IFC Films and Telluride/Look at The Counselor

Good Wednesday Everybody...

IFC FILMS AND TELLURIDE

IFC films has been a fairly substantial presence at Telluride over the past several years.  The firms highlight year probably was 2008 (the writer's strike year) when it was represented by 5 films.  IFC Films sometimes partners with Sundance Selects.

Here's the film record for IFC Films at Telluride for the past ten years:

2003: Touching the Void, Intermission
2004: Nobody Knows
2005: Three Times
2006: Deep Water, Indigenes
2007: Secret Sunshine, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, Jar City
2008: Hunger, Gomorrah, Flame and Citron, Everlasting Moments, The Good, the Bad and the Weird
2009: Fish Tank, Red Riding Trilogy, Life During Wartime, Vincere
2010: The Princess of Montpensier, Carlos
2011: Into the Abyss, Pina
2012: Frances Ha

IFC Films averages 2.3 films per year at the Telluride Film Festival over the last decade.  So what do they have in the pipeline that looks Telluride-y?

IMDb lists the following as IFC Films distribution vehicles that haven't or will not have opened or played at a North American film festival:

Cannes entry "Young and Beautiful" (with Sundance Selects)
Mountain climbing documentary "The Summit" (also with Sundance Selects)
"The Face of Love" starring Robin Williams and Ed Harris

Three...that's all...three.

My money's on "Young and Beautiful" at this point.  I rated it's chances yesterday at 50%...I'm bumping that up to 60% today.  "The Summit" stays at 20% and "Face of Love"...I'm putting at 10%.

Tomorrow: The Weinstein Company.

Also, don't forget, the first "Ten Bets" for TFF #40 is coming on Friday.

LOOK AT THE COUNSELOR

I don't have a lot of feel that Ridley Scott's drama starring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender has a realistic shot at being in the Telluride field.  But I'd like it to be (note:  some of things that I haven't thought had a prayer might actually be a part of the 40th festivities...rumors...whispers...can't say anything).

Nonetheless, a teaser trailer dropped for the eagerly anticipated film yesterday.  Check it and the attached stories here:

HitFix:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/first-foreign-counselor-trailer-featuring-brad-pitt-michael-fassbender-javier-bardem-cameron-diaz-and-penelope-cruz

Rope of Silicon:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/counselor-international-trailer-english/

FirstShowing.net:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/first-russian-teaser-trailer-for-ridley-scotts-the-counselor-arrives/


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More tomorrow...

700/Sundance Selects and Telluride/The Playlist Guesses Venice

Good Tuesday Everyone...

700

That was the number of Saturday's post...the 700th.  Hard for me to believe.  Doing some quick math, that means that each post has been looked at, on average, 112.4 times.  Thanks to everyone who reads from time to time.

SUNDANCE SELECTS AND TELLURIDE

Only a player in distribution for just a few years, Sundance Selects has been present at the Telluride Film Festival for the last three fests at various levels of involvement.

2010: The Princess of Montpensier, Tabloid
2011: The Forgiveness of Blood, The Kid with a Bike, Goodbye First Love and Into the Abyss
2012: The Central Park Five

At this point, the possible Sundance Selects offerings amount to 5 films that played at Cannes:

Palme d'Or winner "Blue is the Warmest Color", Jury Prize winner "Like Father, Like Son", Francois Ozon's "Young and Beautiful", Clio Bernard's "The Selfish Giant" and Roman Polanski's "Venus in Fur".

My feeling is that "Like Father..." and "The Selfish Giant" might be the more likely T-ride choices...though "Blue" and "Young and Beautiful" seem very possible as well.

Polanski's film seems like the least likely of the five from Cannes.

Sundance Selects also has a documentary entitled "The Summit" which has played in 2 film fests in England and Ireland...that could be a possibility.

Chances:

"Like Father, Like Son" 70%
"The Selfish Giant" 70%

"Blue is the Warmest Color" 60%
"Young and Beautiful" 50%
"Venus in Fur" 20%
""The Summit" 20%

THE PLAYLIST GUESSES VENICE (and T-ride indirectly)

The Playlist Oliver Lyttleton offers his take on potential Venice selections and, in passing mentions 5 films as Telluride possibles:

"Devil's Knot"
"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"
"Salinger"
"Out of the Furnace"
and "Foxcatcher"

All of which could join the San Juan SHOW...and none.

I haven't had "Devil's Knot" on my radar at all. I have mentioned the other four.  Each of which has some things working in its favor and other things that indicate that they're not so likely.

To look at Lyttleton's complete list click below:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/predicting-the-2013-venice-film-festival-line-up-20130624

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More tomorrow...

Deals at Cannes (and what they mean)/Frances Ha in Theaters

Good Thursday...

I'm headed to Taos, NM today...to see Mumford and Sons.  Paul McCartney last week and Mumford today...jealous?

I'll keep my eyes peeled for any Carey Mulligan (Mrs. Mumford) sightings.

Late breaking about Ms. Mulligan...reports are that she's the likely choice to play Hilary in "Rodham" or whatever it's going to be titled.

DEALS AT CANNES (and what they mean...maybe)

Among other things, the Cannes Film Festival serves as a market place for film.  Distribution deals and the distributors that make them can point us to some films that could end up at the Telluride Film Festival.  Consequently I have included a series of links to a variety of stories/posts about acquisitions that occurred at Cannes or in its immediate aftermath:  Beginning with a big swath of multiple posts from IndieWire
:

http://www.indiewire.com/article/cannes-wrap-up-all-the-interviews-news-and-reviews-from-indiewires-festival-coverage?page=2#articleHeaderPanel

More individual stories are as follows:

Sundance Selects grabs "Blue is the Warmest Color" (Palme d'Or winner) and "Like Father, Like Son":

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sundance-selects-is-releasing-cannes-winners-blue-is-the-warmest-color-and-like-father-like-son

And "The Selfish Giant":

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-sundance-selects-nabs-north-555986

And "Young and Beautiful"

http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-selects-takes-ozons-beautiful-out-of-cannes

 AND...Sony Pictures Classics has "The Lunchbox"

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/cannes-sony-pictures-classics-buys-lunchbox-93676

Sundance was represented at Telluride last year with "The Central Park Five" and in 2011 by several films.  All four listed above should be considered potential films for the TFF #40 program.

Meanwhile SPC's grab of "The Lunchbox" also means that it has some very definite Telluride potential.  SPC has been very well represented at Telluride for a good long time.

Later this month, I'll break down the distributor/producer players and look at which has what films and what that means for T-ride.


FRANCES HA IN THEATERS

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig's delightful collaboration is in theaters now.  A definite highlight of TFF #39...here are interviews with Baumbach from Moviefone:

http://news.moviefone.com/2013/05/17/noah-baumbach-frances-ha-interview/?utm_hp_ref=moviefone

and another from The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/interview-noah-baumbach-talks-20130514

and with actor Michael Zegen from The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/16/michael-zegen-frances-ha_n_3283156.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse/107846269309712

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More on Friday...