Just like Vegas, Telluride Film Festival has an unspoken ethos: “What happens in — stays in —.” While part of me wants to keep all of its secrets to myself, I can’t help but become an open book when it comes to talking about Telluride and its infamously exclusive film festival.
In both 2022 and 2023, I attended the Telluride Film Festival as an Acme Passholder, which means you have access to all of the screenings at the Chuck Jones Theater located in Mountain Village. This time around, my first year as an official press personnel comes with a Festival pass, which gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to all theaters and screenings. The cinephile versus industry experience differs quite greatly, and I have the privilege of getting my feet wet all over again.
It feels magnificent to document my reflections as I ascend and descend the mountainside via the gondola. Twelve to fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time before I slam my laptop shut and boogie to my screenings both at the mountain top and down in the town of Telluride. This year I was able to patron 6 of the 10 theaters, most of which are transformed from a venue of a different kind; ice rinks, school auditoriums and rec rooms, and conference centers in the middle of the mountains become the destination for cinema lovers and filmmakers worldwide.
As the other Autumn festivals release their titles, my friends and I love to decode what possibilities are left for Telluride; regardless, I enter all films blind, hoping to know as little about the plot as possible. This year, I was quite surprised about the curation; many of the known upcoming titles were selected for premiers at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals. However, now that I’ve finally taken a beat and caught my breath, figuratively and literally due to the colossal elevation (over 9,000 feet), the 51st rendition of the festival has proven to be the most cohesive narrative I’ve experienced yet.
Festival director Julie Huntsinger, who has been spearheading the powerhouse programming since 2007, year after year continues to have the keenest eye for compelling, audacious films. The 2024 lineup features over 60 feature and short films; what I could glean from my screenings and others I missed, the characters in these films are the heart, soul, and unifying component of the selected stories. The technical execution of each film has also been spectacular; many producers and editors shared that their films were truly a labor of love, projects taking years and years of commitment to complete.
Steadfast commitment is not only exhibited by filmmakers, but by filmgoers alike. Year after year, I see the same faces in line, returning to the tucked-away town to support our mutual love of movies and those who make them.
Through 13 films, fueled by over 15 cups of tea and maybe a bit too many Twizzlers, here are refined highlights from my diary entries and chicken-scratch notes:
Thursday, August 29th – The Prologue
How easy life can be when everyone you meet gives you a genuine listening ear. The authentic support and rejoicing over my upgrade to press from Acme pass is celebrated by everyone I encounter as I retrieve my pass.
I spend the evening convening with my fellow Roger Ebert critics (or as I like to call them, my Fairy Godcritics) and festival friends from years past. We share tips and tricks on how to navigate the festival, how to navigate deadlines amidst watching movies, titles, and programs that we are most excited for.
Friday, August 30th – Day 1
The first official day; programming has commenced. I was immediately discombobulated as my calendar was in a different time zone; if showing up an hour early to the press orientation doesn’t scream “newbie,” I’m not sure what does.
The surprise press and patron screening, Morgan Neville’s new animated, hip-hop documentary about phenomenal multi-hyphenate Pharrell Wiliams, “Piece by Piece” was a groovy, light way to kick off my festival. After, I carved out time to stop by the Opening Night picnic on Colorado Ave, in the heart of Telluride, where I met and chatted with Australian director, Adam Elliot, who was attending the festival with his new clayography (biographical claymation) “Memoir of a Snail.” To complete Day One, I attended the world premiere of RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys, a film I truly could not have predicted would have been executed in the way that it was.
I make the trek back up the mountainside through all-encompassing darkness, overwhelmed by the fact that I can literally see the Milky Way Galaxy up above, ready for rest and more movies.
Saturday, August 31st – Day 2
I am forever grateful for every person who takes me in with welcoming arms, answering all of my questions, and asking me some in return. It dazzles me how life and the festival’s programming unveiled themselves in such synchronic ways; everything is somehow connected, and if the time (and word count) permitted, I would be willing to dive into it all.
Today’s titles included the world premiere of Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson,” Jesse Eisenberg’s Sundance award-winning “A Real Pain,” Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5,” and Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher’s new National Geographic documentary “Blink.” People occupied every seat at every screening. The tank begins to run low for us all by the time the 5th screening rolls around; untrue to my nature, I opted out of the closing Saturday screenings to sit with all that I had just seen, three of them being films I am covering.
Sunday, September 1st – Day 3
Similar to last year’s screening of “Saltburn,” I awoke very early to make it to the Werner Herzog Theater to see this year’s spicy spectacle, “Anora.” There’s nothing quite as enthralling as tales of sex workers and Russian rendezvous at 9 in the morning. Mikey Madison serves us breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a little dessert with her raw, fully committed performance.
Following “Anora,” I went to see the new Donald Trump biopic, “The Apprentice,” another surprise TBA feature of the festival, making its way to Telluride after premiering in Venice just days earlier. To round out Sunday, I stayed on the political theme with the new CNN Films documentary from Matt Tyrnauer, “Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid!”
Monday, September 2nd – Day 4
The final day. I begin with Pablo Larraín’s newest dramatized biopic, “Maria,” starring the sharp and stunning Angelina Jolie, both of which were in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Biased to Larraín’s previous work, “Maria” made its way into my favorites of the festival; I love insanely, passionate, persistent women.
I quickly pop by the Labor Day picnic and grab some grub, connecting with some other critics before I finish my personal programming with Petra Costa’s new documentary “Apocalypse in the Tropics” and “Memoir of a Snail” at one of the cooler venues, the Galaxy theater.
Exiting a movie to have the sun still up is a rarity; I enjoy these last moments of light before becoming a recluse to write and write and write. The 51st Telluride has come to a close, and I am already nostalgic about my first official press experience.
Tuesday, September 3rd – The Epilogue
I remain in Telluride a day longer, watching everyone depart for their coastal cities or set out for their next festival. I take the day to feel all my feelings and catch up virtually on some films that I couldn’t make, including two shorts, Rashida Jones’ “A Swim Lesson,” and Kyle Thrash and Ben Proudfoot’s “The Turnaround.” As the town’s population shrinks again, the festival’s cinematic energy remains. As the placard says outside of Le Pierre theater, “It is not enough to love a film, you must love it for the right reason.” Appreciators and industry alike, we are all here. And we will all return, for the right reasons.