A piece over at European CEO wonders whether this is, in fact, true. Jean Luc-Godard said of the fest, “Now, it’s just for publicity. People come to Cannes just to advertise their films.” Perhaps that is truer today than it’s ever been as the entire year feels like one rolling publicity tour for the same handful of films. It used to be that the PR train stopped with the Oscars for a while. Cinema would then be in the dead zone for a few months until the summer movie season hit. But now, with Captain American pushing up summer movies to April, and Cinemacon already starting the necessary fluffing, then Cannes, then Comic-Con just around the corner and after that Telluride, it begs the question whether there really is any break anymore. Of course, who can complain when it’s so difficult to get any movies funded now – especially movies that aren’t pre-branded with our overly branded culture. Any championing of films like Under the Skin and Only Lovers Left Alive is good. Those movies were supposedly part of the PR train from last season but now are enjoying some singularity with all of the Oscar movies out of the way.
From my seat, Cannes is one of the few stops left that truly celebrates diverse, worthy filmmaking from all over the world. It isn’t just the main competition (which, I have to say, always blows my stupid American brain right the fuck away) but everything else going on at Cannes – the producers workshops, the short films, the networking between up and coming filmmakers and potential financiers. It isn’t just about promotion but about opportunity – as long as you can get there.
However, according to British filmmaker Andrew Lang, Cannes still has its artistic integrity. “Cannes is still the festival that everyone tries to get their films into. For serious art house cinema, there’s no better place to launch a film. Films that might be considered ‘difficult’ to distributors because of their lack of stars or challenging subject matter premiere at Cannes, and with that stamp of approval might then be seen throughout the world. No other festival – except perhaps Sundance – has the same transformative power on a film’s fortunes.”
He told European CEO that while commercial factors may have crept into Cannes, it still showcases a great deal of challenging cinema. “There’s definitely a creeping commercialism, but where isn’t there? I can understand what Godard misses. In 1968, he had the festival closed in solidarity with the French Student protests. I can’t imagine many modern directors doing that.”
This might, however, reflect the wider film industry than just Cannes. More focus by the larger studios has been placed on ‘safer’ films that are likely to make money, rather than riskier art-house stories. Sequels of big commercial franchises are being made more and more, and although they aren’t don’t get considered for the awards at Cannes, they do take up much of a film studio’s budget.
The festival has other criticisms too. In 2012 the festival suffered a series of complaints over its lack of recognition for female filmmakers. Of the 22 films nominated for the top award in that year’s context, men directed them all. The previous year saw four women in contention, while 2013 saw just a single woman nominated – Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi for Un Chateau En Italie. To date, only one woman has won the Palme d’Or – New Zealander Jane Campion for her 1993 film The Piano.
Lang continues:
“Films tend to spend the whole year deciding on offers from festivals. Some films might be better suited to different festivals. For example, a smaller film might find it better to premiere at Venice and stand out from the crowd, rather than at Cannes where it can get swamped by big hitters. It’s also all about timing. A film might not be ready to premiere at Cannes in the spring, and so would be better suited to a later festival like Venice in the autumn.”
Despite these factors, Cannes, for the time being, is still the one that most filmmakers would want to be at. “None of these festivals carry the weight or prestige of Cannes.”
Worldwide, that’s true. It’s funny how little anyone in Cannes cares about the Oscar race. You’d think they would – but honestly, how could they? Not with what they have to work with. Their small jury tends to pick vital, interesting films to win the Palme d’or – but that no bearing whatsoever on the Oscar race, as we saw with Blue is the Warmest Colour last year. That was the most surprising and talked about film of the fest but it hasn’t really stood the test of even a few months out, not like some of the other movies that played in competition. Thing is, the Palme and every other major award is always going to fall prey to hype and excitement. Human nature and all of that. What is always lost in any contest for “best” is perspective, which you don’t really get until much later.
Sundance, Telluride and Toronto are the other major film festivals but they tend to mostly favor and focus on American product – and/or films designed to hit the American audiences. Perhaps that is changing. Venice and Rome, as this story points out, come second to Cannes in terms of making a big splash – although Venice seems to have a slightly better foothold in the Oscar race than the others. Either way, the stars turn out, the stars turn out, the stars turn out. All glammed up and hitting the red carpet – what better way to promote anything.
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I think I’m the resident Cannes basher.
The quality of Cannes I don’t necessarily question.
The relevance of Cannes to the wider film culture is another matter.
Uncle Boonmee might be a great film. Ultimately, basically no one really cares.
Cannes is irrelevant.
Winner prefix
Best picture: inherent vice
Best director: Paul Thomas Anderson for inherent vice
Lead actor: Chadwick boseman get on up
Lead actress: Amy Adams big eyes
Supporting actor: Richard armitage the hobbit – there and back again
Supporting actress viola Davis get on up
Original screenplay magic in the moonlight
Adapted screenplay inherent vice
Animated feature big hero 6
Cinematography unbroken
Costume design big eyes
Production design the hobbit: there and back again
Make up big eyes
Original score Hans zimmer interstellar
Sound editing interstellar
Sound mixing interstellar
Film editing exodus: gods and kings
Visual effects the hobbit: there and back again
Original song the Lego movie
Actress
Amy Adams – big eyes
Berenice bejo – the search
Carrie conn – unbroken
Nicole Kidman – grace of Monaco
Rosemubd pike – gone girl
My new Oscar predictions
Best picture
Big Eyes
Exodus: gods and kings
Get on up
The grand Budapest hotel
The hobbit: there and back again
Inherent vice
Love is strange
Magic in the moonlight
Unbroken
Director
Wes Anderson- the grand Budapest hotel
Paul Thomas anderson- inherent vice
Tim Burton – big eyes
David fincher – gone girl
Peter Jackson – the hobbit: there and back again
Actor
Chadwick Boseman – get on up
Russell crowe – Noah
Michael Keaton – birdman
Jack O’Connell – unbroken
Joaquin Phoenix – inherent vice
Actress
Amy Adams – big eyes
Berenice bejo – the search
Carrie conn – unbroken
Nicole Kidman – grace of Monaco
Joaquin Phoenix – inherent vice
Supporting actor
Richard armitage – the hobbit: there and back again
Orlando bloom – the hobbit: there and back again
Josh brolin – inherent vice
Edward Norton – birdman
Aaron Paul – exodus: god and kings
Supporting actress
Viola Davis – get on up
Anna Kendrick – into the woods
Octavia Spencer – get on up
Tilda swinton – the grand Budapest hotel
Reese Witherspoon – wild
Adapted screenplay
Gone girl
The hobbit: there and back again
Inherent vice
The search
Unbroken
Original screenplay
Get on up
The grand Budapest hotel
Love is strange
Magic in the moonlight
A most wanted man
Cinematography
Exodus: god and kings
Interstellar
Inherent vice
Magic in the moonlight
Unbroken
Production design
Exodus: god and kings
Get on up
The grand Budapest hotel
The hobbit: there and back again
Interstellar
Costume design
Big eyes
Get on up
The grand Budapest hotel
Horrible bosses 2
Inherent vice
Animated feature
Big hero 6
How to train your dragon 2
The Lego movie
Maleficient
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Film editing
Big eyes
Exodus: god and kings
Gone girl
The grand budapest hotel
The hobbit: there and back again
Makeup
Big eyes
Guardians of the galaxy
Interstellar
Sound mixing
The equalizer
Get on up
Inherent vice
Interstellar
Unbroken
Sound editing
Exodus: god and kings
Get on up
The hobbit: there and back again
Interstellar
Into the woods
Visual effects
The amazing spiderman 2
Dawn of the planet of the apes
Exodus: gods and kings
The hobbit: there and back again
Interstellar
Original score
Birdman
Interstellar
Love is strange
Magic in the moonlight
Unbroken
Original song
Annie
Jersey boys
The hobbit: there and back again
The Lego movie
Rio 2
Cannes IS the Oscars for directors that are not American or British, the most important and prestigious award, since everyone knows they’re never winning at the Academy no matter how superior they are to the competition.
That said, they really need to work in their women representation: I mean, no films in 2012 and the only one in 2013 was the most critically panned in the competition, directed by the sister-in-law of a former French president, while more acclaimed work by more celebrated filmmakers was left out? One has to remember what Churchill said about one time being happenstance, two times being a coincidence, etc.
Corvo that’s an excellent comeback. It’s so good I should let you have the last word… But that would be un-American of me.
So I’ll just say this before I stop. If you’ve learned everything you know about Americans from movies, TV-series, books and music and the major takeaway lesson you’ve learned is that Americans don’t care about the rest of the world, then you been learning from the wrong movies, TV-series, books, and music.
In fact, I’d even suggest cutting back on the movies, TV-series, books and music and get to know some actual Americans (preferably some who are not tourists on vacation in your amazing country).
I know maybe 20 Italians but I didn’t meet any of them in America and I didn’t meet them in Italy either, so none of us were feeling territorial when we got to know one another. We were just friends, for years. Our world was the world we created around us and our worldveiw wasn’t based on fictions. It was real.
I have high regard for all my Italian friends, for a multitude of reasons as varied as they are, so it would never occur to me to reduce their personalities to a base common denominator. I don’t know what I’d think of Italians if my only knowledge of Italy came from Italian movies. But I assure you the real live Italians I do know are more far more complex and fascinating and lovable that any Italian movie characters I’ve ever spent 2 hours watching onscreen.
If you think there’s any advantage that individual Americans derive from “ruling the world” then your understanding of who and what rules the world could use some refinement.
Everything you think you know about me is wrong, so you don’t really have any advantage of “knowing us” after all. What you think you know are fictionalized illusions fed to you as fun-to-swallow entertainment by media industries (books, TV, movies, music), but because you’ve been eating those illusions since you were a child, it’s silly for me to think I can dissuade you of those illusions with anything I say today.
“In fact, you know as little about American people as I know about Italian people.”
Sorry, but this isn’t true. The comparison between our countries can’t be symmetrical. I watch american movies and tv-series, I read american books, I follow the Oscar race and the presidential race, I listen to american songs… and not because I’m obsessed with America but because that’s the culture I’ve been eating since I was a child. America colonized the collective unconscious of our time. The advantage for you is that you rule the world, the advantage for us is that we know you way better than you will ever know us.
“” I was talking about american people “”
Yes I’ve noticed. You’re one of those Europeans who loves to lecture Americans about American people.
In fact, all you know about America is a pile of tiresome catchphrases and stale stereotypes. You have in your mind an image of “most” American people who don’t know how to use a globe or a map.
In fact, you know as little about American people as I know about Italian people. The difference between you and me is that I don’t try to lecture you about your own country and I don’t write 6 comments insulting Italian people for traits that I know they can’t all possess.
Because I like to assume Italian people are all individuals so I don’t say stupid shit like “Italians are _________.” Because I dont like to insult the entire population of another nation by making crude remarks like “You Italians think __________.” Because I know I do not have any idea what Italians think so I try not to make dumb assumptions.
That’s how I think global. I think global by showing some respect to people in other countries instead of spending 2 days repeatedly insulting them with worn out labels and boring dimissive pigeonholing.
That’s how you and I differ.
I dont understand how this discussion suddenly shifted to who gets to say “FIRST!” with a world premiere. That’s not the point. For the purposes of building exposure and momentum for the final “goal” of winning awards at the BAFTA or Oscars, nobody actually gives a shit where a movie premiered. Part of the point of a festival like Telluride is to get your movie seen by the right people in the industry and to pass through the gauntlet of critics reactions to serve as a testing ground for a movie’s appeal to specific tastes. You guys are so hung up on where a movie premieres. Let me say again: awards voters do not give a fuck where a movie premieres. What they give a fuck about is finding out if a movie that makes a splash in Berlin is anything that a broader and less elitist audience might like.
It’s cute how you like to continually piss on “average Americans” for their lack of interest in the rest of the world… and in the very same breath you proudly boast of your own total lack of interest in anything that’s outside your own cocoon of privilege. Your snotty distain for anything outside Venice, Cannes and Berlin is an adorable example of “thinking global. “
@Ryan
Telluride is small and neglected. They know it and they play dirty to gain more exposure. They show films that are presented as world premieres at Venice before Venice and films that are presented as world premieres (or north-american premieres) at Tiff before Tiff. They couldn’t do it but they do because they are attention seekers. Last year both Venice director and Tiff director condemned this behaviour. Film festivals battle for world premieres, that’s the point. Telluride has not the prestige to get them so they steal them.
And about America and the rest of the world… I was talking about american people, not about american governments. I know that american governments DO CARE about what happens outside their borders (they care TOO MUCH, thinking the world is their playground). But if you ask a random US citizen where a random foreign country that US forces bombed is exactly located I’m pretty sure he/she won’t know. American people is isolationist.
‘Relatively speaking, I agree with Sasha that Cannes is diverse, with several program sections available, including events other than film screening and competitive sub-sections — e.g. Network, exhibitions, the so-called Marche du Film, etc.’
Heeeeexactly. The Official Competition lineup is not an accurate representation of the entirety of the Cannes slate. A good 25% of the year’s most valuable, artistically significant fare, mostly low-budget and non-American, shows at Cannes each year.
I don’t think anyone’s saying they’re equal, I just don’t think it’s top 3, in terms of either general cinematic relevance or Oscar relevance. Just look at our most recent Best Picture nominees. In the last five years, Only five nominees premiered at Telluride (which is more than I thought, so I will eat my earlier Juno comment), which makes it tied with Sundance, one ahead of Venice, one behind New York and Toronto, and, fittingly for this article, two behind Cannes. I’m not saying it doesn’t have any significance in the Oscar race, but I will say that all five of the Telluride premieres were shown at Toronto immediately afterwards, so make of that what you will.
“Sundance, Telluride and Toronto are the other major film festivals” seems to directly imply that the three are of comparable significance.
surely there’s somebody at Georgetown who can explain to you the flaw in that wacky logic. I give up.
look at this: “the three major beverages in America are water, soda and beer” — if you think that sentence “seems to directly imply” that water, soda and beer are of equal importance then please talk to your doctor.
“Sundance, Telluride and Toronto are the other major film festivals” seems to directly imply that the three are of comparable significance, which it really isn’t.
If you name three American cities the ones that come to mind are New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Doesn’t matter if somebody in Europe doesn’t think the 3rd most important thing is important. If somebody in Europe thinks Chicago isn’t important that only shows their European knowledge of American cities is limited. But of course, like a lot of Europeans, they’ll try to tell you they know more about America than Americans know. Because it’s a fun European thing to play like everybody in America is brain dead.
Toronto, Sundance, and Telluride all qualify as major North American film festivals. But there’s nothing in the sentence to indicate that they’re equivalent.
They simply represent the three North American film festivals that stir up the most attention for Oscar movies. Whether you like it or not. Telluride has become an important a proving ground and it’s a major stop on the pathway to an Oscar nomination.
If you don’t know that, then this article could teach you something. But instead you prefer to stick stubbornly to your belief that Sundance influences the Oscars? Like when? Sundance maybe influences the Indie Spirit Awards.
If you think Telluride isn’t important, I’m sorry to say that only shows your knowledge is limited when it comes to what you think you know about North American film festival influence on the Oscars.
“Sundance, Telluride and Toronto are the other major film festivals” seems to directly imply that the three are of comparable significance, which it really isn’t. It’s like saying “Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and New York are the major American cities.” Like, yes, Indianapolis is a major city and all, but next to the first two its inclusion doesn’t make much sense.
As for Toronto, obviously it’s not literally a US premiere, but the festival has significant presence in the American mainstream media when it happens and its films have a pretty good history of making their way into American theaters and, as it happens, the minds of Oscar voters. It’s hard to claim a film that’s shown at Toronto is unknown until it hits Telluride.
Telluride can’t even touch Sundance or Toronto
so because two things are bigger than a third thing, the third thing ceases to exist at all and it’s blasphemy to name all 3 in the same sentence. thanks. cool philosophy lesson.
Toronto is practically a US premiere? thanks. cool geography lesson.
I mean I don’t really see how you can argue that Telluride can even touch Sundance or Toronto in terms of significance, either to the Oscar race or to cinema in general. Most, if not all, of the films you named that had their US premiere at Telluride had previously screened at a bigger, more significant festival (like Toronto, which is close enough to a US premiere, practically speaking). That’s where they got most of their steam coming in, really. Telluride didn’t make Amour or Blue is the Warmest Color big names, Cannes did. Not disputable. Like, what was the last actual Telluride premiere to be a big hit? Juno? These days even NYFF gets more press.
When you disagree with what Sasha writes by saying “You Americans think the world ends outside your borders,” then it appears to me that you believe Sasha has named Telluride because she can’t see past America’s borders.
I have not tried to diminish the importance of Venice or Berlin because of course I know they’re important. But you advise me to “think global” as if you believe that I don’t realize that.
When you think you need to remind me that English is a foreign language to people in other counties then it appears to me that you think I didn’t already know that. When you tell me I need to “think global,” then it obviously means you think I don’t and never do.
That’s not hyperbole, Corvo. Those are direct insults.
I’m only defending the mention of Telluride in the context of an article about film festivals that influence the Oscars because, believe or not, this is an Oscar site. (Ask Sasha if this is an Oscar site if you don’t believe me).
Sasha is obviously naming film festivals that influence the Oscars. This could also account for that neglect of Berlin and Venice that bothers you. Those festivals do not usually have significant effect on the Oscars so they don’t belong in this article that traces the major stops on the road to the Oscars.
If you don’t see that this was Sasha’s point then I guess you have a small problem with English comprehension.
To intro the slant of this article, the first paragraph begins like this:
In summary, in the final paragraph, Sasha says this:
see? once again emphasizing that this is an article that revolves around festival influence on the Oscars.
Corvo, seriously my friend, Do you not see that those sentence that bookend this article in the first and last paragraphs are mapping out various festival stops on a route that begins the worldwide quest to discover viable Oscar contenders? How can you not see that?
That’s fine if you missed the point. hey, I don’t even speak 20 words of Italian. I’m only fluent in English and Thai.
You may think it’s impressive to shit on Telluride as non-existent to Europeans but your disregard would be a surprise to these directors who chose Telluride as the place to have the American premieres of these films.
AMOUR (d. Michael Haneke, Austria, 2012)
BARBARA (d. Christian Petzold, Germany, 2012)
EVERYDAY (d. Michael Winterbottom, U.K., 2012)
THE HUNT (d. Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, 2012)
THE ICEMAN (d. Ariel Vromen, U.S., 2012)
MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN (d. Deepa Mehta, Canada-Sri Lanka, 2012)
A ROYAL AFFAIR (d. Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark, 2012)
RUST & BONE (d. Jacques Audiard, France, 2012)
BEFORE THE WINTER CHILL (d. Philippe Claudel, France, 2013)
BETHLEHEM (d. Yuval Adler, Israel, 2013)
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (d. Abdellatif Kechiche, France, 2013)
BURNING BUSH (d. Agnieszka Holland, Czech Republic, 2013)
GLORIA (d. Sebastián Lelio, Chile, 2013)
IDA (d. Pawel Pawlikowski, Poland, 2013)
THE LUNCHBOX (d. Ritesh Batra, India, 2013)
LA MAISON DE LA RADIO (d. Nicolas Philibert, France, 2013)
MANUSCRIPTS DON’T BURN (d. Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, 2013)
THE MISSING PICTURE (d. Rithy Panh, Cambodia/France, 2013)
THE PAST (d. Asghar Farhadi, France/Italy, 2013)
Looks like there are some Europeans who do think Telluride exists.
This is false. Trust me. I know more americans than you do. “Historical reasons”? You mean like 1943-1945 history when American and Allied forces fought and died to help liberate Italy and the rest of Europe? What do they teach you in Italian schools about America’s historical apathy during WWII? What do you see on Italian TV about American involvement in world affairs today? nothing?
What other insults do you have for the people who represent MOST of America?
When I say americans I don’t mean every single american citizen, I’m using an hyperbole. I mean most americans. Most americans don’t care about what happens outside their borders (you know it’s true, for historical reasons.)
I’ve read Sasha’s post and I don’t think the statement you quoted is “perfectly reasonable”. She was talking about Cannes (“one of the few stops left that truly celebrates diverse, worthy filmmaking from all over the world”), then she says: “Sundance, Telluride and Toronto are the other major film festivals…” With the following “but” another clause begins and she adds that Sundance, Telluride and Toronto unlike Cannes “tend to mostly favor and focus on American product – and/or films designed to hit the American audiences.” So I understand that in her opinion the major film festivals in the world (overall, not regarding the Oscar race) are Cannes, Sundance, Telluride and Toronto. I don’t agree. That’s all. Telluride may influence the oscar race, ok, but Venice and Berlin are way more prestigious.
Corvo, Why don’t you please stop throwing a fit over this perfectly reasonable and absolutely valid statement.
Why don’t you climb down off the tower where you peer down on pitiful Americans and notice that Sasha mentions the Oscars 5 times in this post.
Maybe that’s a clue that part of Sasha’s purpose in this post is to make an observation about how various film festivals affect the Oscars.
Is it not strange that the guy who wants us to “think global” can so casually insult 320,000,000 Americans* as dumbasses who don’t have a clue what happens around the world?
That’s your way of thinkng global, Corvo? Claiming that the entire population of another country is ignorant? That’s how you embrace another country? Nice.
Almost seems as if “thinking global” to you means respecting everyone in the world except for Americans.
*(feel free to insult the 90 million Americans who are in fact dumbasses. But none of those Americans visit this site).
You think it’s all about oscar race.
No I do not. I think Telluride is about the Oscar race. This site is primarily about the Oscar race. This is a site the covers movie awards that culminate on a yearly cycle with the Oscars.
Let me clue you in: This site would not exist if not for the Oscars.
It would be ridiculous for us to not acknowledge the importance of Telluride on a site that’s tightly focused on the Oscars. It’s equally ridiculous for you to keep harping on how Telluride means nothing to you.
How about YOU think global. How about NOT disparage Telluride as nonexistent and acknowledge that its influence is important to the Oscar race.
How about stop insulting Americans by suggesting we have no clue what happens outside American borders.
How about not make dumb remarks suggesting that I might be unaware that English is not the universal language of planet earth.
I lived as an expat in Thailand for 7 years. I didn’t set foot in America for 7 solid years. How many years have you spent outside the borders of YOUR country? How many months or days have you left the familiar comforts of your own country?
Don’t lecture me about thinking global.
@Ryan Adams
“Telluride exists in Colorado. The importance of Telluride to the Oscar race is indisputable. Sorry to hear some people outside the US are too ignorant to know that.”
You think it’s all about oscar race. Every film festival in the world. But it’s not. Film festivals have their own traditions and their own awards. The oscar race is funny, I follow it every year because I love cinema. But cinema is not an american thing. Have you ever thought that to many people foreign language films are films IN ENGLISH? Think global. This is awardsdaily or oscarsdaily?
“pls stop dissing Jeanne Dielman”
Very alert, you know it! 🙂
NEVER.
pls stop dissing Jeanne Dielman
50 great films in one year?! — now that’s just crazy talk.
the kind of crazy talk I talk all the time.
“there are never more than 8 great movies every year. maybe 9, tops” — oscar voters
“the rest of the 1500 movies we make for you numbskulls every year? we can’t sit through any of them” — oscar voters
I wish they would. they need to know some of us here are genre-friendly
Public Service: People accuse me of seeing too many movies so let me help a it and curate some 2013 shit for you. BASTARDS, A TOUCH OF SIN, COMPUTER CHESS all made my top 20 last year, and are all now on Netflix Instant, and to be perfectly honest, I can see them being a great triple bill, mirrory/socially reflexive stuff, but do promise they’re all “stories”, no ladies peeling potatoes for three hours — just outstanding. I gave these three titles notices for cinematography, supporting actress, score (i.e., big deal). Also there, THE HUNT, MY BROTHER THE DEVIL, DRUG WAR which made my Top 30. NEW WORLD, A HIJACKING (great alternative if you didn’t buy into CAPTAIN PHILLIPS), IN THE HOUSE, BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, PRINCE AVALANCHE, ONLY GOD FORVIVES were included in my top 50, but don’t let the position fool ya, all indispensable viewing. Last but not least, NEIGHBORING SOUNDS, MUD, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (all Top 10 material) have been there for a while so surely you’ve seen those by now, right? No? What are you waiting for?
Bonus: I realize not many genre folks come around, but WE ARE WHAT WE ARE contains some of the most interesting horror from last year; understated yet acutely allegorical, not in your fucking face about it all the time like THE PURGE.
I’m seeing POST TENEMBRAS LUX tonight, you should make good use of those 8 bucks, and support CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER!
What always amuses me is the glam and sparkle around films that can be incredibly, um, challenging. I’m trying to remember the name of the film last year that caused people to faint (and even more to leave the screening – although that is hardly newsworthy in itself).
For all the high heels and gowns, Cannes can give a pretty raw movie experience sometimes.
Cannes remains to be the most prestigious international festival in the world. Diverse, of course. Who would have thought “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” can win Palme D’Or? And Asian perspective-wise I appreciate how it helps made sure this side of the world is represented, and I can say the same thing for the films from the other continents. It has been a platform for so many great and amazing Asian films that if weren’t for the exposure and “business”, won’t be able to gain renown and interest from Western audience.
Some of you non-americans think americans are all alike. Stupid thing to think, isn’t it?
Technically correct. Telluride exists in Colorado. The importance of Telluride to the Oscar race is indisputable. Sorry to hear some people outside the US are too ignorant to know that.
I don’t know what your problem is with Blue is the Warmest Color, Sasha…?
To me, it’s still head and shoulders above any other film released in 2013 (The Act of Killing excepted, which is a masterpiece of the documentary genre).
Adele Exarchopoulos’ performance was the best performance male or female in 2013. By far. I will never forget that performance. That’s how good it was.
Cannes has managed to pick three outstanding winners in a row. That’s something to be celebrated and it makes me look so much forward to this years’ festival as well. Who will be the next in line? Can’t wait to find out.
“From my {Sasha’s} seat, Cannes is one of the few stops left that truly celebrates diverse, [worthy filmmaking from all over the world. It isn’t just the main competition (which, I have to say, always blows my stupid American brain right the fuck away) but everything else going on at Cannes — . . . ] . . . . “
Relatively speaking, I agree with Sasha that Cannes is diverse, with several program sections available, including events other than film screening and competitive sub-sections — e.g. Network, exhibitions, the so-called Marche du Film, etc.
That said, Ubourgeois [see his/her comment dated April 8, 2014 1:14 pm AD time] has also pointed out some thought-provoking items, including [I presume, it’s correct] the fact or at least quasi fact that there seems to have been but two (or so) non-Western jury presidents in the past 20 or 30 years — even though I’m not au courant with the actual mechanism taking place during the process of judging the competing films (reading: I’m wondering how important and critical in practice a jury president could well be, in reality).
Anyway, I would lie to you guys and all of the world if I said I’m — let me use *this word, strategically — more *interested in Cannes than American Oscars.
I love Oscars (best) no matter what.
And I fancy Cannes and everything about it.
But in short: at the end of the day, I’m always coming back for more for the Oscars. (Ignorant or not, I don’t know . . . . ) Just saying.
Berlin is way ahead of Toronto, when we are talking about art and not business
You americans think the world ends outside your borders. The major film festivals are:
1. Cannes
2. Venice
3. Toronto
4. Berlin
5. Sundance
Telluride doesn’t even exist outside of the US.
I agree with every word said by uburgeois, especially about Berlin.
It doesn’t the star power on it but some of the most incredible filmmaking of the last years were there, including A Separation and Cesare Must Die.
It has to deal much more on a political view of the world and also it’s way more diverse on its winners.
I don’t know how you can really consider Cannes “diverse.” The lineup is always overwhelmingly Western, and generally pretty strongly Anglophone or Francophone. Main competition, Director’s Fortnight, Un Certain Regard, what have you – they all have Asian, Latin American, and very occasionally African films, sure, but usually as an afterthough – a token, if you will. The main competition might be the worst offender, and it’s the one people really care about. Plus, we’ve had like two non-Western jury presidents in the past 20 or 30 years or more. Like, don’t get me wrong, I love Cannes, I really do (I geek out over the festival mroe than I do the Oscars), but representation is not one of its strong suits.
Also, how are Rome and Venice second to Cannes? Have you forgotten Berlin entirely? Definitelt bigger than Rome, and certainly bigger than Telluride, one of the most consistently overestimated film festivals in the world, or at least in America. Toronto, Sundance, and even NYFF and LAFF invariably get more press.
Bryce Forestieri: I can’t even respond to you comment. I’ll defer to David’s post above.
As for the subject of the article, I think it’s pretty clear that Cannes is still a great festival. I mean, come on: The Tree of Life, Amour, Blue is the Warmest Color are the last 3 winners of the Palme d’Or. I bow down to Cannes for managing to keep the Palme d’Or as prestigious as it still is. Rarely does it fall below a stamp for great quality filmmaking. When I look up a film and see that it won the Palme, or even the Grand Prix, I’ll sit up in my chair and immediately go “I should see that”. And I think Sasha seems to agree.
Later in the article though, Sasha says:
“[Blue is the Warmest Color] was the most surprising and talked about film of the fest but it hasn’t really stood the test of even a few months out, not like some of the other movies that played in competition. Thing is, the Palme and every other major award is always going to fall prey to hype and excitement.”
I think you’re equating oscar success with the reception it got once it premiere. It was pretty clear to me at least that most people LOVED that film. Critics and audiences alike. For a time there it seemed Exarchopoulos could just break into the race like Riva, but Blue was out of the running for Foreign Language Film so it lost a lot of steam because of that. But the film still stood the test of a few months for the people who actually saw it.
@Bryce Forestieri What? Where has Godard been since ’67? Where have you been? And didn’t he get an Oscar a couple years ago? And he does have a new film (Adieu au Language). Very ignorant comment.
“…it begs the question whether there really is any break anymore.”
If you consider the month of March as a break, then yes, but otherwise, the other 11 months are prepping for the summer Festival circuit and then Oscar.
I look forward to your Cannes report, I can’t wait to attend one year myself.
Cannes is still great. Where’s Godard been since ’67? All of the sudden, he reappears, re-enters our space 35 years later literally OUT OF NOWHERE to trash Cannes. Not cool. If someone has a link to that interview, please provide. You guys think he will make a film?