The Telluride Film Festival really believes it will be happening in the Rockies of Colorado in the first week of September. Godspeed. Despite growing concerns mounting with the larger-attended Toronto, New York and Venice Film Festivals, this year’s 47th edition of Telluride is expected to kick off on Thursday, September 3, this according to a press release sent by the festival on Friday.
The press release states:
“We’re contacting you today to let you know we’re hard at work to provide a safe and joyous environment that will include an extra day to allow more space within and between screenings, along with all of the necessary safety tweaks and adjustments you’ve become very familiar with, regardless of where you call home.”
The email spells out why Telluride thought it was necessary to proceed saying, “…there has been a determination to proceed, in large part fueled by the voices in our community. This community understands that movies really are empathy machines, that when we assemble to witness the glories of cinema together, something magical happens. We humbly suggest that our world needs the light of cinema and its beautiful by-products of compassion and emotional storytelling alchemy like never before.”
Now, let’s just say Telluride does happen, given the delays in production all over the industry and plenty of Cannes titles being pushed for the 2021 edition of that festival, all we have left as potential Oscar-bait is these movies:
Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin)
The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson)
Those Who Wish Me Dead (Taylor Sheridan)
Stillwater (Tom McCarthy)
Deep Water (Adrian Lyne)
Pixar’s Soul (Pete Docter)
News of the World (Paul Greengrass)
Duel (Ridley Scott)
Respect (Liesl Tommy)
Mank (David Fincher)
On the Rocks (Sofia Coppola)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman)
C’mon C’mon (Mike Mills)
A Quiet Place Part II (John Krasinski)
The Nest (Sean Durkin)
Whether any or all of these titles actually show up in the fall circuit is obviously still up in the air. Telluride organizers seem to think they can have a solid enough lineup of films to get people to attend their upcoming 47th edition, but reality says otherwise. A lot of productions were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, most intriguingly, David Fincher’s “Mank,” which was in post, but, according to sources, still needs a lot of editing to be done before it is in tip-top shape for release.
Fine, Telluride might happen this year, but, much like Venice, will it actually be heavy on buzz-worthy titles as in previous years? Something tells me the answer to that question is a resounding no.
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of looking forward to the “Michael” sequel. Whether Vantoine directs it or John Logan, it doesn’t matter—it’s an inevitable sh*tshow that will result from its making and release.