After a disappointing 2022 edition, the Telluride Film Festival had a major comeback for its 50th Anniversary. Sure, there were only a few actors on hand (including one who was rumored as not supposed to be there), but there was hardly a bad film on the screening slate and a number of world premieres that will dominate critic’s year-end top 10 lists. Oh, and once again, the small Colorado mountain town is the festival with the biggest Oscar boost.
Oscar watchers who have not attended Telluride continue to scoff at the festival’s awards season influence but sit in at any screening or pop into any small party (A24, Neon, and Searchlight had the largest) and you will see AMPAS members everywhere. And it’s not just the filmmakers, producers, and, SAG interim agreement allowed actors on hand. The Telluride faithful is full of voters and they return to Los Angeles (maybe a few to New York) and end up spreading recommendations of what their fellow members need to see. This year, there were effectively five films that were buzzed about they most.
Fresh off its Venice Film Festival premiere, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” quickly became the must-see movie at Telluride. The Searchlight release is a major Best Picture nominee player and Emma Stone is looking at her fourth Oscar nomination. Mark Ruffalo has a shot at a nom in the Supporting Actor race for one of the most hilarious performances of his career. Lanthimos will absolutely be in the mix for Directing and his “The Favorite” collaborator Tony McNamara will be a vote-getter for Adapted Screenplay. The movie is also a below-the-line powerhouse with Shona Heath and James Price’s production design, Robbie Ryan‘s cinematography, and Holly Waddington‘s marvelous costumes looking at nominations. The movie’s Makeup and Hairstyling teams are probably a lock for a nom while the Visual Effects team also has an outside shot for some very subtle and artistic contributions. Jerkin Fendrix‘s music is probably too minimal for Original Score and we have to see how the field shapes out before committing Yorgos Mavropsaridis for Editing.
The other Searchlight title to wow the mountain crowd was a world premiere, Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers.” The supernatural drama will be a player for a Best Picture nomination but isn’t as much of a given as its studio sister title. That being said Haigh seems likely to snag an Adapted Screenplay nomination for a closer adaption to the original source material than many might suspect. The movie’s big players, however, are its cast. Andrew Scott should be in the scrum for a Best Actor nomination, Claire Foy is a major player to land a Supporting Actress nom (it would be her first Oscar recognition), and both Paul Mescal and Jamie Bell could crack a super competitive Supporting Actor class. “Strangers” chances at a Best Picture nom may partially hinge on whether it can snag a Best Picture win from either LAFCA, NYFCC, or the National Board of Review. “Oppenheimer,” “Zone of Interest” (more on that one in a minute), “Past Lives” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be major competition with those critics groups.
Among the other world premieres at Telluride, the film that had the most love was Alexander Payne‘s comeback, “The Holdovers.” We’re not 100% convinced it can make the Best Picture field, but Focus Features knows the game and this is a movie whose beautiful 70s nostalgia may play with AMPAS. It doesn’t hurt that both Paul Giamatti (maybe a Best Actor player) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (a longshot for Supporting Actress) are top-lining the film. It would be tough for Payne to crack Best Director, but David Hemingson has an excellent shot for Original Screenplay. Eigil Bryld‘s lensing also has an outside shot for Cinematography.
Jeff Nichols’ “Bikeriders” received mostly positive reviews and is looking like an actor play for 20th Century Studios. Once SAG members start screening it (whenever that might be), Jodie “halfway to EGOT” Comer (who upset Jessica Chastain at the Tony Awards in June) is a contender for either Best Actress or Supporting Actress. There was some debate that she should campaign for the latter, but we’re not so sure that’s the right move. Both categories are going to be a bloodbath and it’s going to be difficult to convince voters she actually isn’t one of the leads. Tom Hardy, on the other hand, has an excellent shot for a Supporting Actor nom and Nichols will at least get some looks in the Adapted Screenplay race.
We were major fans of Emerald Fennel’s delicious “Saltburn” but Amazon MGM Studios is going to have to hope the British contingent of the Academy (and BAFTA for that matter) gives it an Oscar boost after a mixed reaction in the mountains. Despite an utterly fantastic lead turn by Barry Keoghan and a slyly subtle yet hilarious performance from Rosamund Pike, the stylish thriller is likely just a below-the-line player for Director of Photography and previous Oscar winner Linus Sandgren. Again, let’s not write this one off until it screens at the London Film Festival next month. It may just be a nice youth-fueled hit for Amazon if they market it correctly or maybe it finds a passionate following among the membership (which is all you need).
Netflix had two narrative films premiere at Telluride: George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin” and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin‘s “Nyad.” Both movies are likely just in the mix for acting nominations. Colman Domingo has a shot for the former while voters will have to decide if Annette Bening or Jodie Foster deserve Best Actress love for the latter.
Now there are the players who made their way from Cannes or Venice for ticket holders’ consideration. First off, Justine Triet‘s Palme d’Or, winner, “Anatomy of a Fall,” played better than even I expected. This is a movie that will absolutely be in the mix for a Best Picture nom while Sandra Hüller will continue to make her case for Best Actress recognition. Also, keep an eye out for Swann Arlaund in the Supporting Actor mix. He came up often in conversations about the movie.
Another Hüller film aiming to crack the Best Picture field is the aforementioned “Zone of Interest.” The Jonathan Glazer masterpiece (wait, did we say that?) definitely had people talking. That being said, it appears A24 is absolutely going to need year-end critical love to get this one across the finish line.
This was a rare year where a number of potential International Film contenders played the festival without it being clear whether they would be their nation’s submission or not. One film that was announced as Japan’s submission during the festival was Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days.” That movie’s lead actor, Koji Yakusho, was on hand making the rounds. His chances at a Best Actor nomination are slim, but his presence might assist “Perfect” in making the International Film category cut (the shortlist is a given). Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” Choyning Dorji’s “The Monk and the Gun,” Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves,” and Anh Hung Tran’s “The Taste of Things” all popped at the festival and are hoping to be the selections for Italy, Bhutan, France and Finland, respectfully.
An acquisition title, the Jon Baptiste-focused doc “American Symphony” and NatGeo Films’ “The Mission,” were the talk of the fest on the documentary side.
Attention now shifts to the Toronto International Film Festival where another Searchlight film, “Next Goal Wins,” and Sony Pictures’ “Dumb Money” look to enter the fray. Netflix’s “Maestro” and “May December” as well as A24’s “Priscilla” and Amazon Studios’ “Foe” will look to make their mark on this side of the Atlantic at the New York Film Festival just a few weeks later.
Follow along with all our coverage of the 2023 Telluride Film Festival.
