The official program selections have been set for the 48th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF will screen more than 80 feature films, short films and revival programs representing 29 countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. The Telluride Film Festival takes place Thursday, September 2 through Monday, September 6.
The 48th Telluride Film Festival lineup of film for the main program, the SHOW, consists of:
• THE AUTOMAT (d. Lisa Hurwitz, U.S., 2021) In person: Lisa Hurwitz
• BECOMING COUSTEAU (d. Liz Garbus, U.S., 2021) In person: Liz Garbus
• BELFAST (d. Kenneth Branagh, U.K., 2021) In person: Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan
• BERGMAN ISLAND (d. Mia Hansen-Lรธve, France/Germany/Sweden, 2021) In person: Mia Hansen-Lรธve
• BITTERBRUSH (d. Emelie Mahdavian, U.S., 2021) In person: Emelie Mahdavian, Colie Moline
• C’MON C’MON (d. Mike Mills, U.S., 2021) In person: Mike Mills, Gaby Hoffmann, Molly Webster
• CITIZEN ASHE (d. Sam Pollard, Rex Miller, U.S./U.K., 2021) In person: Sam Pollard, Rex Miller
• COW (d. Andrea Arnold, U.K., 2021) In person: Andrea Arnold
• CYRANO (d. Joe Wright, U.K., 2021) In person: Joe Wright, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Erica Schmidt, Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner
• THE DUKE (d. Roger Michell, U.K., 2021) In person: Roger Michell, Helen Mirren
• THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN (d. Will Sharpe, U.K., 2021) In person: Will Sharpe, Benedict Cumberbatch
• ENCOUNTER (d. Michael Pearce, U.S., 2021) In person: Michael Pearce
• FAUCI (d. John Hoffman, Janet Tobias, U.S., 2021) In person: John Hoffman, Janet Tobias, Steven Wakefield, Peter Staley
• FLEE (d. Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark, 2021) In person: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
• HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG (d. Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller, U.S., 2021) In person: Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Sharon Robinson
• THE HAND OF GOD (d. Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2021) In person: Paolo Sorrentino, Teresa Saponangelo, Luisa Ranieri, Filippo Scotti
• A HERO (d. Asghar Farhadi, Iran/France, 2021) In person: Asghar Farhadi
• JULIA (d. Julie Cohen, Betsy West, U.S., 2021) In person: Julie Cohen, Betsy West
• KING RICHARD (d. Reinaldo Marcus Green, U.S., 2021) In person: Reinaldo Marcus Green
• THE LOST DAUGHTER (d. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Greece/U.S./U.K./Israel, 2021) In person: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris
• MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (d. Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, U.S, 2021) In person: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate
• MUHAMMAD ALI (d. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon, U.S., 2021) In person: Sarah Burns, David McMahon, Rasheda Ali, Michael Bentt
• NUCLEAR FAMILY (d. Ry Russo-Young, U.S., 2021) In person: Ry Russo-Young, Sandra Russo, Robin Young
• PETITE MAMAN (d. Cรฉline Sciamma, France, 2021) In person: Cรฉline Sciamma
• THE POWER OF THE DOG (d. Jane Campion, Australia/New Zealand, 2021) In person: Jane Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons
• PROCESSION (d. Robert Greene, U.S., 2021) In person: Robert Greene, Dan Laurine, Ed Gavagan, Mike Foreman, Michael Sandridge, Joe Eldred, Tom Viviano, Terrick Trobough
• THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN (d. James Spinney, Peter Middleton, U.S., 2021) In person: James Spinney, Peter Middleton
• RED ROCKET (d. Sean Baker, U.S., 2021) In person: Sean Baker, Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Ethan Darbone, Brittney Rodriguez, Suzanna Son
• THE RESCUE (d. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, U.S./U.K., 2021) In person: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Mitch Torrel, Thanet Natisri
• RIVER (d. Jennifer Peedom, Australia, 2021)
• THE SAME STORM (d. Peter Hedges, U.S., 2021) In person: Peter Hedges, Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker
• SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (d. Vanessa Lapa, Israel/Austria/Germany, 2021) In person: Vanessa Lapa
• SPENCER (d. Pablo Larraรญn, U.K./Germany/Chile, 2021) In person: Pablo Larraรญn, Kristen Stewart
• TORN (d. Max Lowe, U.S., 2021) In person: Max Lowe, Conrad Anker, Jennifer Lowe-Anker, Isaac Lowe-Anker, Sam Lowe-Anker
• UNCLENCHING THE FISTS (d. Kira Kovalenko, Russia, 2021) In person: Kira Kovalenko
• THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (d. Todd Haynes, U.S., 2021) In person: Todd Haynes, Ed Lachman
The 2021 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Oscar nominated actor Riz Ahmed (with Encounter), Oscar winning filmmaker Jane Campion (with The Power of the Dog), and Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage(with Cyrano). Tribute programs include a selection of clips, the presentation of the Silver Medallion, and a screening of the aforementioned films.
Barry Jenkins, this year’s guest director, serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions. He has curated the following special selections:
• WEST INDIES (d. Med Hondo, France/Mauritania/Algeria, 1979)
• CHOCOLAT (d. Claire Denis, France, 1988)
• LOOKING FOR LANGSTON (d. Isaac Julien, U.K., 1989)
• GARDEN (d. Ruthie Shatz, Adi Barash, Israel, 2003) In person: Adi Barash, Ruthie Shatz
• KAHLIL JOSEPH: SELECTED WORKS In person: Kahlil Joseph
• RUSSIAN ARK (d. Aleksandr Sokurov, Russia, 2003)
Additional film revival programs include The Apaches of Athens (directed by Dimรญtrios Gaziadis, Greece, 1929), and Fragment Of An Empire (d. Fridrikh Ermler, USSR, 1929), the latter of which will follow a presentation of the Special Medallion award to film scholar Annette Insdorf. The Special Medallion is given to celebrate a hero of cinema who preserves, honors and presents great movies.
Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians, and filmmakers will screen the following programs:
• ANDREI TARKOVSKY: A CINEMA PRAYER (d. Andrei Tarkovsky, Italy/Russia/Sweden, 2019)
• BERNSTEIN’S WALL (d. Douglas Tirola, U.S., 2021) In person: Douglas Tirola
• DARK FRAMES (d. Tom Thurman, U.S., 2021) In person: Tom Thurman
• EDNA (d. Eryk Rocha, Brazil, 2021) In person: Eryk Rocha
• JOYCE CAROL OATES: A BODY IN THE SERVICE OF MIND (d. Stig Bjรถrkman, Sweden, 2021)
• LAND OF GOLD (d. Peter Sellars, U.S., 2021) In person: Jon Else, Peter Sellars
• SONGS FOR DRELLA (d. Ed Lachman, U.S., 1990) In person: Ed Lachman
• STAY PRAYED UP (d. D.L. Anderson, Matt Durning, U.S., 2021) In person: D.L. Anderson, Matt Durning, Phil Cook, Lena Mae Perry
• THE STORY OF LOOKING (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2021)
• THREE MINUTES – A LENGTHENING (d. Bianca Stigter, Netherlands, U.K., 2021)
• THE VILLAGE DETECTIVE: A SONG CYCLE (d. Bill Morrison, U.S., 2021) In person: Bill Morrison
Special Screenings will play throughout the Festival including the short film Lead Me Home (d. Jon Shenk, Pedro Kos, U.S., 2021) with both filmmakers in person; a new cut of The Outsiders (d. Francis Ford Coppola, U.S., 1993) presented by Coppola and Matt Dillon; The Rain People (d. Francis Ford Coppola, U.S., 1969) with Coppola in person; El Gran Fellove (d. Matt Dillon, U.S., 2020) presented by Dillon; and Mississippi Masala (d. Mira Nair, U.S., 1991) with Nair in person.
Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including The Touch (d. Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1971); a gallery of Laurie Anderson’s Covid-19 Zoom lectures entitled: Spending The War Without You; and a poster signing with previously announced 2021 poster artist Luke Dorman of Meow Wolf.
“We have prepared for just about anything this year,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Attending Telluride is always an adventure: the altitude, the weather, and the travel requirements to get here are not for the faint of heart. But the past two years have led us to a moment where we truly understand the phrase anything is possible, and we are ready. We have heard the incredible excitement from our film community about our ability to reconvene in the beautiful Telluride setting and are just as thrilled to pick up where we left off. We are full of gratitude and anticipation to head back to our favorite activity – sitting in the dark and watching the very best works our cinematic leaders have created – and find ourselves more in love with film than ever.
Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, includes three sections: Student Prints, Calling Cards and Great Expectations from 18 emerging filmmakers from around the globe.
Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposiumprovides 50 graduate and undergraduate students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings together 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. The FilmSCHOLAR program, created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin, gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. University Seminars allow university professors to travel with students to the Festival and participate in special programming throughout the weekend.
Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Eight Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and four outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.
