As a passionate cinephile, attending a film festival has always been a gift of epic proportions. That gift is amplified by being able to share that love of cinema with thousands of fans in the mountains of Colorado at the 51st Telluride Film Festival.
As someone who grew up fairly close to the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, my expectations as a first-timer to Telluride were more fear of the unknown than anything else. Being surrounded by nature in all its glorious beauty—babbling brooks, mountain views from every conceivable angle, exquisitely colored birds, clean air, and an oddly soothing sense of serenity amidst the festival madness—was a welcome change from the big-city bustle of Los Angeles. Telluride is different. The vibe is laid-back, the people are friendly, and the movies are superb.
The first day was spent picking up my press pass, checking out the site, purchasing supplies, and attending a press orientation with Telluride CEO Julie Huntsinger, who addressed both new and veteran journalists and said, “We like to show things here in Telluride that are kind of timeless.” Huntsinger also encouraged attendees to check out the “bucket list” hot air balloon ride organized for kids that is featured in a popular NatGeo title, “Blink,” which shares the story of brothers diagnosed with a disease that causes progressive vision loss.
Each festival features a surprise screening and an animated semi-biographical film by Pharrell Williams. “Piece by piece” It was the perfect start. Directed by Morgan Neville, the audience is immersed in the mind of a musical genius told in the form of animated Lego pieces. As infectious as his hit song “Happy,” the audience will be captivated, educated and entertained as he recounts his life and career and various interviews with personalities such as Snoop Dogg, Teddy Riley and Missy Elliott, to name a few.
Having grown up for part of my life as a Catholic, Edward Berger… “Conclave” It was at the top of my list. The drama about a meeting at the Vatican to elect a new Pope is sure to rile up some religious communities. Exquisitely shot and featuring an impressive all-star cast including John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rosellini, Sergio Casellito and Ralph Fiennes, this film is sure to be an awards season contender in multiple categories.
A follow-up to his directorial debut, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. “The Nickel Boys” is
visually striking and creatively immersive. The way it is shot reminds me vividly of a 2021 Tilda Swinton film, “Memoria.” While “Memoria” is a unique auditory experience, “Nickel Boys” delivers its point of view through its main character, Elwood, with the images blurred out, forcing the audience to focus on the narrative without being distracted by external forces on screen. With repurposed archival footage, Ross shared during the subsequent Q&A, led by The blacklist Creator Franklin Leonard, his reasoning for filming from a character’s point of view for narrative rather than capturing subjects for documentaries, “…I’m not so much documenting the real, but documenting the reaction to the real.” Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse are joined at the hip on-screen and creatively, while the entire project is artistically anchored by the undeniable Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Ellis-Taylor’s answer was very honest and real when asked why she wanted to work with Ross, “I like working with people who do good stuff!”
And that was just the first day!
The next two days included exclusive interviews with the cast and directors of “Nickel Boys” and “The piano lesson” (both coming soon to this site), along with screenings of director Malcolm Washington's phenomenal adaptation of August Wilson's play, Pablo Larraín's account of Maria Callas' life with Angelina Jolie in “Maria”, and the much talked about Jason Reitman film “Saturday night” chronicling the behind-the-scenes antics of the first broadcast of Lorne Michaels' groundbreaking comedy show.
In addition, there were many notable tributes to artists such as Saoirse Ronan, legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker and “Emilia Perez” filmmaker Jacques Audiard.
Narrative features weren't the only ones getting attention, as one of my favorite shorts was a French absurdist tragedy selected and curated by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins titled “Two people exchanging saliva” made its world premiere Friday night at the Sheridan Opera House.
Shot mostly in black and white, this film is set in a repressive society where kissing is punishable by death and people pay for things by receiving hard slaps in the face. Despite this prohibition, Angine (an unhappily married woman) falls madly in love with a curious young saleswoman, which leads them both down a path of no return. I loved this film's unconventional narrative and the spectacular performances.
The powerful one “September 5th” Made for a particularly timely release given the violent state
of the Gaza and Israel affairs. Although this dark chapter of history has been covered cinematically in the past, including in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” this version approaches the subject from a journalistic perspective and the ethics associated with sharing such shocking and incomprehensible facts with more than 900 million people.
A moment that could have gone horribly wrong. I briefly sat down to chat with one of its stars, Peter Saarsgard, who plays legendary ABC Sports executive Roone Arlege, and asked him how to cover a situation like this if all the perpetrators want is the attention that comes with the press. Saarsgard shared, “…the more connected we are when we experience horrible things like this, the more we can react in solidarity with positivity to better humanity rather than simply seeking revenge.”
Being blessed with an operatic diva bow by Angelina Jolie after I expressed my excitement over her masterful performance as 'La Callas,' talking about cinema with old colleagues, and discovering how festival films transport to the festival were some great moments that made my 'Alice in Wonderland' adventure in Telluride the perfect transition into fall with a Labor Day picnic in the mountains and an experience that will permeate my soul and memory for a lifetime.