UPDATE: A Focus rep has confirmed to me that Todd Field’s “TAR” will NOT be going to TIFF.
It’s kind of surprising that of all the big titles being launched this fall, maybe, just maybe, only one will be doing the four major festivals (NYFF, TIFF, Venice and Telluride).
I emailed around last night, trying to find anyone who might be able to confirm to me that Todd Field’s “TAR” will be doing the four majors. Absolute RADIO SILENCE. It’s quite possible it might be a late addition to TIFF and that would complete quadfecta for Field’s film.
The only other possibility to do all four fests this year is Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” an opioid doc selected as the Centerpiece of the New York Film Festival and screening in competition.
All the other films for the fall have been spread out:
No Bears (Venice/Toronto/NYFF)
Saint Omer (Venice/Toronto/NYFF)
Un Couple (Venice/Toronto/NYFF)
TAR (Venice/Telluride/NYFF)
The Eternal Daughter (Venice/Toronto/NYFF)
The Whale (Venice/Toronto)
The Son (Venice/Toronto)
Bardo (Venice/Telluride)
Women Talking (Toronto/Telluride)
The Wonder (Toronto/Telluride)
Empire of Light (Toronto/Telluride)
White Noise (Venice/NYFF)
Bones & All (Venice/Telluride)
The Banshees of Inisherin (Venice/Toronto)
The Master Gardener (Venice/NYFF)
What does this say about the potential quality of the films being screened at this year’s fall fests? That’s the main question I have at the moment, I’m very much looking forward to new works from Baumbach, Inarritu, Field, Aronofsky and Schrader.
Past films that went on to screen at all four of the major fests include “The Power of the Dog,” “Nomadland,” “ROMA,” and “Marriage Story.”
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.