The Venice Film Festival announced its lineup for its 79th edition yesterday, and it’s a stacked group of films. Among other films in competition for the coveted Golden Lion, there’s Alejandro G. Iñárritu‘s “Bardo,” Luca Guadagnino‘s “Bones And All,” and Todd Field‘s “Tár.” And from the sounds of things, any of those three could go home with Venice’s top prize.
But in an interview with Variety, Venice director Alberto Barbera let it slip that the same trio of films will also go to Telluride in September. That’s great news, but there’s a catch: Telluride hasn’t officially announced its lineup yet. When answering a question about the dynamics between Venice, Telluride, and TIFF as festivals, Barbera said, “Toronto has got its press conference coming up soon, so we will know what they’ve bagged, besides the usual suspects. My impression is that there will be fewer films going from Venice to Telluride this year — not that there aren’t any. One that is going [to Telluride] is”Tar,” as are the Iñárritu and Guadagnino films. But in past years there were more, which has resulted in Venice being a bit less “top-heavy” this year.”
Was this a deliberate faux pas on Barbera’s part? That’s unlikely. However, as a rule, film festivals prefer to keep their full lineups secret until the day before the official announcement. And Telluride in particular, is incredibly secretive about their lineup. The festival’s website states this on its program guide page: “It’s a secret. What’s playing in the Telluride program is not revealed until you reach the mountains.” The four-day festival runs at the same time as Venice, from September 2 to 5. So, Barbera spoils at least three of Telluride’s screenings during those days (and offers a hint at the dates those films have their premieres at Venice).
Sure, both TIFF and Telluride will announce their lineups soon, as they are both in September, right after Venice begins. But Telluride’s model thrives on the secrecy of its lineup for its short timeframe. Unfortunately, that’s a little bit busted now due to Barbera’s remarks. And taken in tandem with Barbera’s comment that there’s less overlap between Venice and Telluride this year than in previous ones, this reveal is even more controversial.
Even so, these three films will be among the biggest premieres at both festivals. They may divide critics and audiences, but each is one of the most anticipated releases of 2022, and any festival would be happy to have them. But the intrigue of Telluride’s lineup is less powerful after Barbera’s comments. So, hopefully, Telluride has something else special in its lineup to make up for the slip-up.
The Venice Film Festival runs from August 31 to September 10. As stated earlier, Telluride runs from September 2 to 5. As for TIFF, it runs from September 8 to 18.
