Festival Circuit 2024

[beamish14]

I have to applaud Margaret Qualley for doing the Kinds of Kindness press conference in the most outrageously ostentatious hat.

I applaud all of the actresses at these festivals for still having to endure mind-numbing questions about sexuality and nudity in films they’re promoting

I was in Nice and Cannes for the first time this year. Not fortunate to have been able to attend any screenings, but I did get the beautiful “official” poster with the Rhapsody in August still and a smaller Ghibli/Cannes poster, along with too much other merch from their store

[Finch]

I've glanced over press reactions to The Substance and I want to see this film right now.

[thirtyframesasecond]

Sean Baker's 'Anora' seems to have been the best reviewed film at Cannes so far; would be a very interesting winner.

[therewillbeblus]

Sean Baker's 'Anora' seems to have been the best reviewed film at Cannes so far; would be a very interesting winner.

I'd love to see Mikey Madison take home actress

[domino harvey]

Good God, I tried to take a peek at AW to see what the buzz was and it was an immediate grandpasimpsonhat.gif moment of instant regret

[Michael Kerpan]

AW? (sorry for my denseness)

[domino harvey]

A forum focused on the awards season with an increasingly deranged user base. I won’t name it because last time I did, we were accused of brigading (as if), but let me clear: I implore everyone to never read it

[Never Cursed]

Good God, I tried to take a peek at AW to see what the buzz was and it was an immediate grandpasimpsonhat.gif moment of instant regret

Had the exact same experience here. You obviously can't trust them on any movie, but in particular anything where there's either some noxious buzz or else some angle, however spurious, of reading the filmmaker's intentions in an unkind or "problematic" way leads the same usual suspects to start sticking out their forked tongues. Anora sounds great no matter what they say

[Michael Kerpan]

I figured out what this site is -- so now I know what to avoid if it comes up in some search or other.

[thirtyframesasecond]

All We Imagine As Light was got great reviews too. First Indian film up for the main prize for three decades. Was surprised to see that after Devi, no Satyajit Ray film was nominated until the mid 80s, missing out his career peak.

[Pavel]

Guess I might as well share some predictions for the awards tonight

Palme d’Or: All We Imagine as Light
Grand Prix: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Jury Prize: Anora
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Screenplay: Bird
Actor: Ben Whishaw
Actress: Karla Sofia Gascon

[JabbaTheSlut]

Palm d’Or: The Sacred Fig ex aequo All we Imagine
Grand Prix: Wild Diamond
Jury Prix: The Substance
Best Director: Coppola
Best Actress: Mikey Madison
Best Actor: Jesse Plemons
Best Screenplay: Andrea Arnold

[Omensetter]

Oh, I've been too busy to pay too much attention this years.

My predictions before the callbacks were:

Palme: Payal Kapadia
Grand Prix: Jia Zhangke
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Jury Prix: Jacques Audiard
Actress: Mikey Madison
Actor: Jesse Plemons
Screenplay: Coralie Fargeat

[Omensetter]

In terms of critical reception, the top tier does seem solidly Kapadia, Rasoulof, Baker, and Gomes. Their films all seem set up to win an award.

The second tier safely seems to be Audiard, Jia, Fargeat, and perhaps Lanthimos.

Cronenberg and Coppola have their supporters. Films like Arnold's, van Horn's, and probably Aïnouz's will be fine and play better outside of the festival.

[Omensetter]

I was rooting for Jia to win the Palme, and his reviews were solid, but he seems to be solidly in the taken-for-granted era of his career. I don't know how he could compete with such shiny objects like Emilia Perez and The Substance.

Rasoulof deserves an award and all the respect in the world, and he's been essentially propped-up as the winner from early on, only in part due to his political situation. His film topped the Screen Daily grid. I can't say I'm too enthused about it though as it seems much like his earlier obvious, didactic work. Everything about the story is phenomenal, and Rasoulof is amazing, but I'd far prefer they go in a different direction. Kapadia's film sounds lovely, but she's green, so I think I'll root for Gomes. He's not overdue in the sense that Jia is (Jia already posted on Weibo that he's not winning an award), but he's still a more established figure, and his film seems worthy of the top award. Furthermore, it'd be nice to return the Palme to something more highbrow after the genre offerings of Parasite, fucking Titane, Triangle of Sadness, and the elevated Grisham Anatomy of a Fall.

[Omensetter]

Outside of Competition, films that seem to hold immense promise include UCR winner Black Dog, Janus-pickup and Latvian cat cartoon Flow, UCR runner-up The Story of Souleymane, Minervini's The Damned, NYFF-lock Viet and Nam, Carax's It's Not Me, "should-have-been-in-competition" winner Guiraudie's Misericordia, and Fortnight winner Rankin's Universal Language.

Of those invited back, just don't give the Palme to Audiard. It's not a Netflix thing (although I don't want them to have the Palme) and mostly Audiard thing. The lead in his film seems like a good pick for Actress.

[Omensetter]

U.S. distribution pick-up:

Janus/Sideshow: Kapadia, Zilbalodis, Guiraudie, Carax
NEON: Baker, Rasoulof
Netflix: Audiard
MUBI: von Horn, Fargeat
Searchlight: Lanthimos
A24: Sorrentino, Nyoni
Bleeker: Maddin
Oscilloscope: Rankin

Metrograph also picked up some films low-key, but I cannot rattle them off the top of my head, unfortunately.

[Omensetter]

I want to go on a walk before 1 p.m. CST; can they cut the George Lucas bit? Yes, Fremaux loves his aging American boomers. I can't slather myself in sunscreen and attack the keyboard simultaneously.

Based on who's in attendance predictions:

Palme: Rasoulof
Grand Prix: Kapadia
Director: Fargeat
Jury: Baker
Actress: Sofía Gascón
Actor: Waddington
Screenplay: Coppola

Coppola's introducing Lucas, but I forgot who else is in attendance, so he seems decent for Screenplay.

[Omensetter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk-EgrOQjlc

I forgot how inspired Ebru Ceylan is as a jury member; she cancels out Nadine Labaki at least.

[Never Cursed]

Finally, justice for Selena Gomez! All us Rainy Day in New York-heads validated at last

[Omensetter]

That Plemons win was the rare Cannes surprise. They couldn't get someone from the cast/crew to say something? I get that everyone in that cast is super-booked, but still.

[Omensetter]

This is the perfect award for Rasoulof.

[Omensetter]

No way Baker wins the Palme over Kapadia. (No way Coppola wins a third Palme.)

[soundchaser]

Coppola for Palme please!!! It would be the funniest result after all the talk about this film being undistributable.

[ryannichols7]

All We Imagine As Light seems like a winner. it's gonna present Criterion/Janus a fun issue when it comes time to put it out on disc. does it go mainline or stay a Janus Contemporary??