What the Venice Screening Schedule Suggests / Provenance for the "Bets" / Primetime Trailer and Poster

WHAT THE VENICE SCREENING SCHEDULE SUGGESTS

The screening schedule for the Venice film Festival popped on Friday and that tells us some possible films that might the jump after a Venetian World Premiere to Telluride.  It all depends on what films are scheduled in the first three days in Italy.

Danny Boyle's Ink had already been announced as the Opening Night film for Venice on Sept. 2nd and we've had it as a lock since it was announced for Toronto as a Canadian Premiere there.

Everest: The Other Side fits the same mold as Ink.  It's set for Sept. 3rd in Venice

My Undesirable Friends Part II is scheduled for Sept. 4th and its status as a New York Premiere for NYFF seems likely as a Telluride selection.

Other films that are playing the first three days at Venice include:

Bucking Fastard, Wild Horse Nine and Burgundy at Venice on Sept. 3rd.

The Basics of Philosophy at Venice on  Sept. 4

And then there's the 5th of September which seems to cut awfully close to being able to get a film from Italy to Colorado.  BUT...as best I can tell, four of the last five years have seen a film bow in Venice on it's 4th day of screening and made it to Telluride"

2021: The Lost Daughter

2022: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

2024: One to One-John and Yoko

2025: Frankenstein.

Soooo...maybe there's a film on 9/5 that fits that bill and I say Yes...that film might be Lance Oppenheim's Primetime.

So, conclusions for a TFF #53 screening are:

Bucking Fastard-99%

Burgundy 80%

Wild Horse Nine 60%

The Basics of Philosophy 60%

Primetime 50/50.

Here's what's still hanging for TFF with Venice titles indicated with ***:

Ancient History

Alpha Gang...TIFF"s Canadian Premiere status indicates a Telluride play but I'm still a little leery that it actually happens TFF #53.

***The Basics of Philosophy

***Burgundy

Company

Diamond

***Primetime

Saturn Return

Sense and Sensibility

***Wild Horse Nine

Yellow Letters

PROVENANCE FOR THE "BETS"

Here's a quick look at info for each film that's already an MFTB  "Bet" as well as the current "Maybes".  It includes the director, the distribution company, release date if available, the stars of the film and the thing we think pegs it as a TFF player.

The current Bets:

1) Elsinore- dir: Simon Stone, Focus, Nov. 20th Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

2) The Debut-dir: Jesse Eisenberg, A24, Dec. 11th, Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti TIFF International Premiere.

3) Ink-dir: Danny Boyle, Netflix, Dec. 11th, Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce, Claire Foy, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

4) Club Kid- dir: Jordan Firstman, A24, Nov. 6th, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

5) La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)- dir: Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, Netflix, Dec. 4th, Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close.

6) A Long Winter- dir: Andrew Haigh, Mubi, TIFF Canadian Premiere, date unknown, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Caitriona Balfe, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

7) Fjord- dir: Cristian Mungiu, Neon, Oct. 9th, Renate Reinsve, Sebastian Stan, Oct. 9th, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

8) Minotaur-dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev, Mubi, Nov. 20th, Dmitriy Mazurov, Nov. 20th, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

9) Everest: The Other Side-dir: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Nat Geo, Disney, Oct. 30th, Hilaree Nelson, Jim Morrison, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

10) Tender Loving Care- dir: Mike Leigh, Bleecker Street, Dec. 4th, Kate O'Flynn, TIFF Canadian Premiere. 

11) Gentle Monster-dir: Marie Kreutzer, Netflix, Nov. 18th, Lea Seydoux, Catherine Deneuve, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

12) Tenzing-dir: Jennifer Peedom, UTA Independent Film Group and Cross City Films, Oct. 16th, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Defoe,Catriona Balfe, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

13) Fatherland- dir: Pawel Palikowski, Mubi, release date unknown, Sandra Huller, August Diehl, NYFF New York Premiere.

14) Rose- dir: Markus Schleinzer, Mubi, release date unknown, Sandra Huller, NYFF New York Premiere.

15) The Man I Love- dir: Ira Sachs, no known distributor, release date unknown, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Rami Malek, Rebecca Hall (TFF #53 Guest Director), NYFF New York Premiere.

16) My Undesirable Friends Part II- dir: Julia Loktev, Mubi, release date unknown, NYFF New York Premiere.

17) Rehearsals for a Revolution- dir: Pegah Ahangarani, Sony Pictures Classics, release date unknown, TIFF Canadian Premiere. 

18) The Unknown- dir: Arthur Harari, Neon, release date unknown, Lea Seydoux, TIFF Canadian Premiere.

19) Bucking Fastard- dir: Werner Herzog, no known distributor, release date unknown, Kate Mara, Rooney mara, Orlando Bloom, Domhnall Gleeson, Early slot at Venice.

20) The Story of Documentary Film- dir: Mark Cousins, Kino Lorber,  Cousins is a past advisor to TFF and frequent presenter. However, Story of Doc films played Sundance earlier this year and Cousins' spot as a TFF "Esteemed Advisor" seems to have disappeared.  I find him last listed as such in the 2024 TFF #51 program.

And some of the other possible players:

Alpha Gang- dir: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, CAA Media Finance, no known release date,  Cate Blanchett, Dave Bautista, Chris Pine, Lea Seydoux, TIFF International Premiere.

The Basics of Philosophy- dir: Paul Schrader, no known distributor, no known release date, Bill Pullman, Dana Delaney, Jack Huston, Early slot at Venice.

Burgundy- dir: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, no known distributor, no known release date, Early Venice slot.

Primetime- dir: Lance Oppenheim, A24, Sept. 25th, Robert Pattinson, Merritt Weaver, Anna Faris, Early-ish Venice slot.

Saturn Return- dir: Greg Kwedar, Netflix, release date unknown, Will Pouter, Rachel Brosnahan, Charles Melton...

Sense and Sensibility- dir: Georgia Oakley, Focus, Oct. 16th, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitriona, Balfe, George McKay...

Wild Horse Nine- dir: Martin McDonagh, Searchlight, Nov. 6th, John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Early Venice Slot.

Yellow Letters- dir: Ilker Catak, distribution unknown, release date unknown, Won the Silver Bear at Berlin

PRIMETIME TRAILER AND POSTER

As I wrote above, Lance Oppenheim's Primetime is probably in the very last time slot in its initial Venice screening to have a chance to then make it to Telluride (likely scheduled at TFF on Sunday and Monday should it happen.  I'm hoping that it does make the cut.  To tease you a bit here are the poster and the trailer for the film:

And the trailer from  a24 and YouTube:

More on Thursday!

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Ten (Plus) Bets for TFF #53-Vol, 6 / Venice Announces / Palm Update

TEN (PLUS) BETS FOR TFF #53-VOL. 6

Six weeks until TFF unveils its lineup!

Here's your sixth look at MTFB's best guess as to what could play.  

We begin with last week's list:

Bucking Fastard

Club Kid

Coward

The Debut

Elsinore

A Long Winter

Fatherland

La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)

Minotaur

Paper Tiger

Other possibilities: Artificial, Fjord, Yellow Letters and The Story of Documentary Film.

And now, after the news of this past week, here's your latest Ten (Plus) Bets for TFF #53 ranked by likelihood):

1) The Debut

2) Elsinore

3) Ink

4) Club Kid

5) La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)

6) A Long Winter

7) Minotaur

8) Fjord

9) Everest: The Other Side

10) Gentle Monster

11) Tenzig

12) Tender Loving Care

13) Bucking Fastard

14) Fatherland

15) The Story of Documentary Film

Other possibilities: Behemoth! Yellow Letters, Rose, Alpha Gang.

VENICE ANNOUNCES

As MTFB readers know, the Venice to Telluride connection is usually fairly robust with an average of nearly eight films playing both fests over the last five years.  Here are the films that feel most likely to do both fests in 2026 in light of Venice announcing its lineup early this morning:

From the Competition lineup:

Company/C. Affleck

Ink/Boyle (all but confirmed for Telluride)

Bucking Fastard/Herzog

Wild Horse Nine/McDonagh

Primetime/Oppenheim

Out of Competition

The Basics of Philosophy/Schrader

Non-Fiction:

Burgundy/Dweck and Kershaw

Musk/Gibney

Everest: The Other Side (all but confirmed for Telluride)

Remember, our next clue about what could play Venice and then Telluride comes when the former announces its schedule..  The films that play both places will need to have an early slot in Venice.

All sections of the Venice lineup are linked here.

https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2026/lineup

PALM UPDATE

After devastating floods an mudslides in Telluride last week, the first assessment of school facilities, including a seriously impacted Palm Theater, are emeging.

The Telluride Times reported that:

"Following meetings and a walk-through Monday of the Michael D. Palm Theatre and Telluride Intermediate School and Telluride Middle/High School complex, Nicole Hattler, Palm Arts’ executive director, described herself as “cautiously optimistic.”

Telluride city and school officials noted that the first priority will be getting all other affected areas in the schools up and ready for the opening of school by Aug. 18th.  Further, they note that seating is the top priority for The Palm.  

That complete article is linked here.

https://www.telluridenews.com/news/article_24fa27f5-c902-452e-9879-6dd2717e1a17.html

This post was corrected on July 24th.

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Who's Got What? Distributors: Netflix / Venetian Speculation: The Hollywood Reporter

WHO'S GOT WHAT?  DISTRIBUTORS: NETFLIX

Each summer it has become the habit here at MTFB to take a look at the film distribution companies that have the largest presence at TFF historically and scan their list of films for potential titles that could end up in the San Juans come Labor Day.

This year, I calibrated the last five TFFs to determine which companies on which to focus.  Here's the number of films that each of the eight most frequent distributors over hat time have screened at Telluride:

Netflix 24

Neon 15

Sony Pictures Classics 13

Focus Features 11

A24 10

Mubi 9

Amazon-MGM 7

Searchlight 5

Not all of these distributors can be expected every year but commonly are.

So, we start the 2025 parade of distributors with the outfit that has been to TFF the most over the most half decade and that's Netflix with 24 films.

2021:The Power of the Dog, The Hand of God, The Lost Daughter, Procession.

2022: Bardo, Sr. The Wonder, lady Chatterley's Lover.

2023: Nyad, Rustin, El Conde.

2024: Emilia Perez, Maria, Martha, The Piano Lesson, Will and Harper, Apocalypse in the Tropics.

2025: Frankenstein, Jay Kelly, The Ballad of a Small Player, The Secret Agent, Cover-Up, Nouvellle Vague, The New Yorker at 100.

24 films over these last five years (13 in the last two) but this year seems like Netflix may not be as present.  It feels like the streamer just doesn't have the depth of potential films as they may have had in the past.

For awhile I thought they might release Narnia: The Magician's Nephew for the holiday season and that it might actually be a Telluride possibility because of the film's director, Greta Gerwig, who has had, along with her husband Noah Baumbach, a fairly substantial relationship with TFF.  But it has been dated for theatrical release on Feb. 12, 2027 which suggests that there's not a chance it goes to Telluride (and realistically, there wasn't much chance outside my head).

Then there's Greg Kwedar's Saturn Return (Train Dreams, Sing Sing) which is on Variety's "first look" at 2026-27 Oscar predictions BUT is listed at IMDb as being under Netflix's control for VOD and has only a very non-specific "2026" listed as its release date.  Kwedar, along with producing partner Clint Bentley are on a roll.  The cast includes Rachel Brosnahan and Will Poulter.

Additionally, Fernando Meirelles could return to Telluride with Here Comes the Flood.  It has an ambiguous "2026" release and some big name stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones.  Meirelles was at Telluride in 2019 with The Two Popes... that followed a long absence after his previous TFF experience in 2002 with City of God.

Netflix has a couple of films that played Cannes that are also likely in play: Gentle Monster and La Bola Negra (The Black Ball).

Marie Kreuzter's Gentle Monster had a tough time at Cannes with a middling critical response at best and no prize from being with the Palme d'Or competition.

And finally, what is probably Netflix's most likely Telluride player: La Bola Negra (The Black Ball).  A critical success (85 on Metacritic) and co-winners for Best Director at Cannes. Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo shred the prize for direction with Fatherland's Pawel Pawlikowski.

So here are your chances per MTFB for each film of making the TFF #53 lineup:

The Black Ball 70%

Saturn Return 50%

Gentle Monster 40%

Here Comes the Flood 30%

***Netflix added Ink on July 18th

It's also very likely that Netflix will have other titles not listed here that do make the TFF #53 lineup.

Coming up on Monday...Neon...and they are loaded.

VENETIAN SPECULATION

The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets, unleashed speculation about what films could be announced for the Venice Film Festival.  Frequent readers of MTFB know that the Venice to Telluride connection is very powerful and I expect this year to be no different with 6-8 titles making an early play at Venice and then screening a day or two later at T-ride.  

The key to puzzling that out is a two step process.  See what's been selected and then wait to find out when a film is scheduled to play in Venice.  If your film plays withing the first 3-4 days in Italy...there's a decent chance it will also play in Colorado.

So here's a selection of potential Venetian titles that could jump the pond using The Hollywood Reporter's list from just over a week ago,  THR has listed 40 title in alphabetical order...so I will too with director and U.S. distributor where possible:

A Long Winter (Haigh/Mubi)

Behemoth! (T. Gilroy/Searchlight)

Being Heumann (Heder/Apple)

Bucking Fastard (Herzog/???)

Bunker (Zeller/???)

Here Comes the Flood (Meirelles/Netflix)

Ink (Boyle/???)

I Play Rocky (Farrelly/Amazon-MGM)

Untitled Jesse Eisenberg [The Debut] (Eisenberg/A24)

Look Back (Kore-eda/GKIDS)

Musk Gibney/Bleecker Street)

Primetime (Oppenheim/A24)

Saturn Return (Kwedar/Netflix)

Tender Loving Care (Leigh/Bleecker Street)

The Basics of Philosophy (Schrader/???)

The Social Reckoning (Sorkin/Columbia)

The Statement (McCarthy/SPC)

Wild Horse Nine (McDonagh/

Interestingly, the THR mentions Telluride as a possible stop for films on their list:

A Long Winter

Being Heumann

Ink

The Social Reckoning

and Paul Greengrass's The Uprising...which, as you can see, isn't on my list above.

The other thing that's interesting is that the list includes Alejandro Inarritu's Digger, which, as far as I know, is still on record from Warners as having no fall fest plans...interesting.

The complete THR list of 40 films is linked here.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/venice-2026-buzz-dune3-digger-mike-leigh-werner-herzog/the-statement-director-tom-mccarthy/

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Ten Bets for TFF #53, Vol. 1 / World of Reel on Venice Titles

TEN BETS FOR TFF #53, VOL. 1

Well, here it is (Live from the 2026 National Speech and Debate Tournament in Richmond, VA.) the first Ten Bets for 2026 for TFF #53.  I'm doing this a little differently than in the past in that I am listing the early versions of the Ten Bets in alphabetical order.  In the later going, as we get closer to The SHOW, I'll revert to the traditional ranking in order of what I think the chances are of making a TFF appearance.

So here are the first guesses (10 of them) for films at TFF #53 (in the aforementioned alphabetical order):

The Black Ball

Bucking Fastard

Coward

The Debut

Fatherland

A Long Winter

Minotaur

Paper Tiger

The Story of Documentary Film

Yellow Letters

As the weeks unfold, I'll update every Thursday as new info and rumors swirl.  Additionally, as we get closer to Labor Day, I'll also expand the list beyond a mere ten bets.

I'll remind readers that MTFB averages about six correct guesses on each year's initial Ten Bets.  I also have to tell you that there are some titles here that I'd be very excited about seeing.

Let the next few weeks tell the story! 

WORLD OF REEL ON VENICE TITLES

Jordan Ruimy has a list of possible Venice titles.  Many MTFB readers know that each year a number of films play the early part of Venice and then make a blazing trans-continental trip to the San Juans. 

From WOR's Venice speculative list, here's my take on what might make the trip:

Bucking Fastard

Here Comes the Flood

Tender Loving Care

Wild Horse Nine

Look Back

The Basics of Philosophy 

A Long Winter

Bunker

The Social Reckoning

Elon

The complete list is linked here.

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/6/16/david-finchers-cliff-booth-wont-premiere-at-venice

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Toronto Announces Today/ Distributor Monday #7: Focus Features / Venice Set to Announce-Many Possibilities / No Battle After Another / Eleanor Has a Date

TORONTO ANNOUNCES TODAY

We expect to see a bunch of titles announced by the Toronto International Film Festival this morning and them clues as to what films will have been selected for Telluride.  Stay tuned to MTFB social Media for those revelations.  

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Of course I'll have a full re-cap on Thursday when I post next.  That will also include the news from Venice (coming tomorrow) and a new Ten Bets list.

DISTRIBUTOR MONDAY #6: FOCUS FEATURES

While I have been running through the major distribution players based on recent appearances at the Telluride Film Festival I'm sure that many of you have noticed that in some instances the pickings seem lean.  That's not the case with Focus Features.  I count six films that Focus Features has that could possibly be playing Telluride.

Over the last nine fests, Focus has landed a film at T-ride in seven of those years.  They missed in 2016 and 2019.  They would have had at least one film in the Covid cancelled 2020 fest. Overall 10 Focus films have screened at Telluride since 2015 (11 if you count the 2020 TFF).  Additionally, the Focus presence has increased recently with 7 of these titles playing with the last four years.

Here's their track record at Telluride since 2015:

2015: Suffragette

2017: Darkest Hour

2018: Boy Erased

2020: TFF #47 would have screened The Way I See It

2021: Belfast, The Card Counter

2022: Armageddon Time

2023: The Holdovers, The Bikeriders

2024: Conclave, Piece by Piece

So it's been a pretty solid run and I expect that Focus will have a robust presence at TFF #52.  The six films that might make the lineup: Hamnet-which we think is locked as they have been announced as Canadian Premiere for Toronto-, Bugonia, The History of Sound, Anemone, Pressure and Song Sung Blue.  Here's some info on each.  Participants who have been to TFF previously are indicated with *. The films presented in alphabetical order:

Anemone.  Dir. Ronan Day-Lewis.  Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis*, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton.  Release date: Oct. 10th.  IMDb description:

Family bonds between fathers, sons, and brothers are explored as complex relationships unfold through personal journeys and generational conflicts.

Three rime Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of retirement as both acts and co-wrote the script.  Of course, Day-Lewis was one of the tributees at TFF in 2007.  Brad Pitt is one of two listed producers on the film.  If you're not excited to see what this film is...well...

Bugonia. Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos*.  Stars: Emma Stone*, Jesse Plemons*, Alicia Silverstone.  Release date: Oct. 31st.  IMDB description:

Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

After having screened The Favourite and Poor Things at Telluride both starring Emma Stone you have to think the chances are good that Bugonia will follow the same path from a Venice premiere to a Telluride play.  A couple of notes, though.  Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness did not go that direction in 2024 having played Sundance and then Cannes.  Also, all three of those films were distributed by Searchlight so what path Focus might desire.

Hamnet. Dir. Chloe Zhao*.  Stars: Jesse Buckley*, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson*, Joe Alwyn.  Release date: Dec. 12th.  IMDb description:

The story of Agnes - the wife of William Shakespeare - as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. A human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet.

As mentioned above, this film seems to be lock for Telluride based on the Toronto Fest announcing it as a Canadian Premiere this past week.

The History of Sound. Dir. Oliver Hermanus*.  Stars: Paul Mescal, Chris Cooper, Josh O'Connell.  Release date: Sept. 12th..  IMDb description:

Two young men during World War I set out to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen.

Mescal and O'Connor are two of the hottest tickets around right now.  I had been pretty high on its chances of a Telluride play what with the distributor and Oliver Hermanus having previously hacing Living at TFF #49,  but the announced Sept. 12th release date is awfully soon after T-ride.  Also, the lukewarm critical reception at Cannes also made me less bullish.  Of late, I'm thinking it's still possible.  A quick note: Mubi is also listed by IMDb as a domestic distributor of the film.

Pressure.  Dir. Anthony Maras.  Stars: Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Brendan Frasier, Damian Lewis, Chris Messina.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

A ticking clock thriller based on the extraordinary true story of the 72 hours leading up to D-Day.

The more detailed plot summary reads:

In the seventy two hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element--the British weather. Britain's chief meteorological officer James Stagg (Scott) is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history, locking him into a tense standoff with the entire Allied leadership. The wrong conditions could devastate the largest ever seaborne invasion, while any delay risks German intelligence catching on. With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby to confide in, and haunted by a catastrophic D-Day rehearsal, the final decision rests with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.

To be honest, this is more a "wish for" than an expectation.  Its lack of an announced release date makes it questionable but I am very intrigued by the premise and it's Andrew Scott.

Song Sung Blue.  Dir. Craig Brewer.  Stars: Hugh Jackman*, Kate Hudson, Fisher Stephens*.  Release date: Dec. 25th.  IMDb description:

Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together.

Look, this is doubtful as a TFF play but it sounds interesting.  the Dec. 25th release date signals that Focus has some confidence that it will play well with audiences.  So, you now...maybe.

Overall, could this be the first year that Focus lands more than two films at TFF?  That's possible.  Hamnet's in.  Bugonia seems likely and maybe History of Sound.  I'd love, love, love for Anemone to show up at T-ride as well as Pressure but they're chances are much more tenuous.

Chances:

Hamnet 95%

Bugonia 60%

The History of Sound 40%

Anemone 25%

Pressure 20%

Song Sung Blue 20%

VENICE SET TO ANNOUNCE-MANY POSSIBILITIES

The Venice Film Fest will announce the bulk of its lineup tomorrow.  As close observers know, over the years there has usually been a substantial overlap between films that play Venice and then Telluride.  So the information we get on what Venice will screen this year will, by itself neither rule in or rule out a T-ride play.  Of more import to our Telluride calculus is Venice's schedule which will be announced in about three weeks.  Films that screen in the first 2-4 days have a shot at also getting set up to play TFF.

Still what they choose is a nice piece of info to know.

World of Reel's Jordan Ruimy posted his most recent list of Venice possibilities last Friday.

This what he has with what I think are Telluride possibles indicated with ***

MAIN COMPETITION CONTENDERS

After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)***

A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow)***

Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach)***

Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)***

Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro)***

The Smashing Machine (Benny Safdie)

Father Mother Brother Sister (Jim Jarmusch) 

The Ballad of a Small Player (Edward Berger)***

No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)

La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino)***

The Wizard of the Kremlin (Olivier Assayas)***

In the Hands of Dante (Julian Schnabel)***

Ann Lee (Mona Fastvold) 

Hamnet (Chloe Zhao)*** 

Orphan (Laszlo Nemes)*** 

Untitled/Gaza (Kaouther Ben Hania)

One Year of School (Laura Samani)

Mother Bhumi (Chong Keat Aun) 

Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi)

Duse (Pietro Marcello)

I Wanted to Kill Her (Leonardo Di Costanzo)

The Stranger (Francois Ozon)*** 

À pied d’œuvre (Valérie Donzelli)

Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel) 

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

The Fence (Claire Denis)

Wake of Umbra (Carlos Reygadas)

Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel)

At the Sea (Kornél Mundruczó)

Caught Stealing (Darren Aronofsky)

Deux Pianos (Arnaud Desplechin)

Anemone (Ronan Day-Lewis)***

Tre Ciotole (Isabel Coixet)

El Ser Querido (Rodrigo Sorogoyen)

The Way of the Wind (Terrence Malick)***

Switzerland (Anton Corbijn)

Deliver Me From Nowhere (Scott Cooper)***

Redoubt (John Skoo)

& Sons (Pablo Trapero)

Occupation (Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi)

Dao (Alain Gomis)

Rosebush Pruning (Karim Ainouz)

Une Illusion (Naomi Kawase)

The Dreamed Adventure (Valeska Grisebach)

Yellow Letters (Ilker Çatak)

Unidentified (Haifaa al-Mansour)***

Silent Friend (Ildiko Enyedi)

Rose (Markus Schleinzer)

Untitled (Abu Bakr Shawky)

Calle Malaga (Maryam Touzani)

Musk (Alex Gibney)***

NO BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Frequent readers will know that I have flirted in recent posts about the outside possibility that Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another might end up screening at Telluride.  Well...

World of Reel put that notion to rest Sunday afternoon.

Jordan Ruimy writes:

"A source close to the situation tells me that Warner Bros. has made the decision to skip all the major fall festivals for “One Battle After Another,” including Venice, Telluride, and TIFF."

The complete WOR post is here.

Unless this is great cover for a TFF "sneak" it looks like to PTA at TFF.

ELEANOR HAS A DATE

Sony Pictures Classics has dated the release of Scarlett Johannsson's directorial debut, Eleanor the Great.  The film will be released nationwide on Sept. 26th which feels right for a potential TFF play OR a TFF/TIFF combo OR Toronto only.  That's according to Deadline.  The film stars 95year old actress June Squibb who might find herself in the Oscar race for Best Actress for this film.

The film screened at Cannes as a part of  the Un Certain Regard section.  It earned a reasonable 6.64/10 composite rating from Cannes-Ratings.org.

The description from IMDb:

After a devastating loss, witty and proudly troublesome Eleanor Morgenstein, 94, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own.

Here's a clip from the film via YouTube:

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Distributor Monday #5 Searchlight / Venice Announces Opening Film...Does It Play Telluride?

 DISTRIBUTOR MONDAY #5: SEARCHLIGHT

Today's look at film distributors that have a fairly impressive track record at screening things at Telluride continues with Searchlight Films (formerly Fox Searchlight).  Over the nine years I looked back (and leaving out the Covid year of 2020) Searchlight has landed at least one at Telluride every year except 2016.

Over the years Searchlight has had a good deal of success when playing films at Telluride.  Since 2008 five (Fox) Searchlight films have played TFF and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture:

2009: Slumdog Millionaire

2014: 12 Years a Slave

2015: Birdman

2018: The Shape of Water

2021: Nomadland (would have played TFF had the fest happened.  TFF did sponsor a screening or two)

Searchlight has also had a number of other films that were Best Picture nominated.  Some of those were TFF films, some not.  Since 2015:

2016: Brooklyn

2018: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

2019: The Favourite

2020: Jojo Rabbit

2022: Nightmare Alley

2023: The Banshees of Inisherin

2024: Poor Things

2025: A Complete Unknown

Looking at the possibilities from Searchlight we discover that there aren't many.  Three to be precise.  Here's the rundown for each listed in alphabetical order.  Participants in these films that have attended TFF previously are indicated with *.

In the Blink of an Eye.  Director: Andrew Stanton. Stars: Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection and the circle of life.

Frankly, I'd be surprised if this turns up.

Is This Thing On?  Director: Bradley Cooper.  Stars: Bradley Cooper, Laura Dern*, Will Arnett, Ciaran Hinds.  Release date: TBD.  IMDB description:

As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while wife Tess confronts the sacrifices she made for their family-forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identity.

I'm actually pretty excited about this film.  I am wary that it will be ready in time.  IMDb reports that it went into post-production in April...so...  Laura Dern's participation doesn't hurt its chances of making a TFF appearance as she has been a TFF regular for some time now.

Rental Family.  Director: Hikari.  Stars: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

Japanese rental company hires struggling American actor in Tokyo. He plays various roles in clients' lives, embarking on an introspective journey through these unlikely experiences.

I actually think that Rental Family might be the most likely TFF entrant of the three.

Chances:

Rental Family 40%

Is This Thing On? 20%

In the Blink of an Eye 20%

Next week a look at Amazon/MGM.

VENICE ANNOUNCES OPENING FILM...DOES IT PLAY TELLURIDE?

The 82nd Venice Film Festival will open with Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia (Grace).  Does that make it likely to also play at TFF #52?  That answer isn't clear at all.  Although I have frequently mentioned that the positioning of a film in the Venice schedule is crucial for any film that a distributor wants in both fests.  To make this double play a film has to be scheduled in Venice first two to three days.  Fourth day tops.  So you would think that Venice's opening night film would be a solid choice to make the way.  But...hold on...no so fast.  

I went back to 2010 and checked that scenario.  Here's what has opened Venice for each year since then with films that went on to cross the Atlantic to screen at T-ride indicated with a *.

2010: Black Swan*

2011: The Ides of March

2012: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

2013: Gravity*

2014: Birdman*

2015: Everest

2016: La La Land*

2017: Downsizing*

2018: First Man*

2019: The Truth

2020: The Ties

2021: Parallel Mothers

2022: White Noise

2023: Comandante

2024: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

As you can see, the Venice-Telluride scenario was very common from 2010-2018 with the Venice opener going west six times but beginning with 2019 the trend has not happened.

I can recall thinking that The Truth (19), Parallel Mothers (21) and White Noise (22) all had a pretty good shot at going to TFF and being wrong about them.

Muddying the predictive waters are the fact that director Paolo Sorrentino has recently been an invitee to Telluride.  In 2021 his The Hand of God did the Venice-Telluride thing with it playing Venice on Sept. 2 and then screening in Telluride the next day.

Additionally, La Grazia is being distributed in the U.S. by Mubi which has been a TFF player the last four years or so.

I'm inclined to think that the recent drought of Venice openers coming to Telluride isn't an accident.  It feels like the outcome of a deliberate choice to avoid that.  I have no real evidence other than the fact that the circumstance hasn't occurred for six straight years.

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Distributor Monday #3: Neon / SPC and Nuremburg / World of Reel Venice Update / Springsteen on White...Oh, And the Trailer Again

 DISTRIBUTOR MONDAY: NEON

Neon has come on strong over the last decade as a Telluride staple.  Their first appearance at TFF came in 2016 as the distributor of Errol Morris's The B-Side.  In the years since then Neon has placed 18 other films at TFF for an impressive average of 2.4 films per year.  In that time some other notable titles under the Neon banner that have appeared at TFF include: Last year's Best Picture winner Anora, 2020 Oscar Best Picture winner Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall and Flee.

This year, Neon made the biggest splash at Cannes acquiring a bunch of properties.  Consequently they have a deep roster of films that could play at TFF.  I have at least six films (all of which were Cannes selections in various categories) that could come from Neon to Telluride.  Here's what we know about each of them.  They're arranged  from what I feel is most likely to least likely.  Films that are on my most recent "Ten Bets" list are indicated with +.  Individuals that have been past attendees of TFF are indicated with *.

It Was Just an Accident+.  Director Jafar Panahi* (strictly speaking Panahi didn't attend with his film Taxi).  Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari. Won this year's Palme d'Or at Cannes.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

A small mishap triggers a chain reaction of ever-growing problems.

I believe that should It Was Just a Simple Accident play Telluride it would be the first time in the festival's history to program the Palme d'Or winner for three years running.

Sentimental Value+.  Director: Joachim Trier.  Stars: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard*, Elle Fanning.  Won this year's Grand Prize at Cannes.  Release date: Nov. 7th.  IMDb description:

An intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.

Sentimental Value finished Cannes with the second best critical rating of any film playing that fest with an 8.04 cumulative rating (out of 10) from Cannes-Ratings.org.  In contrast Plame d'Or winner It Was Just a Simple Accident was 7th best with a cumulative of 7.76.

The Secret Agent+.  Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho.  Stars: Wagner Moura (won Best Actor at Cannes), Maria Fernanda Cândido.  The film won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

The Secret Agent was also well regarded critically at Cannes with a cumulative rating of 7.00 which was the 30th best among all films that played at that Fest.

Sirat.  Director: Oliver Laxe.  Stars: Sergi López, Bruno Núñez Arjona.  The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes.  Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

A father, accompanied by his son, goes looking for his missing daughter in North Africa.

This is another film with a great critical reception at Cannes.  It had a 7.87 cumulative rating which was the 5th best of the entire fest.  It could well move onto next Thursday's second iteration of MTFB's Ten Bets for TFF #52.

Orwell: 2+2+5.  Director: Raoul Peck. Release date: TBD.  IMDb description:

The ultimate and comprehensive documentary film about the exceptional writer George Orwell.

Orwell: 2+2=5 had the 22nd best critical rating from Cannes ratings.org at 7.13.

Alpha.  Director: Julia Ducournau.  Stars: Tahar Rahim*, Emma Mackey.  The film played in Palme d'Or competition at Cannes.  Release date: Sometime in October.  IMDb description:

Alpha, 13, is a troubled teenager who lives alone with her mother. Their world comes crashing down the day she comes home from school with a tattoo on her arm.

Alpha's critical reception at Cannes was tough.  A 47 on Metacritic and a 50 on Rotten Tomatoes.

The assessment of chances for TFF #52:

It Was Just an Accident 70%

Sentimental Value 60%

The Secret Agent 50%

Sirat 50%

Orwell 2+2=5 45%

Alpha 20%

SPC AND NUREMBURG

Sony Pictures Classics might not be done for TFF #52 yet.  SPC announced on Wednesday last week that they had acquired the James Vanderbilt's Nuremburg and plan to release the film on Nov. 7th.  The film stars Russell Crowe as Herman Goring and Rami Malek as the U.S. psychiatrist charged with determining if the Nazi's are mentally competent to stand trial.  Michael Shannon also stars.  In addition to directing Vanderbilt also adapted the screenplay from the book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.

.m not sold on that 

According to the SPC press release the timing of the release coincides with 80th anniversary of the post-war trials held in Nuremburg, Germany,  It also just happens to be in the Awards season sweet spot.

So, retrofit the SPC speculation from last week and add Nuremburg to the list of TFF possibilities.  I'm not sold on the notion that it does play Telluride but I also don't think it's impossible.  Mark at at a current 35% chance to make the TFF cut.

Here's the link to the full SPC PR release.

WORLD OF REEL AND VENICE

Jordan Ruimy has updated his Venice speculation list as of last Thursday.  Of note is his addition of Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein and Agnieszka Holland's Franz to the list.  Both could also be potentials for T-ride although Ruimy also writes that:

"I’m also hearing that Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited “Frankenstein” has locked its TIFF premiere..."

Notice that Ruimy doesn't mention what that premiere status is for Toronto but...

Here's Jordan's updated list with what I think has Telluride potential indicated with ***.

After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)***

One Battle After Another (PT Anderson)

A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow)***

Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach)***

The Way of the Wind (Terrence Malick)

Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)***

The Smashing Machine (Benny Safdie)

No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)

Father Mother Brother Sister (Jim Jarmusch)

The Ballad of A Small Player (Edward Berger)***

The Cry of the Guards (Claire Denis)***

Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel)

Sacrifice (Romain Gavras)***

In the Hands of Dante (Julian Schnabel)***

Ann Lee (Mona Fastvold)

Bucking Fastard (Werner Herzog)***

La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino)***

An Affair (Arnaud Desplechin)

Orphan (Laszlo Nemes)***

The Wizard of Kremlin (Olivier Assayas)***

Franz (Agnieszka Holland)***

Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi)***

Duse (Pietro Marcello)

Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro)***

Couture (Alice Wincour)***

The entirety of Ruimy's post with its extensive analysis is linked here.

 

BTW...add Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite to the Netflix list from a couple of weeks back.  I'm putting its TFF chances at 30%.

SPRINGSTEEN ON WHITE...OH, AND THE TRAILER AGAIN

I have high hopes that Searchlight brings the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere to TFF #52.  Right now it and Del Toro's Frankenstein are my two big "hope fors". 

That said, we know director Scott Cooper has been at Telluride a number of times both with and without projects.  We know that the film is being distributed by frequent TFF player Searchlight and we know that the film has a fest friendly release date of Oct. 24th.  So, I got that going for me.

This Past week Springsteen talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the film and the actor Jeremy Allen White who plays The Boss in the film.  Here's that interview. 

And, by the by, we had lots of trouble with linking to the trailer for Deliver Me from Nowhere last week...so here we go again:

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Venice Thoughts / Neglia on Cannes and Telluride / A Look at Del Toro's Frankenstein / Interesting Comment to the Blog

VENICE THOUGHTS

Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel posted a list of  "20 hot festival titles this fall" on Saturday.  The context for the list of films is within Ruimy's discussion of the Venice festival and the number of possible American films that could make that lineup.  Many of them are on my TFF #52 "watch list".  

Here's Ruimy's list with what I think are the most serious Telluride possibilities indicated with ***.

After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)***

One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Untitled WH Thriller (Kathryn Bigelow)

Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach)***

Caught Stealing (Darren Aronofsky)

Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos)***

The Smashing Machine (Benny Safdie)

The Way of the Wind (Terrence Malick)

Father Mother Brother Sister (Jim Jarmusch)

The Ballad of A Small Player (Edward Berger)***

Hamnet (Chloe Zhao)***

Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro)***

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Kogonada)

Roofman (Derek Cianfrance)

At the Sea (Kornél Mundruczó)

The Drama (Kristofer Borgli)

The Lost Bus (Paul Greengrass)

Deliver Me From Nowhere (Scott Cooper)***

Huntington (John Patton Ford)

Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper)***

Here's the link to Jordan's post.

NEGLIA ON CANNES AND TELLURIDE

Matt Neglia, who heads up Next Best Picture, published via "X" on Friday a list of Cannes films that he thinks could also play Telluride.  It looks like this:

The Chronology Of Water

Die My Love

It Was Just An Accident

Left Handed Girl

The Love That Remains

The Mastermind

My Father’s Shadow

Nouvelle Vague

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Urchin

Young Mothers

 I have frequently mentioned Chronology of Water, Die My Love, It Was Just an Accident (or A Simple Accident), The Love That Remains, The Mastermind, and Young Mothers.  

Post Cannes I have warmed to the notion of Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent for T-ride.

I'm back and forth on Nouvelle Vague.  Linklater has, to the best of my knowledge, never been to The SHOW but with both Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon...I could see a Linklater double bill and a possible tribute.  

Other films that Matt names, Left Handed Girl, The Father's Shadow and Urchin...we'll see.

I think there could be other Cannes players that make the trip.  Sirat and Eleanor the Great come to mind.  Remember, though, Matt was on the ground in France and probably has a better sense of what's going on as a result.

A LOOK AT DEL TORO'S FRANKENSTEIN

Netflix had what they call TUDUM.  It's their annual sort CinemaCon thing.  Anyway, as a part of that there was a presentation for Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming imagining of Frankenstein.  The film stars Oscar Isaac (as Victor Frankenstein) who was at the TUDUM presentation, as well as Christoph Waltz and Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth.  Netflix dropped a trailer for the film as a part of the event and then very quickly put it up online.  Here it is from YouTube:

I'm thinking Frankenstein could make a visit to TFF owing to Del Toro's success there in 2017 with The Shape of Water and Netflix's usually robust presence at The SHOW.  Del Toro presented The Devil's Backbone at Telluride in 2001.

INTERESTING COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Over the weekend some anonymous person posted a comment to last Thursday's MTFB.  It really caught my attention because it's a poem about me and the blog.  And whoever this is knows their stuff.  I approved the comment and you can find it on the 5/29/25 post.  I've also re-posted it here:

"In Oklahoma classrooms he was once all the rage, A master of drama, debate and stage. Now each Labor Day he ascends to the peak, Where cinephiles gather and the big stars all sneak. With a blog as his weapon, a hunch as his guide, He guesses the films they try hard to hide. Reads gossip like scripture, decodes all the lines.

The SHOW bosses in Berkeley grit teeth in dismay, As his summer "BEST BETS" always steal the day. But Michael just shrugs, lets critics all chatter-- To him it's just the puzzle that truly must matter. So let's raise a toast, with blog posts in hand, To the Teacher who does what few understand."

Thanks to the unknown author.

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The Critics at Cannes (Cont.) / And Now...Venice? / An IMDb Thing

 THE CRTICS AT CANNES (CONT.)

We're past the half way mark at the 78th Cannes Film festival and here's the check-in on the latest critical response to the films screening there.  

Here is a look from regarding 13 films at Cannes that I have my eye on regarding a possible play at Telluride:

From the Palme Competition category (on a 10 point scale):

The Mastermind: 6.16

Die, My Love: 6.52

Young Mothers: 5.75

The History of Sound: 5.09

A Simple Accident: 6.91

From Un Certain Regard:

Eleanor the Great: 5.81

The Chronology of Water: 6.17

Out of Competition:

Splitsville: 6.36

Orwell: 2+2=5: 7.13

The Disappearance of Joseph Mengele: 5.68

The Wave: 5.84

The Love That Remains (Palmason) 7.73

The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol 6.22

Looking at the Palme competitors, the top five currently are:

1) Sirat (Laxe) 7.90

2) Nouvelle Vague (Linklater) 7.25

3) The Secret Agent (Filho) 7.02

4) Resurrection (Gan) 7.00

5) Sentimental Value (Trier) 6.94

FROM SCREEN DAILY

Palme Competition top five (on a 4 point scale)

1) Two Prosecutors 3.1 (Tie)

1) It Was Just an Accident ( A Simple Accident) 3.1 (Tie)

3) The Secret Agent 2.8 (Tie)

3) Sound of Falling 2.8 (Tie)

3) Sentimental Value 2.8 (Tie)

FROM IONCINEMA

Palme Competition top five ( on a five point scale):

1) Sirat 3.9

2) The Secret Agent 3.6

3) It Was Just an Accident (A Simple Accident) 3.4

4) Nouvelle Vague 3.3

5) Sound of Falling 3.2

AND NOW...VENICE?

As Cannes gets close to its conclusion, some attention has begun to focus on what films will play Venice.  As frequent readers will recall, inclusion at Venice doesn't necessarily point to a film being selected for Telluride nor does it signal that it won't be.  The key to reading the Venetian tea leaves as they relate to Telluride actually comes when Venice releases its schedule.  Early screenings in Venice leave the door open for a Venice-Telluride double play.  

The point is that paying attention to Venice's choices can still be instructive.  To that end, Screen Daily posted on Monday a piece dedicated to possible Venice choices.  They include (in the order that the film appears in the piece):

The Smashing Machine/B. Safdie

The Ballad of a Small Player/E. Berger

Hamnet/C. Zhao

Bugonia/Y. Lanthimos

After the Hunt/L. Guadagnino

Father, Mother, Sister, Brother/J. Jarmusch

Rosebush Pruning/K. Ainouz

Sacrifice/R. Gavras

Couture/A. Winocour

Orphan/L. Nemes

No Other Choice/P. Chan-wook

Anemone/R. Day-Lewis

Yellow Letters/I. Catak

Call Me Queen/E. Atef

Whitetail/N. Leopold

A Prayer for the Dying/D. Van Dusen

Chocobar/L. Martel

My guess as to the best Telluride possibilities from this list:

The Ballad of a Small Player

Hamnet

Bugoina

After the Hunt

Orphan

What I'd really like to see at Telluride: Anemone

Screen Daily's complete rundown of Venice possibilities is here.

AN IMDB THING

So, I was running down Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On? on IMDb (the app) a couple of days ago and noticed in the section labeled "Related User Lists" and the first list listed there was labeled "Telluride Possibilities".  Like this:

So naturally, I was intrigued.  I clicked on "pj_withers" list and discovered that MTFB was the reference:

So my next thought was...from this list of 30 films, what others, in addition to Is This Thing On?, does this list come up on?  All of them?

Turns out...no, not all of them.  But it does for 11 of them.

Is This Thing On?

Hamnet

Eleanor the Great

After the Hunt

Anemone

Megadoc

The Love That Remains

It Was Just an Accident

The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol

Bucking Fastard

David Lynch: Hollywood Enigma

I'm not sure why these 11 are linked to this "Related User List" the other 19 are not.  I'm not sure who "pj_withers" is but I think this is kind of cool.

More on Monday including what won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

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