"Rudderless" About to Sail/Sapphires' O'Dowd/Cannes Hopes/70,000

Good Monday everyone.

"RUDDERLESS' ABOUT TO SET SAIL

I've been writing about William H. Macy's directing debut "Rudderless" in this space for a long time.  It's co-writer and co-producer, Casey Twenter is a friend of this blog and we've kept up a correspondence over the past several years.  I think that he'd agree that the process of trying to get the film before cameras has been twisty-turny and has had its share of ups and downs.  But now...now, it looks like it's all really happening as there were a flurry of stories about the film in terms of casting and shooting news.

First, the casting news.  We have known for awhile that Macy was going to direct and star and that his real life wife, Felicity Huffman was going to appear in the film as well.  Multiple stories (linked below) confirmed additional casting this week: Laurence Fishburne, Anton Yelchin, Billy Crudup and Selena Gomez.

Further, reports have it that filming will begin in and around Oklahoma City later this month.  This has been confirmed by Mr. Twenter.

I'm particularly struck by the casting of Fishburne and Crudup...who I joked with Casey, ought to be revealed at some point in the film as being Russell Hammond, the character that he played in Cameron Crowe's indelible "Almost Famous"

And, though it kind of pains me to admit this, the Selena Gomez casting virtually guarantees a high visibility factor for this film as regards the Hollywood press and gossip machine.  Gomez has so much heat currently because of her appearance in "Spring Breakers".

Check the numerous reports:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/selena-gomez-billy-crudup-anton-432019

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/billy-crudup-anton-yelchin-selena-gomez-laurence-fishburne-are-rudderless-for-william-h-macy-20130401

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/selena-gomez-anton-yelchin-join-william-h-macy-directorial-debut-83406

http://upandcomers.net/2013/04/01/selena-gomez-and-anton-yelchin-to-star-in-william-h-macys-rudderless/

http://www.flickdaily.com/news/four-join-william-h-macy%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98rudderless%E2%80%99/

SAPPHIRES O'DOWD

Yet another look at Chris O'Dowd and the TFF #39 crowd-pleaser "The Sapphires" :

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0402/odowdc.html

CANNES HOPES

Guy Lodge posts the 10 films he'd like to see at the Cannes Film Festival...as you might expect, the list includes some films that could be in the Telluride mix:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/10-films-were-most-hoping-to-see-at-the-cannes-film-festival

70,000

The blog rolled past its 70,000 view last night sometime...which is small beans to the people who make a living online...but still amazes me.

More on Monday.

Sapphires/Frances Ha/Pilgrim Hill/Mood Indigo

Good Monday morning...the blog is running a little late today...

THE SAPPHIRES CONTINUED ROLLOUT

Interviews, articles and posts continue to pop up about Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires" to coincide with its release in the United States.  On this post I have included an interview with star Chris O'Dowd from The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/the-sapphires-stolen-generation_n_2978688.html

and also an interview with director Wayne Blair from The Chicago Sun Times:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/foreignc/the-sapphires-interview-with-wayne-blair.html

FRANCES HA HAS A TRAILER

And we know this thanks to this report put up by Cinema Blend:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Greta-Gerwig-Noah-Baumbach-Reteam-First-Trailer-Frances-Ha-36194.html


Here's the trailer via YouTube

PILGRIM HILL

Featured in the Great Expectations portion of the TFF #39 program this year, "Pilgrim Hill's" Gerard Barrett talked to The Irish Times this past week about his film:

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/alone-on-the-hill-1.1341869


STILLS FROM "MOOD INDIGO"

A film that has an outside shot at being a part of the Telluride #40 extravaganza is Michel Gondry's "Mood Indigo" which The Playlist has featured in a post that highlights numerous images from the film.  Take a look here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lots-of-new-wonderful-weird-images-from-michel-gondrys-mood-indigo-20130329


More on Thursday!

"Monuments Views"/Oscar Moves/Cannes Hopes/The Sapphires/Wadaja Festivals On/Paradise Love Trailer

Good Thursday morning,

"MONUMENTS" VIEWS

Just Jared has posted a number of photos from the set of the George Clooney directed, co-written and starring vehicle "The Monuments Men".  They feature Clooney and co-star Matt Damon.  You can access them here via Awards Daily:

http://www.justjared.com/2013/03/25/george-clooney-monuments-men-set-with-matt-damon/

OSCAR MOVES

The Academy Awards have been moved to March 2 for 2014 to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics.  That puts it a week later than it was this year.  The Oscars will reportedly move back to the last Sunday in February for 2015.  Check the story from The Wrap:

http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/oscars-move-march-2014-82346

CANNES HOPES

Guy Lodge at HitFix/InContention has posted his list of 10 films that he hopes/thinks will be Cannes choices.  You can see that post here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/10-films-were-most-hoping-to-see-at-the-cannes-film-festival

Included on Lodge's list that I think have some Telluride potential:

"The Past"
"The Congress"
"Twelve Years a Slave"
"Lowlife"


THE SAPPHIRES

Guy Lodge also continues his look at Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires".  Take a look:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/wayne-blair-and-deborah-mailman-on-taking-the-sapphires-from-stage-to-screen

WADJDA GOES FESTIVALING

"Wadjda", which is notable among other things for being a Saudi Arabian film directed by a woman, was highlighted at TFF #39 and now has been selected to open The Gulf Film Festival in Dubai.  That news came from Screen Daily:

http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/wadjda-to-open-gulf-film-festival/5053335.article


PARADISE: LOVE

Ulrich Seidl's "Paradise:Love" which played at TFF #39 has a trailer and is reportedly scheduled to open on April 26.  Here's that trailer:

More on Monday...

More on " Lynne Leaves a Gun"/Cannes' New Poster/Sapphires' O'Dowd

Good Monday morning...

MORE ON "LYNNE LEAVES A GUN"

There's a lot of speculation and back and forth vis-a-vis the departure of director Lynne Ramsay from "Jane Got a Gun" which as far as I know still stars Natalie Portman.  It does NOT star either Michael Fassbender or Jude Law as they have both bolted from the project.  It probably does star Joel Edgerton and probably is being directed by Gavin O'Connor.  It may star Jeff Bridges, Tobey Maguire or Jake Gyllenhall...or none of them.

All of this about a film that at one  point was likely to be on the Telluride #41 watch list...now, who knows if it even gets completed.

I can tell you this, filming IS going on around Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I was in Santa Fe the past couple of days and film crew signage was up to direct cast and crew to locations near there so something appears to be going on amid all the turmoil.  And there reportedly has been a good deal of turmoil.  The Hollywood Reporter had a large post up this week about all of the problems that have bedeviled the project.  That is here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/natalie-portmans-jane-got-a-430317

The Playlist also delved into the story as well:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/did-lynne-ramsay-quit-jane-got-a-gun-over-final-cut-20130322

The Playlist also carried the story that Bridges, Maguire and Gyllenhall might be prospects to replace Law:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jake-gyllenhaal-tobey-maguire-jeff-bridges-eyed-to-replace-jude-law-in-jane-got-a-gun-20130321


Stay tuned...

CANNES' NEW POSTER

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward class up the new poster released this week for the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.  Here's the poster:

And an accompanying story from The Wrap:

https://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/paul-newman-joanne-woodward-kiss-featured-cannes-poster-82166

SAPPHIRES' O'DOWD

Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires" is finally in theaters (in limited release) and Chris O'Dowd, who is outstanding in the film, is getting a lot of love and attention for his work in the film.  Guy Lodge at HitFix/InContention has a nice profile of the Irish actor here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/chris-odowd-on-the-sapphires-making-it-in-america-and-why-hes-no-ken-doll


More on Thursday...

Leigh and SPC/ Lynne Leaves a Gun/Sapphires and Killing

Good Thursday everyone...


LEIGH AN SPC

Mike Leigh has a new project and Sony Pictures Classics has signed up to distribute.  That means that a likely Telluride film for the future is inn the drawing boards since both Leigh and SPC are common fixtures at the TFF.  Here are a slew of links to that story:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/mike-leighs-turner-biopic-finds-a-home-with-sony-classics

https://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/mike-leighs-upcoming-project-picked-sony-pictures-classic-81736

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sony-pictures-classics-mike-leigh

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/mike-leigh-gets-to-work-on-untitled-j-m-w-turner-feature-with-timothy-spall/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-pictures-classics-reteam-writer-429694

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/sony-pictures-classics-picks-up-mike-leighs-untitled-jmw-turner-biopic-for-2014-release-20130319


LYNNE LEAVES A GUN

Meanwhile, another story that may, in fact, derail a film that had at least some Telluride potential.  I'm talking about "Jane Got a Gun" which, until Tuesday, was being directed by Lynne Ramsay as her follow up to "We Need to Talk About Kevin".  Here are a number of reports posted this week:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/warrior-director-gavin-oconnor-replaces-lynne-ramsay-on-jane-got-a-gun-20130320

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/we-need-to-talk-about-the-director-lynne-ramsay-quits-jane-got-a-gun-on-first-day-of-production-20130319

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/lynne-ramsay-no-shows-and-drops-out-of-jane-got-a-gun-on-first-day-of-production/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/we-need-to-talk-about-the-director-lynne-ramsay-quits-jane-got-a-gun-on-first-day-of-production-20130319

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/lynne-ramsay-quits-natalie-portman-western-jane-got-a-gun-on-day-one-of-shooting


TFF #39 FILMS CONTINUE TO MAKE A MARK

Included here, a new interview with Chris O'Dowd of "The Sapphires" which opens in limited release this weekend...go see it if you can...it's pretty good.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-2012-chris-odowd-bridesmaids-sapphires-movie-369735

Anne Thompson talks "The Act of Killing".  The Josh Oppenheimer documentary.  That post is here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/act-of-killing-at-moma



More Monday, have a great weekend!

FAC Update/Argo Rises/Sapphires Coming/Oscar Matters/No Ads

Good Monday to All...

"Argo" lovers...and there appear to be a lot of them, had a good weekend.

FAC UPDATE:

Here’s this week’s installment of The Film Awards Clearinghouse focusing on Best Picture and Costumes, Production Design, Visual Effects, Makeup, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.

The FAC reviews the Oscar predictions of the following to arrive at its "predictions":

Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Scott Feinberg/The Feinberg Forecast-The Hollywood Reporter
Kristopher Tapley/InContention-HitFix
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood-IndieWire
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Brad Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Alex Carlson/Film Misery

Telluride #39 films are indicated in Bold.


BEST PICTURE

1) Lincoln (1)

2) Argo (4)

3) Silver Linings Playbook (2)

4) Life of Pi (3)

5) Les Miserables (6)

6) Zero Dark Thirty (5)

7) Django Unchained (9)

8) Beasts of the Southern Wild (7)

9) Amour (8)


Comment: It took a week, but my professionals prediction metric has begun to catch up with he ntion that “Argo” has been/is staging a comeback. And this week’s posting does not include whatever momentum that it may have gained from this weekend’s double wins at The Producers Guild and The Screen Actor’s Guild. “Argo” may, in fact, be the frontrunner now.


PRODUCTION DESIGN

1) Anna Karenina

2) Lincoln

3) Les Miserables

4) Mirror Mirror

5) Snow White and The Huntsman

Comment: Close battle between “Anna” and “Lincoln”


COSTUME

1) Anna Karenina

2) Lincoln

3) Les Miserables

4) Life of Pi

5) The Hobbit

Comment: “Anna” is way out front here.


MAKEUP/HAIR

1) The Hobbit

2) Les Miserables

3) Hitchcock

Comment: “Les Miz” is very close to “The Hobbit”.


VISUAL EFFECTS

1) Life of Pi

2) The Hobbit

3) The Avengers

4) Prometheus

5) Snow White and The Huntsman

Comment: “Pi” and “The Hobbit” are very tightly bunched.


SOUND EDITING

1) Life of Pi

2) Skyfall

3) Zero Dark Thirty

4) Argo

5) Django Unchained

Comment: “Pi” and “Skyfall” close together in this category.


SOUND MIXING

1) Skyfall

2) Les Miserables

3) Life of Pi

4) Lincoln

5) Argo

Comment: “Skyfall” and “Les Miz” are also very close in this category.


ARGO RISES

"Argo", the Ben Affleck directed thriller with 7 Oscar nominations and which was thought to be essentially out of the race for Best Picture as recently as a couple of weeks ago due largely to the lack of a Best Direction nomination for Affleck has roared back into contention with some of our Oscar predicting friends now claiming that it's back in the favorites role.  This all comes before a single final vote has been cast...that doesn't start until Feb. 8.

But the "Argo" onslaught has been unmissable in the past couple of weeks as it won The Producers Guild Award Saturday night for Best Picture and Best Ensemble last night at The Screen Actors Guild Awards.  Couple that with previous wins at The Critic's Choice Awards and The Golden Globes and it starts to look like the wave is pretty big.

Here's the list of last night's winners from The Screen Actor's Guild from Movie City News:

http://moviecitynews.com/2013/01/sag-aftra-honors-outstanding-film-and-television-performances-at-the-19th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards/


SAPPHIRES COMING

In the midst of all The Oscar precursor hoopla comes word about another favorite from this year's SHOW.  Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires" has , according to Brad Brevet at Rope of Silicon. a U.S. release date of Mar. 22nd.

That news also comes as "The Sapphires" is in the middle of doing very, very well at Australia's version of The Oscars.  With 12 nominations altogether, "The Sapphires" led the way for the AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts).  The Aussies bifurcate their awards presentation and have handed out several of the prizes this weekend.  Deadline.com reports that "The Sapphires" has won five early awards for Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design and Sound.



http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/%E2%80%98the-sapphires%E2%80%99-dominates-early-australian-cinema-tv-academy-awards/

The remaining awards will be presented Wednesday.

My thinks to friend of the blog Patrick Pringle who kindly dropped a line or two alerting me to the goings on down under.

OSCAR MATTERS

     +A FEW MINUTES WITH FEINBERG

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg's video view of the awards season:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/a-few-minutes-feinberg-world-415453

     +OSCAR TALK

Kris Tapley and Anne Thompson talk Oscar:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/oscar-talk-ep-103-sundance-reflections-pga-and-sag-awards-preview

     +GURUS OF GOLD

The latest Best Picture chart from the Gurus put togther by the Movie City News shows a tightening race between "Argo" and "Lincoln"...and that was BEFORE the PGA and SAG wins this weekend:

http://moviecitynews.com/2013/01/gurus-o-gold-a-month-to-go/


NO ADS

Sony Pictures Classic has posted new material to the Foregin Language Oscar nominees official website:

http://sonyclassics.com/no/


More on Thursday...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

"Like" Michael's Telluride Film Blog/The Film Awards Clearinghouse on Facebook.

FAC Update: Picture, Director, Animated, Doc, Foreign/Oscar Matters/Rust/Argo/Amour/Sapphires/Coming Soon

FAC UPDATE

The FAC reviews the Oscar predictions of the following to arrive at its "predictions":

Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Scott Feinberg/The Feinberg Forecast-The Hollywood Reporter
Kristopher Tapley/InContention-HitFix
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood-IndieWire
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Brad Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Alex Carlson/Film Misery

 As always the number in parenthesis to a title is its position vis-a-vis the last posting for that category on The FAC updates. Telluride #39 films are indicated in Bold. [ *** ='s HOT, ### ="s NOT].

     BEST PICTURE

1) Lincoln (1)
2) Les Miserables (2)
3) Zero Dark Thirty (4)
4) Argo (3)
5) Silver Linings Playbook (5)
6) Life of Pi (6)
7) Beasts of the Southern Wild (7)
8) Amour (8)
9) Django Unchained (9)
10) Moonrise Kingdom (10)
11) The Master (11)
12) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (12)
13) Flight (15)***
14) Skyfall (14)
15) The Impossible (13)###

No Drop Outs.

Comments:  Not much change from last week.  There's a lot of "conventional" wisdom the there will be 8 nominated films (remember that there can be anywhere from 5 to 10).  If that's true and this compilation is accurate then "Beasts" and "Amour" get the last two spots.

Frankly, I'm less than convinced that that will happen.  I'm feeling that the top 6 spots are pretty solid.  After that I actually think that "Django", "Moonrise" and "Best Exotic" might actually be in better position than the chart indicates.  From a pure passion perspective, "The Master" despite being at #11 for two weeks in a row and suffering from a precipitous drop over the past several weeks, may still be able to muster the 5% #1 votes that would get it a Best Picture nomination.

Further, I still feel that it's actually going to come down to "Lincoln" or "Argo".  Though "Argo" "ZDT" and "Les Miz" are very tightly bunched and not massively behind "Lincoln".

But consider...critical response to "Les Miz" has been less than uniformly lavish...and "ZDT" has some baggage vis-a-vis concerns about whether it endorses torture...and besides Kris Tapley of InContention.com and Sasha stone of Awards Daily  also have the same vibe...Tapley even thinks that "Argo" might have the edge to win the Best Pic Oscar (as per a tweet from Friday):

Kristopher Tapley ‏@kristapley

Starting to lean toward Argo win. Has zip to do w/ critic reaction to Les Mis. Argo simply STRONG with AMPAS. Phase 2 will be interesting.

Ballots are out and are supposed to be in no later than Jan. 3.  But as you may have read in my last post, the new online Oscar balloting has apparently been a giant problem...the word is that The Academy is willing to FedEx ballots to members who have tried to e-vote but have had issues.  You have to wonder if that's going to be a dynamic that will have any effect on the process.

     BEST DIRECTION

1) Steven Spielberg/Lincoln (1)
2) Kathryn Bigelow/Zero Dark Thirty (2)
3) Ben Affleck/Argo (3)
4) Tom Hooper/Les Miserables (4)
5) Ang Lee/Life of Pi (5)
6) David O. Russell/Silver Linings Playbook (6)
7) Michael Haneke/Amour (7)
8) Quentin Tarantino/Django Unchained (9)
9) Paul Thomas Anderson/The Master (8)
10) Robert Zemeckis/Flight (10)

No Drop Outs.

Comments:   Also a very stable/little movement category.  My best assessment right now is that the top five are actually pretty solid with Haneke and Russell the only two that might sneak into the category.

     BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1) Frankenweenie (4)***
2) Brave (1)
3) Wreck It Ralph (2)
4) ParaNorman (5)
5) Rise of the Guardians (3)
6) The Painting (6)
7) From Up on Poppy Hill (7)
8) The Rabbi's Cat (8)
9) Hotel Transylvania (New)***
10) Madagascar 3 (New)***

Dropping Out: Zarafa and The Lorax

Comments: The top three spots seem like locks at this point.  The 4-5 spots are pretty solid...but...I'd expect "ParaNorman" or "Rise" will actually give way to one of the "arty" animated films that take up the 6-7-8 spots with "The Painting (La Tableau") being the most likely to sneak into the list of nominees.


      BEST DOCUMENTARY

Note: the list of semi-finalists removed "Central Park Five", "West of Memphis", "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and "The Queen of Versailles" from consideration.

1) Searching for Sugarman (3)
2) The Gatekeepers (2)
3) How to Survive a Plague (New)***
4) Mea Maxima Culpa (6)***
5) The Invisible War (5)
6) Detropia (New)***
7) The House I Live In (8)
8) Bully (New)
9) The Imposter (7)
10) Chasing Ice (New)

Comment:  It's difficult to adequately gauge the level of "heat" since the semi-finalists announcement effectively upended the apple cart.  "Ai Wei Wei" is outside the top 10, barely, but I think it also has a shot at a nomination.

     BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Note: Nine films are left at this point. This Finals announcement also wreaked havoc on the previous set of rankings.

1) Amour (1)
2) The Intouchables (2)
3) A Royal Affair (3)
4) No (4)
5) Kon Tiki (New)***
6) Sister (9)
7) Beyond the Hills (7)
8) War Witch (New)
9) The Deep (New)


OSCAR MATTERS

Steve Pond at The Wrap takes an in-depth look at the Oscar nominating process and what it takes to snag one.  Fascinating:

http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/easiest-oscar-nomination-and-other-oscar-numbers-secrets-70881

Meanwhile, Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter posted about the problems that have been a part of this year's first ever Oscar online voting process.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-e-voting-problems-worse-406417

Also, here's the latest FEINBERG FORECAST from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/feinberg-forecast-updated-projections-8-406092


RUST AND BONE

David Poland at Movie City News talks to "Rust and Bone" writer/director Jacques Audiard:

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/12/dp30-tiff-rust-and-bone-co-writerdirector-jacques-audiard-co-writer-thomas-bidegain/


ARGO

The Wrap's Steve Pond talks to "Argo" director/star Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio about dramatic choices they made in telling the story:

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/ben-affleck-chris-terrio-dissect-argo-and-defend-some-untruths-70581

AMOUR

The New York Times profiles the French actor and star of Michael Haneke's "Amour", Jean Louis Tritingnant:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/movies/awardsseason/jean-louis-trintignant-surprises-in-amour.html

THE SAPPHIRES

One of the highlights of this year's SHOW was the appearance of "The Sapphires" from The Weinstein Company and director Wayne Blair.  News came this week that the film will open the Portland Film Festival next month.
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood reports:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/portland-announces-sapphires-as-opening-night-film-for-36th-edition


COMING SOON

In my next post on Thursday, I'll get to some of the responses I've had about this year's Oscar season from some friends of mine in the business...Academy members and film fans...

Come back on Thursday...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

"Like" Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook.

New Digs in 2013?/New Player in the Oscar Race/This Week's Feinberg/Thompson and Tapley Talk Oscar/Awards Circuit on the Record/Argo for the Win?/The Sapphires' Chris O'Dowd/Telluirde Films Get Distribs/Lincoln Trailer

Good Monday Everyone!  I hope that everybody had a great weekend.  Let's talk Oscar and Telluride!

NEW DIGS IN 2013?

There have been rumblings about it for more than a year.  And again this year at the end of the SHOW I was hearing that the possibility of adding a new large venue for 2013 in Telluride was a serious possibility.  Now we know that there is movement in that direction via this story from The Telluride Daily Planet:
http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2012/09/13/news/doc50510eb898413245239262.txt

Hockey rink into movie theater?  It could happen and my understanding is that it would create another very large venue for the Fest to program.  Think seating capacity in the Palm, Chuck, Galaxy area.

As you can see from the story, it all depends on money and time as well as balancing other interests.  I'll keep an open ear for further developments on this front.

NEW PLAYER IN THE OSCAR RACE

Already regarded as something of a player, David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" got a major boost yesterday as it won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival.  SLP beat out "Argo", "The Master" and others.  "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008 and "The King's Speech" in 2010 won the TIFF Audience Award before going on to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Coverage of the awards announcements from Toronto is here:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/goldstandard/la-et-mn-silver-linings-playbook-wins-toronto-award-20120916,0,2759919.story


And in a side note that will blow your mind, Kris Tapley tweeted yesterday that "Silver Linings" nearly played TFF #39 with a Robert DeNiro tribute as a possibility...WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME!

A FEW MINUTES WITH FEINBERG

Here's the link to this week's installment of a few minutes with The Hollywood Reporter's Oscar Guru Scott Feinberg:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-film-festival-winners-best-worst-370412

Telluride film s that Scott talks about include "Amour", "Argo", "The Gatekeepers", "Hyde Park on Hudson",  "Rust and Bone" and "The Sapphires".

And here's the link for Feinberg's first full Oscar forecast:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/feinberg-forecast-scott-feinberg-oscars-venice-telluride-toronto-lincoln-silver-linings-playbook-358642

ANNE AND KRIS START OSCAR TALK

The first episode of the "Oscar Talk" podcast featuring Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood and Kris Tapley of InContention/HitFix is up and running.  Among other topics Kris and Anne tackle the subject of why Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" wasn't at Telluride with each expressing one of the two versions that emerged two weeks ago: "The fest didn't want it" versus "PTA wouldn't let it play since he couldn't (?) be there".  Check it here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/oscar-talk-ep-87-fall-fests-the-master-silver-linings-argo-and-more-kick-off-the-season

Anne Thompson also has updated her Oscar predictions after Telluride, Venice and most of Toronto.  Here that is:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/oscar_predicts_chart#







AWARDS CIRCUIT ON THE RECORD

One of the places that I usually include as a part of the list of bloggers and writers that concern themselves with the film awards season is The Awards Circuit.  They're up with  their first set of Oscar prognostications and I have linked them here: http://www.awardscircuit.com/


AC says that this is where Telluride films stand in their estimation in the Best Picture race:
#3 is "Argo"
#4 is "Amour"
#23 is "Hyde Park on Hudson"
#27 is "Frances Ha"
#32 is "Rust and Bone"
#36 is "A Royal Affair"

I'm thinking I may make my first stab at collating Oscar experts later this week.  Stay tuned.


ARGO FOR THE WIN

Kris Tapley over at InContention/HitFix put up a post earlier this week outlining the case for why Ben Affleck's "Argo" has a shot to win the Best Picture Oscar.  Look at it here:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/making-the-case-for-argo-and-the-zeitgeist


THE SAPPHIRES' CHRIS O'DOWD

Scott Feinberg also had a profile of Irish actor (and my unapologetic campaign for him to get an Oscar nod continues) Chris O'Dowd whose performance in "The Sapphires" continued to turn heads in its run in the Toronto International Film Festival.  Check out Feinberg's post here:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-2012-chris-odowd-bridesmaids-sapphires-movie-369735

POST-T-RIDE PURCHASE...

A number of announcements out of Toronto concerning various Telluride films that have been picked up for distribution.  Notably Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha" by IFC...
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ifc-films-to-distribute-noah-baumbach-greta-gerwig-telluride-tiff-hit-frances-ha-20120913#

And Saudi Arabia's "Wadjda" by Sony Pictures Classics:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94815

Roadside Attractions has grabbed Sarah Polley's "Stories We Tell":
http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/roadside-attractions-picks-up-stories-we-tell-and-imogene#


AND FINALLY...THE "LINCOLN" TRAILER

Say what you will, but I personally think that Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" is going to be a monster player in this year's Oscar race.  I'm taking a possible stratospheric number of nominations...12, 13, 14...that kind of thing.  And now we have a trailer.  And I don't think it hurts its chances at all...  Look for yourself:

I think it looks phenomenal...

More on Thursday...

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Fantastic Photos from TFF #39/Video from TFF #39/Oscar Season

Good Thursday to All...


Welcome to the second half of this blog...The Film Awards Clearinghouse.  I transition at this point in the year from guessing about Telluride to guessing about the Oscar impact of the films that played at Telluride.  It's fun!

FANTASTIC PHOTOS FROM TFF #39

One of the cooler things that happens because this blog has been journalistically accredited for Telluride is that I can access the official photos that were taken during the fest and so I have and am including a good number of them here beginning with the guy that arguably got the biggest boost of anyone last week, Mr. Ben Affleck who was there with his film "Argo".  Great reviews, great buzz.  Oscarologists are saying it's square in the thick of the race for a number of statues.  "Argo" was #2 in both my "People's Telluride" ratings and among the Critics who responded to my request as well.

Ben Affleck in Telluride last week.

Also highlighted pictorially from last week:

Sarah Polley whose documentary "Stories We Tell" was well received.  It was #1 on my "People's Telluride" poll and #3 among the Critic's responses.  It may now be an Oscar player.

Marion Cotillard who seems to be lining up another Oscar nomination for "Rust and Bone".  It was my personal choice for Best of the Fest (closely followed by "Argo").  R+B was #7 with Critics and #16 among the peeps.

"The Sapphires" was well liked by both critic types (#4) and the People (#8) but may not even be a consideration for Oscar or Golden Globe contention depending on what The Weinstein Company elects to do with it.  Frankly, I think it could play well for the GG "Musical/Comedy" category and Chris O'Dowd should get a Supporting Actor Oscar push.

"The Sapphires" director Wayne Blair

 And finally, maybe a Best Original Screenplay nod is a real possibility for Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig for their delightful "Frances Ha"  (# 5 critics and #9 People)

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig

VIDEO FROM TFF #39

If you'd also like to re-visit or visit for the first time video of a number of the tributes, interviews and conversations from last week go here:

http://vimeo.com/user10660241

Tributes for Marion Cotillard and Mads Mikkelsen are included.

OSCAR SEASON IS HERE

Again, as mentioned above, this space now becomes a collection point for Oscar/Awards news as we move through the fall and holiday seasons into full-fledged sprint that comes in January and February.  As I have done for the past few years, I 'll collate the best predictive powers of the finest Oscarologists in the business. People like Scott Feinberg (The Hollywood Reporter), Kris Tapley (Incontention/HitFix), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and others.

Additionally, this year, I'm going to do my best to link you to the various media that the Big Time Oscar Seers are using.  Tapley and Anne Thompson doing "Oscar Talk", Stone and Jeff Wells doing "Oscar Poker" and starting this week "A Few Minutes with Feinberg" as Scott Feinberg shares his insights on the Awards season.

Here's the link to Scott's first "cast":

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-2012-few-minutes-with-feinberg-369875

Feinberg also filed this story outlining "Argo's" Oscar profile following the Telluride presentation:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-2012-argo-best-picture-368901

Finally, I'll tell you this right now...last year I urged some Oscar consideration for a number of people/scripts/films that I thought likely to be under-appreciated or overlooked...not because I think this tiny little  endeavor has any reach at all, but mostly just because I could.  I was all about a screenplay nomination for "A Separation"...it happened and a Supporting Actor nomination for Ezra Miller in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (it didn't happen). 

And I won't be any different this year...so..I'm officially announcing that I'm beating the drum for Bryan Cranston in "Argo".  I know you can make good cases for Alan Arkin, John Goodman and especially Scoot McNairy (actually, I might move Scoot onto the list with Cranston) but for my money, Cranston deserves it and, maybe more importantly (Hey, anyone at Warner Brothers...listen)..he'd be the strongest candidate.  It's a solid performance, he's a very respected actor from the small screen and is red hot right now as a result of the success of "Breaking Bad".

Arkin just won the award 6 years ago.  Goodman is probably due, but his roll is not nearly as meaty as Cranston's and McNairy...still all but an unknown.  Cranston's the smart play.

POST-TELLURIDE/TORONTO MUSINGS

From Hollywood News, here's a pretty good re-cap of what has happened Oscar-wise as a result of Telluride and now most of the Toronto festival:

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/09/12/toronto-12-wrap-up-which-movies-helped-their-oscar-chances-awards-analysis/

More on Monday...

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TFF #39 Day 2 in the Books; TBA's for Day 3/A Few Moments with Alexander Payne/The Sapphires Rock (as they sing Soul)/Amour/Hyde Park Surprise/The Sunday Sked

Good Sunday Everyone...

A rare post from MTFB on a Sunday...but it IS festival time!


DAY 2 DONE; DAY 3: SUNDAY TBAs

I meet the legendary Roger Corman...gracious man.

The second day at Telluride 2012...had a fantastic day...Started with the tribute to Roger Corman with Q & A moderated by Leonard Maltin...before it even starts I had a chance to sit down with writer/director and Oscar winner Alexander Payne (see below)...very exciting!  Then the tribute, which was terrifically entertaining.

I followed that with brunch and strolled into the screening of "The Sapphires" at the Chuck where I was called for by name by a rep from The Weinstein Company...she said they wanted to talk to me after the screening, get my opinion...

Really?  Me?  OK.

Then watched the film...see below...

Next "Amour"...see below

And finally, "Hyde Park on Hudson"...and a surprise entrance by Bill Murray...

Nice day, friends.

Tomorrow...here are the Sunday TBAs:

TBAs Sunday, September 2, 2012

• Added Conversation:
Chuck Jones Cinema Lounge/5:30p Sunday FREE
"Animation: Evoking Life?" 
With Chuck Jones' daughter Linda Jones Clough, Leonard Maltin (author "Of Mice and Magic"), Annecy Animated Film Festival director Serge Bromberg, Ethan Clarke (DRIFTERS) and Sara Gunnarsdottir (THE PIRATE OF LOVE)

• 42) Annecy Animation Masons/1:15p Sunday

• 27) The Attack Nugget/6:30p Sunday

• 31) Stalker Pierre/7:45p Sunday

• 14) A Royal Affair Masons/9:30p Sunday

• 16) Frances Ha Galaxy/10p Sunday

• Sunday, Noon, Elks Park "Injustice, Reconciliation and Cinema"
"How are filmmakers addressing terrorism and political strife? Can movies help us move forward?"
With Ben Affleck, Mark Danner, Ziad Doueiri, Dror Moreh, Joshua Oppenheimer; moderated by Annette Insdorf

A FEW MOMENTS WITH ALEXANDER PAYNE

Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne has 2 Oscars...both for screenwriting  One for "Sideways' and the other for last year's "The Descendants".  He's funny, acerbic and very smart.

Saturday morning as I was walking into The Chuck for the Roger Corman tribute I noticed that he was in the house and 4 rows in front of me...so, on a whim, I approached and asked if we could do an interview...he said then would be good and suddenly I found myself talking to one of the industry's brightest lights.

Giddy?  Um...Yes.

And so, here's what I learned from/about Alexander Payne on a Saturday morning in Telluride (Mountain Village), CO.

Payne's involvement in the TFF came as after having been invited twice to present his own features here and having been unable to accept those invitations due to logistical and timing issues.  Payne was then asked to Guest direct in 2009.

He's returned each year since.  In 2010 as a fan.  In 2011 as the writer/director of "The Descendants" and this year as a presenter/programmer.  He explained that the Festival directors have given him license to "eyes" as he put it.  To be on the lookout for interesting film possibilities.  He told me that he'd stumbled across "I Knew Her Well" from Italian director Antonio Pietrangeli, suggested that it be programmed and it was.

I also asked Payne to talk a little bit about his upcoming project.  Payne set aside pre-productiion time this weekend as he seems to really enjoy the difference about the Telluride Film Fest compared to most other major festivals.  That being said, Payne revealed that shooting for his next feature "Nebraska" is set to start in 6 weeks.  "Nebraska" stars Will Forte (of Saturday Night Live and "MacGruber" fame) and Bruce Dern.  Bruce's daughter Laura arrived just as I was concluding my 2 minute/3 question session (I told him I'd be short!)  She was stunning.

Mr. Payne...If you're reading this...I hope you feel that I've done you proud.

Alexander Payne's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668247/

THE SAPPHIRES ROCK

Me and "The Sapphires" director Wayne Blair

Following the very entertaining Roger Corman tribute, I caught Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires".  And so should you...

First of all, Chris O'Dowd, playing a washed-up Irish keyboardist who stumbles upon an aboriginal girl group in 1968 Australia is wonderful.  He manages them into a gig entertaining American troops in Vietnam. The Weinsteins need to seriously think about a qualifying run for the film as O'Dowd should be a legitimate contender in the Best Supporting Actor category.  Superlative work.

Secondly, the music...I'm a sucker for old school soul and R+B and it is executed with aplomb.  The 4 women playing the "Sapphires" just nail it.

Thirdly... it's a feel good true story well executed.  Director Wayne Blair has achieved a small miracle.  Blair, in post screening comments, said that the film has been a hit in Aussie land as well it should be.

Fourth, not only has it got soul (music) but heart as well as we learn the back story of these 4 women, sisters and a cousin and how their family story acts as the mechanism to explore Australia's history of racism, exclusion and subjugation of its native peoples.  So some big themes as well.

Director Blair and screenwriters Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson manage to mix this all together winningly.

Catch this if you can today at The Palm at 4:00 (or at a TBA Monday)...thank me later.

The Sapphires IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/


AMOUR

Michael Haneke follows "The White Ribbon" with this story of an octogenarian couple faced with a wife's increasing disability due to stroke.  This won the Palme D'or at Cannes this year.  Fine performances from Jean Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert and an incredible turn by the 85 year old Emmanuelle Riva...she IS fearless!

Tough story... and perhaps too astringent from Haneke for my pallette.

"Amour's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602620/


HYDE PARK ON HUDSON SURPRISE

Well, you've heard, Bill Murray showed up last night as an unannounced guest for the screening of "Hyde Park on Hudson" at The Galaxy.

For my money, it's a pleasant enough film...good performances from all concerned with Murray as FDR and Samuel West as the King of England particularly good.

It's pretty to look at, just doesn't seem to have a lot going on dramatically.

Tipped in some quarters as possible Oscar material for Murray, Laura Linney (as FDR's mistress) as well as Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams (Queen Elizabeth and Eleanor Roosevelt respectively), I'd be a bit surprised if it has that kind of traction.

But it was great to be surprised by Murray's entrance and to listen to his humor in the Q+A that followed.  Maybe I'll get a chance to run into him today.

Hyde Park's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477855/


MY SUNDAY SKED

I'm catching the Marion Cotillard tribute and "Rust and Bone" first thing today.  Then the animation program that has been TBAed at The Mason's.  After that...up in the air...maybe the Polley Doc.


More later...

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Ten Bets/BBC Films/The Sapphires Pics/What Are We Doin' Tonight Marty?

God Monday Everyone...hope you had a great weekend!


TEN BETS #3

Here's a look at last week's "Ten Bets":


1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Beyond the Hills
4) Hyde Park on Hudson
5) Song for Marion
6) No
7) Something in the Air
8) The East
9) Midnight's Children
10) The Central Park Five


Here's this week's

"Song for Marion"

1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Beyond the Hills
4) Hyde Park on Hudson
5) Something in the Air
6) No
7) Song for Marion
8) On the Road
9) The Central Park Five
10) Serge Bromberg's Charlie Chaplin Project

The East and Midnight's Children dropped to make room for On the Road and the Bromberg project.  That's because I bumped into some bits and pieces of info this past week that made me re-evaluate On the Road's chances (which I have been decent anyway...even when it was bumped briefly from the "Ten Bets" list).  Other info leads me to believe, pretty strongly, that Serge Bromberg will be back in town on Labor Day.  I'm still also leaning toward "The Hunt", "Like Someone in Love", "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and "Reality".




BBC FILMS

We're going to finish up our stroll through film production/distribution houses with history at Telluride this week and we'll be looking primarily at England.  Today's specimen is the BBC Films.

BBC Films at Telluride the past few festivals include:

2011: We Need to Talk About Kevin
2010: The First Grader, Tamara Drewe
2009: Bright Star, Fish Tank, An Education
2000: Shadow of the Vampire

BBC Films has been a relative newcomer to Telluride and, as you can see, the track record indicates that 2 films from them in a year is what might be expected.  So what does BBC Films have its fingers on that seems Telluride-like?

One film that I have already mentioned is Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut "Quartet".  That seems like a 50-50 candidate at best.

There's the Dakota Fanning vehicle "Now is Good" in which she plays a young woman dying of leukemia with a wish list that includes losing her virginity before she dies (which seems like it could play on a double bill with Fox Searchlight's Sundance success "The Sessions")...

There's the BIG adaptation of Dickens' "Great Expectations" with Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch and Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham directed by Mike Newell.



Those three films seem t like the most likely of the films currently listed for BBC Films by IMDb to be Telluride possibles and I have to say that I don't have a strong inclination that nay of them will actually make the trip across the pond for Labor Day weekend.  BBC Films does have other projects in the bag, but for one reason or another, they don't seem as likely as the three I have listed here.

So, perhaps, this is a year like 2008 or 2011 in which BBC films doesn't make the Telluride scene, or if they do, it's with one film only.

Tomorrow a look at the UK Film Council.


THE SAPPHIRES PICS

Another of the possible films that Harvey Weinstein and the crew at TWC could end up with on the Telluride program is their Cannes acquisition "The Sapphires" directed by Wayne Blair.

The film follows the fortunes of a 60's girl group from Australia.

The Playlist posted new photos and a information late last week and here's the link to that:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/new-images-from-the-weinsteins-the-sapphires-starring-chris-odowd-20120705#

"The Sapphires'" IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/


WHAT ARE WE DOIN' TONIGHT, MARTY?

That iconic line is from the Paddy Chayefsky penned/Delbert Mann directed "Marty" for which Ernest Borgnine won the Best Actor Oscar in 1956.  Borgnine died this weekend at the age of 95.  He also appeared in a number of other notable projects over the years including "The Dirty Dozen", "From Here to Eternity" and "The Poseidon Adventure".  For a kid rowing up with the relatively new medium of television in the early 1960's, he was Lt. Cmdr. McHale in the series "McHale's Navy".

His loss coupled with Andy Griffith's last week create a huge hole where a lot of television used to be.

Bloopers from "McHale's Navy" via YouTube

Ernest Borgnine 1917-2012.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000308/

More later...

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