As summer nears its end, one of the first film festivals to usher in the fall movie season is the Telluride Film Festival, held over Labor Day weekend in the mountains of Colorado. Founded in 1974, the annual event sees directors, actors and critics alike gather in the wilderness to celebrate the art of cinema, and provides filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their latest work.
While Telluride might be one of the more intimate fests, hosted in the small resort town of the same name, it has become by far one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. This year is no exception. Read on for everything you need to know about the 2022 Telluride Film Festival.
When is this year's Telluride Film Festival?
The 49th edition of the Telluride Film Festival will take place Sept. 2 - 5 in Telluride, Colorado, which is roughly a six-hour drive from Denver or a quick 34-minute flight.
Who is guest directing this year's fest?
This year's Telluride Guest Directors are dissident Russian filmmakers Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole) and Kira Kovalenko (Unclenching the Fists), who will help make key programming selections and otherwise assist in curating this year's festival. Previous Guest Directors include Alexander Payne, Salman Rushdie, and Don DeLillo, among others.
"One of the most special aspects of Telluride is the remarkable family of returning filmmakers that has formed over the years," said executive director Julie Huntsinger. "These wildly talented people continue to create films of such high quality and regard, and we are thrilled to continue to discover and invite their new works again and again. There are threads of shared continuity between the filmmakers themselves as well. An unfailing humanism, a desire to be truthful and brave and tell stories that make us think and feel in profound ways."
What's being screened at Telluride?
As is tradition, the Telluride lineup wasn't revealed until the day before the event begins. This year's slate includes North American debuts for titles from Cannes (like Armageddon Time and Broker) and Venice (Bones and All and TÁR). As far as world premieres go, Telluride will bow the latest works from directors Sebastián Lelio, Sam Mendes and Sarah Polley.
MORE: Must-See Movies at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival
In addition, the fest's program includes James Gray in conversation with Mia Hansen-Løve, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Barry Jenkins, and Mark Cousins and Luca Guadagnino.
Who is being honored?
Cate Blanchett will receive a Silver Medallion tribute for her performance in TÁR, as will filmmakers Mark Cousins (coinciding with screenings of The March on Rome and My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock) and Sarah Polley (ahead of the premiere of her new movie, Women Talking).
Telluride will also throw an 80th-birthday celebration for director Werner Herzog, with cake and three new films, two created by Werner and one about him: The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, Theater of Thought, and Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer.
How can I get tickets?
Festival passes can be purchased online, with options ranging from The Cinephile Pass for $390 to an all-access Festival Pass that will run you $780.
By Nadja Sayej
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