Monday, June 20, 2011

This Fall’s Festival Wishlist

Even as Cannes announced its lineup, speculation and predictions loomed about what was in store for the two biggest festivals of the late summer.
With announcements sure to start slowly rolling in over the summer,
The 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival will run August 31 to September 10th, while Toronto will celebrate its 36th edition September 8-18. And then of course there’s Telluride, which goes down on Labor Day weekend.
A lot of high-profile films were unexpectedly unready in time for Cannes, including Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants,” David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method” and Roman Polanski’s “Carnage.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s time to let the serious speculation begin: Which films will be the mammoths of the fall festival circuit?
The Oscar launching pads start at the Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10), followed by Telluride over Labor Day weekend, and then finally the Toronto International Film Festival (September 8-18). Last year, three of the 10 Best Picture nominees screened at the Venice and/or Toronto (and it was five the year before).
Among the possible, likely, or essentially assured filmmakers who will premiere at Venice, Telluride or Toronto are Steven Soderbergh, Walter Salles, George Clooney, Whit Stillman, Sarah Polley, Jason Reitman, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, Alexander Payne, David Cronenberg, Andrea Arnold and, yes, Madonna. 
Here’s a list of 50 films, all new movies that haven’t played anywhere yet, and that indieWIRE’s editorial team hopes to see during the Telluride, Venice and Toronto triad.
50/50,” directed by Jonathan Levine
Summit has been screening this dramedy for press, and it’s all but assured it’s a build-up to a Toronto debut (its late September release date adds to that theory). Originally titled “I’m With Cancer” (and then “Live With It”), “50/50” stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen and is loosely based on the real-life story of screenwriter Will Reiser. It follows Adam (Gordon-Levitt), a young man diagnosed with cancer and given the titular chances of living. Anna Kendrick (as Adam’s doctor), Bryce Dallas Howard (as his girlfriend) and Anjelica Huston (as his mother, and said to be fantastic) co-star, and the film could end up a surprise fixture in Oscar season, where both Gordon-Levitt and Rogen have yet to make a significant appearance. [Peter Knegt]
Butter,” directed by Jim Field Smith
First-time screenwriter Jason A. Micallef and director Jim Field Smith (“She’s Out Of Your League”) recently completed “Butter,” a quirky comedy with sleeper gold written all over it. Set in the Midwest, a ‘tween somehow discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself the arch nemesis of a local mom in their town’s annual competition. Filled out with a funny, A-list cast led by Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Garner, “Butter” just might be churned out in time for fall festivals. [Austin Dale]
On The Road, directed by Walter Salles
There has been speculation that Walter Salles would ready his Jack Kerouac adaptation for Venice or Toronto; it’s been in post since December. But whenever it rears its head, it’s sure to spark serious interest from fans of Kerouac’s iconic novel, particularly due to its substantial cast in Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Garrett Hedlund and Steve Buscemi. For Salles’ sake, let’s just hope it ups the ante from his previous English-language effort, Jennifer Connelly horror flick “Dark Water.”  [Peter Knegt]

indiewire for the rest
xoxo
Carrie

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