Telluride Film Fest: Parsall Joins Guessing Game

02 Sep Telluride Film Fest: Parsall Joins Guessing Game

Once the vow of silence is lifted & the world gets to know what’s in store at the 42nd annual Telluride Film Festival, Friday, September 4 – Monday, September 7, the fun begins and not just on the silver screen. All around town on the streets, in the lines, etc. Until then, what and who is coming to town is anyone’s guess, fair game. 

But not just anyone is guessing.

Tampa Bay Times’ movie critic Steve Parsall weighs in with his hunches based on the action in Toronto and Venice. One thought is Danny Boyle’s (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “127 Hours”) “Steve Jobs.” The Johnny Depp rumor has been around town for awhile now. Another guess from yet another Internet source is Fox Searchlight’s “Brooklyn.” Saorise Ronan leads the adaptation of Colm Toibin’s book for the screen by Nick Hornby. The story concerns a young girl’s immigrant experience in the United States, as she makes her way through Brooklyn in the 1950s.

But again folks, these are JUST GUESSES.

By now I’m in heaven, at least as close as I wish to be for a while.

I’m at the Telluride Film Festival, high in the San Juan mountain range of southwest Colorado, where I’ve visited for summer vacation nine of the past 10 years.

Telluride gives me an early glimpse at, or at least get the buzz about, movies that will be awards season players next spring. Telluride premieres in recent years include the best picture Academy Award winners Birdman, 12 Years a Slave, Argo, The Artist, The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire — six of the past seven Oscar champs. Not to mention major awards players like Gravity and The Imitation Game.

Telluride is also likely the most laid-back film festival in the world, for good reason. Neither lineups of movies or celebrity guests are announced until one day before the festival begins. That effectively keeps away paparazzi and gossip twinks who won’t make the effort to reach such a remote event unless they know who they can hassle.

The mood is so relaxed, even surly Sean Penn is approachable in Telluride…

For the actual guesses, continue reading here.