentations, Masters and Contemporary World Cinema titles earlier today.

Here's what we think we've learned based on the premiere status of the films named:

New films that appear headed to Telluride:

Foxtrot
Lean on Pete
The Insult
First Reformed
Loveless

Films that appear to be further confirmed for Telluride:

The Other Side of Hope
Visages/Villages

Films that WILL NOT BE PLAYING TELLURIDE:

Chappaquiddick
Molly's Game (disppointed about this)
Mark Felt-The Man Who Brought Down the White House
Redoubtable
Happy End

And films confirmed out that we already thought were out:

The Leisure Seeker
The Florida Project


More to come on Thursday...

Toronto...Clarity Soon / Indiewire Speculates / My Own Private Wish List

Hello on this Tuesday...

TORONTO...CLARITY SOON

I am publishing this post about half a hour before the Toronto International Film Festival announces its first wave of films.  That list along with the information TIFF provides should give us some serious notions about what will play in The SHOW this year.

I will be tweeting during and after the live announcement which you can stream live here.  Follow along on Twitter @Gort2.

Tomorrow I will have a special Wednesday post up that gets down to deeper analysis about what we know and what is still unknown.

That said, you might want to take a look a Pete Hammond's Deadline.com piece from yesterday that, among other things says he's pretty solid on five films for Telluride: Wonderstruck, Downsizing, A Fantastic Woman, Battle of the Sexes and Loving Vincent.  Four of five of those are on last Friday's Ten Bets and the other is in the "Other Possibles" list.

By way of reminder...here is last Friday's Ten Bets and Other Possibles again:

1) Wonderstruck
2) Downsizing
3) Visages/Villages
4) Loveless
5) Battle of the Sexes
6) The Florida Project
7) You Were Never Really Here
8) A Fantastic Woman
9) The Other Side of Hope
10) The Current War


Other possibles: 120 BPM, The Shape of Water, The Rider, Loving Vincent, mother!, Happy End, Redoubtable, The Death of Stalin, Ken Burns Vietnam.

You can watch the live announcement from Toronto here.

INDIEWIRE SPECULATES

 There was a big post yesterday from Indiewire of 56 films that they  "want to see" at the fall film festivals.  The article is co-written by Anne Thompson and Dana Harris.  Of course Anne has a terrific relationship with Telluride so maybe take that into account.

The article specifically mentions Telluride in the context of eight films/programs (in the order they appear in the article):

Brad's Status

Battle of the Sexes

Marshall

Downsizing

Lean on Pete

Wormwood (from Errol  Morris)

Ken Burns' Vietnam

Mary Shelly.

Any number of other Telluride possibilities also appear without a specific reference to The SHOW such as The Florida Project and Wonderstruck.

The link to the entire post is here.

MY OWN PRIVATE WISH LIST

Yup.  I have films that I want to make the list of programs for TFF #44.  

Of course I wish we could somehow see Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread (or whatever it is eventually called) starring Daniel Day Lewis in what is purportedly his final role and Spielberg's The Papers and/or Villenueve's Blade Runner 2049.  Those won't be at Telluride and probably won't play at any festival.

So...what do I pine for?  What films do I want at Telluride that realistically could make that journey. Here they are in alphabetical order:

Battle of the Sexes

The Death of Stalin

Darkest Hour

Downsizing

The Florida Project

Molly's Game

The Shape of Water

The Snowman

Suburbicon

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

Of this list of ten, there are three that I feel fairly confident about...maybe four.

That's today's MTFB.  Check back tomorrow for the special Wednesday post about Toronto and follow the Twitter account today @Gort2

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TIFF in a Week / The Usual Suspects 2017 / Mr. Osiason Says... / Redford and Fonda at Venice

Good Tuesday everyone...

TIFF IN A WEEK

The word is that the Toronto International Film Festival will have their first announcement of films for their fest a week from today.  For those of you that have been reading this space for a long time, you know what that means.  For those of you that are new or have been casual readers, here's why that's important:

TIFF will announce each film complete with its "premiere status".  (Venice will too).  When they do that [as we have seen with New York's announcement that Last Flag Flying is a world premiere, so it will not be seen at Telluride] that will tell us some things that allow us in many cases to determine whether a film will/won't or could play TFF #44.  New York's recent announcement that Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck will be its Centerpiece as a "New York" premiere indicates an almost certainty of a Telluride play.

Fort example, if George Clooney's Suburbicon is announced as a World Premiere next Tuesday at TIFF that means it will not play Telluride.  If it's a North American premiere...no Telluride.

If a film is an International premiere...that depends on where else it has already played or will be announced to play. If it's a Canadian Premiere and didn't play Sundance or Tribeca...it's almost certainly headed to Telluride.

Toronto won't announce it's whole lineup but it's crucial to note that the overlap between Toronto and Telluride is historically impressive.  Last year the fests shared 22 titles.  That level of crossover may not quite happen this year owing to TIFF's announcement earlier that they will program 20% fewer titles this year so that should mean a bit less of an overlap.

TIFF will  have other announcements each week as we wind down the summer and we'll need to pay attention to each just as we'll need to scrutinize announcements from Venice, New York and London.

But don't sweat figuring that all out...That's what MTFB is here for.  I'll probably have a special Wednesday edition next week to analyze the TIFF announcement.


THE USUAL SUSPECTS 2017

As I do each summer...here's a look at some of the people that often have projects that land at Telluride, what this year's project is and an assessment of that project's chances of making the TFF #44 lineup:

Ken Burns: Vietnam documentary...25%
Werner Herzog-Exec. Prod. on A Gray State...10%
Alexander Payne-Downsizing...80%
Paul Schrader-First Reformed...10%
Wim Wenders-Submergence...20%
Todd Haynes-Wonderstruck...85%
Alejandro Inarritu-V.R. Installation Carne y Arena...30% (if I could believe that Telluride could find a suitable venue...)
Michael Haneke-Happy End...50%
Stephen Frears...Victoria and Abdul...30%
Lynne Ramsay-You Were Never Really Here...50%
Errol Morris-The Lure...35%
Agnes Varda-Visages/Villages...70%
Ritesh Bakta-Our Souls at Night...20% (see below)
Aki Kaurismaki-The Other Side of Hope...35%
Sebastain Lelio-A Fantastic Woman...40%


MR. OSIASON SAYS...

Jason Osiason is a friend of MTFB and a cinephile to make note of.  He digs as deep as anyone I know with regard to film world so when he makes a practice of sussing out/predicting what will happen there, you'd do well to take note.

Jason has been posting his predix for Telluride choices this summer and, in a spirit of providing my readers with as big a picture as possible, here are his latest comments re: TFF #44:

Jason also added Scott Cooper's Hostiles as a possible and You Were Never Really Here as "hard to believe these don't go".



REDFORD AND FONDA AT VENICE

The Venice Fest announced yesterday that Robert Redford and Jane Fonda will be honored there and their film Our Souls at Night from director Ritesh Bakta will World Premiere there on Sept. 1.

MTFB friend Kenny Miles points out that, despite the WP at Venice, that the film could play there and make the jump to Telluride for Sunday and Monday screenings.  He also makes the point that the film was filmed in Colorado which he believes boosts its chances for a SHOW spot.  That point is very well taken.

My original response was to think that the Venice announcement made the film's TFF #44 appearance unlikely but Mr. Miles analysis makes some sense.  So, I'm not ruling out the film's chances for a T-ride play.

Here's the story of the Venice selection from The Wrap.


That's your Tuesday...more will be here on Thursday...

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TFF #44 Ten Bets #3 / The Playlist Has 50 Films They Want to See / The Darkest Hour Trailer

It's finally Friday...


TFF #44 TEN BETS #3

And so because it's Friday, it's time for the third iteration of MTFB's Ten Bets for Telluride.  It's my weekly attempt to guess what will play at this year's fest ranked in order of what I believe their likelihood to be.

Last week's Ten Bets looked like this:

1) Wonderstruck

2) Loveless

3) Visages/Villages

4) Battle of the Sexes

5) Downsizing

6) The Florida Project

7) A Fantastic Woman

8) The Other Side of Hope

9) 120 BPM

10) You Were Never Really Here

This week's Ten Bets...

1) Wonderstruck

2) Visages/Villages

3) Loveless

4) The Florida Project

5) A Fantastic Woman

6) Battle of the Sexes

7) 120 BPM

8) The Other Side of Hope

9) You Were Never Really Here

10) Downsizing

Others to consider: The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Our Souls at Night, The Rider, Lean on Pete, Loving Vincent.

THE PLAYLIST HAS 50 FILMS THEY WANT TO SEE

Earlier this week The Playlist put up their annual "50 Films We Want to See" at fall film fests.  As a part of that listing the crew there make some predictions about where they think films are likely to appear/premiere.

They specifically mention Telluride in the context of six films (seven if you count a reference from their "other" films beyond the 50 they highlight.  They are:

Battle of the Sexes

The Current War

The Death of Stalin (MTFB comment...yes, please)

Mary Magdalene

mother!

Under the Silver Lake

and Breathe which is mentioned outside their 50

Among others of their 50 films that I have been following as potential T-ride players, here is that list and The Playback's notes regarding where they think the film will screen and/or premiere (and even in the case of these films, a play at any of the fests that are listed doesn't mean that the film would not also play at Telluride):

Blade Runner 2049-Venice (you might remember my comment yesterday about BR2049 maybe not playing any fest)

The Darkest Hour-Venice/TIFF (see below)

Disobedience From the director of A Fantastic Woman (which I think is likely for T-ride)-Venice/TIFF

Downsizing-all they say is that a "fall premiere...is a lock" which would almost certainly be Telluride I would think but there is still buzz concerning whether it will be ready.

Hostiles-AFI

Lady Bird-TIFF

Lean on Pete-Venice/TIFF

Molly's Game-AFI

Roman Israel, Esq-TIFF/AFI

The Shape of Water-TIFF

The Snowman-Venice

Stronger-Venice

Suburbicon-The Playlist says' We hear this already has a major festival slot lined up" but they don't speculate about which one.  They do say to expect an announcement sooner rather than later which would mean that whatever it is, it's not Telluride.  That doesn't preclude a T-ride play, however.

Three Billboards-Venice/TIFF

Wonder Wheel-Venice/NYFF

Wondershock-Venice/TIFF

Again, the entire post is here.

THE DARKEST HOUR TRAILER 

We saw yesterday that we would get a trailer for Joe Wright's Darkest Hour.  The big buzz has been about Gary Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill.  Here's the newly released trailer:

The film is being distributed by Focus Features and is set to be released on Nov. 22nd.  

Here are a couple of stories about the film and its trailer release from:

Indiewire

Deadline

Awards Daily

SlashFilm

There's your MTFB for Friday, July 14th.  More to come next Monday.

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

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Ten Bets #2 for TFF #44 / Wonderstruck Centers New York AND... / A Trailer for California Typewriter

Welcome to Friday Film Fans...


TEN BETS #2 FOR TFF #44

Here we are on a Friday in July once again which means it's time for our weekly update of my list of ten films that seem, at least at this point, the most likely to play as a part of this year's Telluride Film Festival.

Last week's first attempt looked like this:

1) Loveless
2) A Fantastic Woman
3) Wonderstruck
4) Visages/Villages
5) The Florida Project
6) Downsizing
7) You Were Never Really Here
8) 120 BPM
9) The Rider
10) Battle of the Sexes

The Next Bets, in no particular order of likelihood:  Happy End, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Current War, Loving Vincent, Lean on Pete, Redoubtable, Spoor.

In light of bits and pieces of information, here's this week's Ten Bets:

1) Wonderstruck

2) Loveless

3) Visages/Villages

4) Battle of the Sexes

5) Downsizing

6) The Florida Project

7) A Fantastic Woman

8) The Other Side of Hope

9) 120 BPM

10) You Were Never Really Here

Other films bubbling just below these Ten Bets:

The Rider, Happy End, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, The Current War, Loving Vincent, Lean on Pete, Redoubtable, Spoor.

WONDERSTRUCK CENTERS NEW YORK AND...

The New York Film Festival announced yesterday that Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck will be their Centerpiece this year on Oct. 7th.  Of special note to Telluride followers was the note in the announcement from the Film Society of Lincoln Center that the film would be presented as its New York premiere.  

That implies that the film will have played previously as a North American and U.S. premiere somewhere else.  My conclusion...it plays Telluride.

Here's the FSLC announcement.

And additional coverage of the selection by the NYFF from Indiewire.

In light of this announcement, I moved Wonderstruck up to the number one spot in today's Ten Bets as you can see above.

A TRAILER FOR CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER

One of last year's sort of underground hits at TFF #43 was the documentary California Typewriter. The film acts as a love letter to the machine and the people that still love to use them.  The film is being distributed by Gravitas Ventures and The Playlist reports that it has a domestic release date of August 18th.

The trailer, however, is out and here it is from YouTube:

That's a wrap for this Friday and this week.  More to come on Monday.

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The Distributors: Streamers: Amazon and Netflix / Oscar Experts at 2017's Halfway Mark

Good Monday film fans...

THE DISTRIBUTORS: STREAMERS: AMAZON AND NETFLIX

I have been writing this last couple of weeks about distribution companies, their recent films that have appeared at the Telluride Film Festival and trying to assess what that means as a predictive tool for the lineup this year.  Up until today, I have focused on traditional distributors but today, it's time to look at non-traditional players Amazon and Netflix.

Both companies have been represented at TFF in recent years.  The two companies have evolved different approaches to the delivery of the films that they have produced.  Amazon has, perhaps made the biggest splash in terms of feature films especially last year with the noise Manchester by the Sea made.  Netflix made news this spring as the Cannes Festival announced a policy of requiring films that played there will have to have a French theatrical release to be considered for inclusion.  That was a decision that was pretty clearly aimed at Netflix.

Netflix also made some news recently with a new hire that suggests that they may make a bigger push at awards season recognition.  Anne Thompson at Indiewire reported a couple of weeks ago that the streaming powerhouse had added Julie Fontaine to their crew.  Fontaine has an Oscar track record including last year's La La Land.  That complete story is here.

All of that is a preamble to get to the point that we probably need to look at the lineups for both as a means of trying to fully predict the TFF lineups of the immediate future.  So...

AMAZON STUDIOS

As mentioned, Amazon had Sundance hot Manchester by the Sea make the Telluride lineup in that rare instance where a feature film played both fests.  Manchester ultimately won twos Oscars: Casey Affleck as Best Actor and Kenneth Lonergan for Best Original Screenplay was nominated for an additional four including Best Picture and Direction.

You have to believe that they return to T-ride this year and if you saw last Friday's first Ten Bets for TFF #44 in this space, you know that I have two Amazon Studios pictures on that first list:  Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck (at #3) and Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here (at #7).

Other films that might seem to have the pedigree to make the TFF #44 playlist won't.  Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying was recently named the opening film for the New York Film Fest as a world premiere thus moving it out of T-ride consideration and Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky will open in August.

The only real question is whether we might see Woody Allen's Wonder Wheel which is the only other Amazon film that fits within the potential TFF parameters.  The scheduling of Allen's film with a Dec. 1 release date, Allen's first non-summer release date in a number of years, made me perk up and take notice.  Additionally, I have recently mentioned that Allen films have played Telluride in the past (Bullets Over Broadway and Sweet and Lowdown).  Consequently, you have to at least consider the chance that Wonder Wheel could play Telluride...

But not for very long.  My expectation is that Wonder Wheel plays New York and maybe AFI.

So...

Chances:

Wonderstruck-75%
You Were Never Really Here-55%
Wonder Wheel- 10%


NETFLIX

Netflix jumped into the Telluride mix in 2015 with Beasts of No Nation and Winter on Fire.  Despite the disappointment that Beasts didn't make some noise at the Oscars (though Idris Elba did get a Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination), Netflix returned to Telluride last year with The Ivory Game, Into the Inferno and The White Helmets which git Netflix and Oscar win for Best Documentary Short.

All that said, it appears that the best and maybe only bet for a Netflix play at Telluride this year is Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories which did play Cannes and was generally well received.  As I write this, Netflix has not scheduled a date for it to stream but has also nit indicated any plays for a theatrical release.

Adding to the difficulty in assessing its chances is Baumbach's history at Telluride having played Margot at the Wedding and Francis Ha there but also not having played Mistress America or While We're Young.

My best guess at this time is that the film probably doesn't play T-ride but I'm also not going to completely rule it out.  Chances: 20%.

The other film that could make a play is Mudbound.  The film's debut at Sundance probably moots its T-ride chances despite the success for Manchester by the Sea last year playing Sundance and then Telluride.  Still, the door might be open.  The film was very well received and is thought to be an Oscar contender.  Additionally, star Carey Mulligan seems to have a love affair with T-ride...so...maybe?

Chances:  Also 20%.


OSCAR EXPERTS AT 2017'S HALFWAY MARK

As June has turned into July we've crossed the the halfway point of 2017 and some Oscar prognosticators took the time to review the lay of the land Oscar-wise as we hit the backstretch of the year.

Kristopher Tapley at Variety broke it down into two parts at the end of last week, looking at more indie fare in a Thursday post and then big studio players in  a post on Friday.

If you take a look at both articles, you'll find a number of titles (especially in the indie post) that have been mentioned here over the past few months as possible TFF #44 titles.  Specifically, Tapley suggests that Alexander Payne's Downsizing is a probable TFF play.

Similarly if you take a look at Greg Ellwood's Oscar predictions update for 2017 at the half at The Playlist you'll see that three films from lats Friday's MTFB Ten Bets are on his list of "Likely Contenders" for Best Picture : Downsizing, The Florida Project and You Were Never Really Here.   Also on the "Likely" list is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Current War which I have listed just below my Ten Bets. Additionally, Ellwood includes in his "Potential Nominees" Wonderstruck, Lean on Pete and Battle of the Sexes which also appear either on or just below last week's Ten Bets.

Meanwhile, Clayton Davis of Awards Circuit has also updated his Oscar charts as of yesterday.  His "Predicted Nominees" for Best Picture include: Downsizing and Battle of the Sexes.  His "Next In Line" films include: Three Billboards, Wonderstruck and The Current War.

Other films he mentions that are also somewhere on or near last week's Ten Bets are Lean on Pete and You Were Never Really There.


That's all for today.  More tomorrow.

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The First Ten Bets for TFF #44 / The Distributors: Warners and Paramount / Breathe Will Open BFI- Fest

Welcome my friends...to the machine...for Friday, June 30, 2017.


THE FIRST TEN BETS FOR TFF #44

Well, it's arrived.  Since 2011, I have been formally taking a stab at what films will be at The SHOW with what I call "Ten Bets".  For what will be the seventh year running, those begin appearing the last week of June and will run on a weekly, updated basis until the day before the lineup is actually announced-probably Aug. 31.

As to its success...well, this first one you need to take with a gigantic grain of sodium chloride. The success rate of the first Ten Bets each year is less than impressive.


2011: 8/10
2012: 5/10
2013: 6/10
2014: 7/10
2015: 4/10
2016: 3/10

The average over these past six years 5.5 but as you can see, the last two years have been particularly challenging.  Last year's first list only correctly named Moonlight, Toni Erdmann and Fire at Sea.

Okay then, enough disclaiming...here's your first "Ten Bets" for 2017:

1) Loveless
2) A Fantastic Woman
3) Wonderstruck
4) Visages/Villages

5) The Florida Project
6) Downsizing
7) You Were Never Really Here
8) 120 BPM
9) The Rider

10) Battle of the Sexes

The Next Bets, in no particular order of likelihood:  Happy End, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Current War, Loving Vincent, Lean on Pete, Redoubtable, Spoor.



THE DISTRIBUTORS: WARNERS AND PARAMOUNT

Of the "major" film studios the two that have had the biggest footprint at Telluride over the past few years are Warners and Paramount.

Warners has particularly become a consistent presence in the past five years:

2012: Argo
2013; Gravity, Prisoners
2104:
2015: Black Mass
2016: Sully

Certainly Argo and Gravity worked out well for them both in terms of financial success and Oscar success.  Less so for Black Mass and Sully.  Still, you'd have to think that there's a least a decent shpt that Warners returns in 2017 with one film,  So what's in the Warners cupboard that has Telluride potential?

The big question, and maybe the only question regarding Warners this fall and Telluride is:  Do they bring and does Telluride want Denis Villenueve's Blade Runner 2049?

I've been grappling with that question for most of the spring and into the summer.  The case for it is that it is from Warners and it is directed by Denis Villenueve and he and Telluride have a long and pleasant history:

1998-August 32nd on Earth
2009-Incendies
2013-Prisoners
2016-Arrival

And as I have said a number of times, the inclusion in recent years of Gravity and Arrival make a pretty good empirical evidence for a film like Blade Runner 2049 to make the TFF lineup.

Finally, I suspect that BR 2049 is going to make a big splash when it opens Oct. 6th.  Too many people have wanted anxiously for so long for the sequel to the 1982 original and I believe Villenueve is going to make the material sing.

But...

I still am not completely sold on the idea.  Had anyone been suggesting this style of film for Telluride prior to 2013 I almost certainly would have said "no way" with Villenueve attached or not.  And Villenueve's track record does show a pattern of gaps between Telluride appearances.  So BR 2049 is no cinch for a T-ride play.

Chances: 30%

And at this point, if BR 2049 does NOT play, I doubt Warners has a film at the fest in 2017.

Paramount Pictures has a spotty Telluride resume:

Arrival played in 2016
Anomalisa in 2015
Labor Day 2013
Up in the Air 2009

Paramount has, in my estimation, three films that they could be interested in bringing to Telluride:

Alexander Payne's Downsizing
George Clooney's Suburbicon
Darren Aronfsky's mother!

All three film makers have been at Telluride within the last few years.  Payne has become a regular and as you can see from the Ten Bets above, I expect him back again this year with Downsizing.

Clooney was in Telluride in 2011 with Payne's The Descendants.  Clooney was a tribute recipient that year but hasn't returned.

Aronofsky sneaked Black Swan at the fest in 2010.

Chances:

Downsizing 75%
Suburbicon 30%
mother! 25%


BREATHE WILL OPEN BFI-LONDON FEST

We saw the first signs of Andy Serkis' directing debut yesterday with the trailer for Breathe and the announcement from the BFI-London Film Fest that it would open there on Oct. 4th as an European Premiere meaning that it will world premiere somewhere previously not on the European continent. That almost certainly means a play at Telluride, Toronto and/or New York.

My bet, at the moment is Toronto.

The film is being distributed by Bleeker Street Media which partnered with Netflix in 2015 to release Beasts of No Nation.

Here's the trailer for Breathe from YouTube:

And that's a wrap for Friday.  Enjoy your weekend.


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A Familiar TFFer Will Lead Us / The Distributors: A24 / Adding to Tuesday's Fox Searchlight Analysis

Good Thursday Film Fans!


A FAMILIAR TFFer WILL LEAD US

If you're as glued to Twitter as I usually am and you pay attention to Telluride Film news via that media, then you almost certainly already know that Telluride #44 has a Guest Director.

The word came via press release email yesterday that director Joshua Oppenheimer will Guest Direct for the 2017 edition of TFF.

Ironically, I mentioned Oppenheimer's first appearance at Telluride in last Tuesday's post as a part of my TFF history retrospective.  Tuesday's review was for the 24th TFF in 1997.  Oppenheimer presented The Entire Story of the Louisiana Purchase that year.

Most recently he has presented both The Look of Silence (2014) and The Act of Killing (2012) at the fest.

Here's the full text of the press release from TFF:

BERKELEY, CA – Telluride Film Festival, presented by National Film Preserve LTD., is proud to announce its 2017 Guest Director, Joshua Oppenheimer. The award-winning documentarian is set to select a series of films to present at the 44th Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, September 1-4, 2017.

Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Oppenheimer’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup, will be kept secret until Opening Day.

“The Guest Director program is one of the most essential and wonderful parts of our festival,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Joshua has been a part of the SHOW with several of the incredible films he has made in the past, and now as our Guest Director. His rare combination of intelligence and down-to-earth understanding of humanity will make for a remarkable presentation of films our audience will not want to miss. Further gilding the lily, FilmStruck has joined us as the sponsor of this selection. We are beyond fortunate with this terrific combination of cinematic genius.”

Filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer was born in the US in 1974 and studied filmmaking at Harvard University. Oppenheimer is best known for The Act of Killing (Telluride 2012) and The Look of Silence (Telluride 2014). The Act of Killing (2014 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary) was named Film of the Year in 2013 by the Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll. It won 72 international awards, including a BAFTA, a European Film Award and an Asia-Pacific Screen Award. The Look of Silence (2016 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary) premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI award, and went on to receive another 70 prizes, including an Independent Spirit Award, the IDA Award for Best Documentary Feature, a Gotham Award, and three Cinema Eye Honors. His early shorts have recently been re-released online and on DVD, including The Entire History of the Louisiana Purchase, which premiered at Telluride in 1997. Joshua Oppenheimer was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2014. Oppenheimer is a partner at Final Cut for Real in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.

“You stumble from a cinema into Telluride’s thin air, touched in ways you never imagined possible,” commented Oppenheimer. “You turn to a total stranger to share a thought unthinkable only two hours before. What happened? In the mirror of a great film, you confronted truths from which you normally avert your eyes. You recognised yourself in those delicate, mysterious moments that defy words yet make us human. Telluride's movies are empathy machines, inviting us to find ourselves in people we’d never otherwise know. Julie Huntsinger and Tom Luddy’s annual selection is driven by such curiosity and humanity that you cannot leave Telluride without feeling the responsibility and pain and love that comes with compassion. We emerge connected, reminded that self-absorption ultimately leaves us isolated and fearful. There is no greater privilege than joining Tom and Julie as this year’s guest director, sharing with Telluride’s audience the films that give me the greatest courage, and teach me to practice the widest empathy.”

Past Guest Directors include Volker Schlöndorff , Rachel Kushner, Guy Maddin, Caetano Veloso, Michael Ondaatje, Alexander Payne, Salman Rushdie, Peter Bogdanovich, B. Ruby Rich, Phillip Lopate, Errol Morris, Bertrand Tavernier, John Boorman, John Simon, Buck Henry, Laurie Anderson, Stephen Sondheim, G. Cabrera Infante, Peter Sellars, Don DeLillo, J.P. Gorin, Edith Kramer and Slavoj Žižek.

For more information about Telluride Film Festival, visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

THE DISTRIBUTORS: A24

One of the newest distribution companies to the Telluride experience is A24 and though they are new to TFF, relatively speaking, and though they haven't screened a large number of films at the fest, their presence has made a lot of noise, especially the last two years.

Here's the entire A24 footprint which only begins its T-ride time in 2012:

2016: Moonlight
2015: Room
2014:  _____
2013: Under the Skin
2012: Ginger and Rosa

Brie Larson earned a Best Actress Oscar for 2015's Room and the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

Then there's last year's Moonlight which picked up three Oscars for Best Picture, Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay.  It was also nominated for five others including Direction and Supporting Actress.

That's a very impressive run in an incredibly short time.

My take is that A24 likes getting their product into Telluride and Telluride likes having it there.  As you can see, however, the outfit hasn't ever placed more than a single film in a year in their limited time there and, as you can see above, in 2014 A24 wasn't in T-ride at all.

But could this be the year that the firm lands more than a single title?

Here's the rundown of current A24 films that seem to have a shot at Labor Day:

A Prayer Before Dawn/Sauvaire:  Played at Cannes as a part of the Midnight Screening program where it got a respectable 6.28 average critical rating according to Reini Urban's compilation of Cannes critics.  Chances of it playing seem slight to me.  Chances: 15%.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties/Mitchell.  Another Cannes presentation shown out of competition that had middling critical reception- 5.61 on the Urban compilation.  It could pop at Telluride but I have doubts.  Chance: 15%.

The Killing of a Scared Deer/Lanthimos:  The third A24 film that played Cannes- in the main competition category where it won Best Screenplay.  This coming on the heels of writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos' Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay last year for The Lobster.  Although the Urban combo score was 5.96, its Metacritic score was a solid 84.  I could actually see this making a play at T-ride.  Chances: 50%.

Cannes clip of The Florida Project via YouTube

The Florida Project/Baker:  Regular readers of MTFB know that I am high on this film's chances to play Telluride in light of its performance at Cannes.  It was the third most widely praised film critically at Cannes in any section with an 8.05 combo rating from Urban and a 91 Metacritic score. Sean Baker grabbed a lot of buzz in 2015 for his Tangerine and I expect A24 is going to be working hard to get Willem Dafoe some awards season attention for Best Supporting Actor.  All of that and my intuition makes me think The Florida Project might be heading to Colorado.  Chances: 65%.

Woodshock/Mulleavys:  The one film on the list that A24 didn't play at Cannes.  Kirsten Dunst stars in what looks pretty trippy.  At least that's the way the trailer looks:

I think it looks interesting but I also think it's how A24 looks at approaching Telluride now.  Chances 20%.

And if you were wondering about the Safdie's Good Time with Robert Pattinson; it's set to open in August.

So, it seems to me that your two best A24 best are The Florida Project and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

ADDING TO TUESDAY'S FOX SEARCHLIGHT ANALYSIS

I was perusing  Nancy Tartiglione's post at Deadline earlier today for nuggets that might have popped up in 20th Century Fox's presentation at CineEurope in Barcelona.  A sentence or two caught my eye as FS Exec VP Rebecca Kearey is quoted as suggesting serious festival plays for Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water.  

Here's the direct quote from the post:

Those were joined by Fox Searchlight titles Battle Of The Sexes, Goodbye Christopher Robin , Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape Of Water. Of the latter two, Searchlight EVP of International Marketing & Distribution Rebecca Kearey said they would be playing at many of the fall festivals.


After seeing that, I'm inclined to bump both films' chances of a Telluride play up 5 points from Tuesday's analysis.  So Ebbing goes from 40% to 45% and Shape of Water from from 35% to 40%. I'm leaving Battle of the Sexes at 55% and Goodbye Christopher Robin at 45% for now.

Meanwhile, Pete Hammond from Deadline dropped his belief that Battke of the Sexes has, what he calls a 99% chance to play Telluride.  He also suggested in a story yesterday his belief that Alexander Payne will have Downsizing at TFF #44.  Check out Hammond's story here.


LAST NOTE FOR THURSDAY...

I was reading this story from The Hollywood Reporter yesterday about David Lynch attending the Lucca Film Festival in Tuscany and the fact that he'll be doing some presentations of Twin Peaks;The Return (through seven episodes now on Showtime) and I was reminded that Lynch revealed the first two episodes at Cannes prior to their Showtime presentations.

It also reminded me that I have a theory that master of weirdness might make a return this year to Telluride.  Hear me out...or, I guess, read me out.

Lynch used to be a fairly serious Telluride regular.  As best I can tell Lynch was in Telluride in 1986 with Blue Velvet and Eraserhead.  Screened some of Twin Peaks in 1989 (though only Mark Frost and Michael Ontkean are listed as attending with the show).  Industrial Symphony in 1990, again with no Lynch listed as attending. Lynch received a Telluride Tribute in 1999 complete with screenings of The Straight Story.  In 2001, TFF reportedly "snuck" Mulholland Drive.  I think the last time a Lynch film played the festival was as an executive producer on Werner Herzog's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done in 2009 as a sneak preview.

That's a pretty impressive run of Telluride screenings.

Sooo... how about screening the last two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return at TFF #44?

They're both set to screen on Showtime on Sunday, Sept. 3rd.  Maybe we should kick off the weekend Friday with those two episodes back to back.

It's a thought.


That's a wrap for Thursday.  More tomorrow.

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Lotta Ins, Lotta Outs Part One: Last Flag, Florida and Another Wonder /the 25th Telluride Film Festival Re-visited

It's Tuesday...


LOTTA INS, LOTTA OUTS PART ONE: LAST FLAG, FLORIDA AND ANOTHER WONDER

Yes.  I'm quoting The Dude.  I'm talkin' The Dude here.  Yesterday saw at least three pieces of news that altered some parts of the fall film scene.

First...an "out".  The New York Film Festival announced that Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying will be their opening film and that it will be a world premiere on Sept. 28th.

Cranston, Carell and Fishburne in Last Flag Flying (from NYFF and Collider)

That world premiere status means that the film is off the table in as far as a Telluride play is concerned.

Bums me out a bit as it is a film that I would like to have seen make the TFF #44 lineup.  Bryan Cranston and Steve Carell in a "spiritual sequel" to Hal Ashby's classic The Last Detail? I would have been a very receptive viewer.

And though I never have had it high on my mental list of TFF-possibles...its status as an Amazon Studios film kept me from ruling it out completely.

But it's ruled out now.  No Last Flag at T-ride.

Coverage is linked about the NYFF announcement below:

The New York Film Fest Press Release

Variety

Indiewire

Awards Daily

Collider


And while Last Flag Flying was getting booted off my list, a couple of other films were dated for release yesterday which, in one case, made their Telluride case a little better and in the other might move a film onto the periphery of my list.

Sean Baker's The Florida Project was announced with an Oct. 6th release date.  That puts it in very good chronological position for A24 regarding T-ride and Toronto and a possible awards play.

Florida Project news is here from Variety and here from Indiewire.

Also yesterday, Amazon announced that Woody Allen's latest, Wonder Wheel is getting a release on Dec. 1.  It's Allen's first non-summer release in some time and puts it in play for awards season which means that I might have to pay attention to its chances at Telluride.  I think they're small but...it is Amazon and Allen's Sweet and Lowdown played the fest back in 1999.  So never say never.



Wonder Wheel announcement coverage is here from:

Variety

Indiewire

The Playlist



THE 25TH TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL RE-VISITED

Another in my continuing attempt to document, online, a more thorough examination of the history of the Telluride Film Festival.  Today, a big anniversary fest.  #25.

The 25th Telluride Film Festival ran Sept. 3-7, 1998 (an extra fifth day for the anniversary).

Guest Director: Peter Bogdanovich

Tributes:  Meryl Streep, Vittorio Storaro, Susumu Hani

Special Medallion: Stanley Kauffman

SHOWS:

The Apple
August 32nd on Earth
Autumn Tale
Brakhage

Central Station
Claire Dolan
The Crowd
Dance Me to My Song
Dancing at Lughnasa
Dial HISTORY
Directed by John Ford
The Dreamlife of Angels
Endurance
The Fire Within
Frank Lloyd Wright
The General
Head

Happiness
I Stand Alone
I'm Losing You
The Informer
The Inheritors
It Happened Here
Kindness
The Last Command
Life at Any Cost
Love
M
Make Way for Tomorrow
The Man Who Laughs

Night of the Hunter
My Son the Fanatic
Outskirts
The Reckless Moment
Remous
She and He
Smiles of a Summer Night
Strike
Tango
Touch of Evil
We All Loved Each Other So Much
The Wedding March
Xiu Xiu-The Sent Down Girl

Guests:

Laurie Anderson
Rosanna Arquette
Peter Bogdanovich
John Boorman
Ken Burns
Joan Chen
Monte Hellman
Buck Henry
Chuck Jones
Janet Leigh
Norman Lloyd
Terrence Malick
Leonard Maltin
Errol Morris
Gaspar Noe
Bob Rafaelson
Michael Ritchie
Walter Salles
Barbet Schroeder
Todd Solondz
Vittorio Stararo
Meryl Streep
Bertrand Tavernier
Denis Villeneuve


Interesting (to me anyway) notes:

Terrence Malick at TFF for the documentary he produced: Endurance.  Twin Peaks alum Joan Chen directing Xiu Xiu, Denis Villeneuve with his first feature.


And that's Tuesday.  Back on Thursday...


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

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