Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
One of the great(ish) traditions of Telluride is that nobody outside the festival knows exactly what is playing there until the lineup is revealed just days before the festivities begin. Unlike Venice, Toronto, and New York, Telluride prefers mystery. While that can make planning a bit challenging, it also creates weeks of fun speculation about what might be headed to the mountains. The uncertainty hasn’t stopped film fans from dissecting premiere designations, release calendars, and festival announcements in an effort to decipher the lineup before it’s announced. In fact, good friend of the site Michael Patterson runs a blog devoted almost entirely to forecasting Telluride. He’s been doing it since 2008 and consistently provides some of the most thoughtful analysis you’ll find anywhere on the subject.
This year, Joey, Megan, and I will be attending the 53rd Telluride Film Festival and covering it for The Contending. As part of our preparation, we recently recorded a podcast discussing what we think might play at the festival, which films seem most likely to emerge as awards contenders, and the titles we’re most excited to see. If you haven’t listened yet, I’d encourage you to give it a spin.
This week’s list is going to be part prediction and part wish list. These are the ten films I currently believe have a realistic shot at playing Telluride, ranked by how excited I would be to see them if they make the lineup. Nothing here is official, of course. I know no more about what is playing there than anyone else at this point.
So, with apologies in advance for whatever Telluride inevitably proves me wrong about, let’s have some fun predicting while ranking.
10. Club Kid (directed by Jordan Firstman)
9. Gentle Monster (directed by Marie Kreutzer)
8. Elsinore (directed by Simon Stone)
7. A Long Winter (directed by Andrew Haigh)
6. Fatherland (directed by Paweł Pawlikowski)
5. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York (directed by Noah Segan)
4. Fjord (directed by Cristian Mungiu)
3. La Bola Negra (directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo)
2. The Debut (directed by Jesse Eisenberg)
1. Wild Horse Nine (directed by Martin McDonagh)
Other films that I am betting on being at Telluride and am very excited to see include: Ink (Directed by Danny Boyle), Minotaur (directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev), Tender Loving Care (directed by Mike Leigh), Bucking Fastard (directed by Werner Herzog), and Rose (directed by Markus Schleinzer). Needless to say, we are expecting a loaded festival this year. Here’s hoping!
