As the seasons begin to change, the year’s most celebrated film festivals are quickly approaching. This fall line-up includes the Venice International Film Festival (Aug. 31– Sept. 10), the Telluride Film Festival (Sept. 2 – Sept. 5), the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 8 – Sept. 18) and theNew York Film Festival (Sept. 30 – Oct. 16).
These festivals are some of the most exciting and star-studded film events of the year. Many films premiering at these festivals go on to be Academy Awards contenders and box-office hits.
Olivia Wilde’s highly anticipated film “Don’t Worry Darling” will premiere at Venice, Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical family drama “The Fabelmans” will premiere at Toronto and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” the follow-up to Rian Johnson’s 2019 smash-hit “Knives Out,” will premiere at Toronto before being released on Netflix in December.
Here are 5 more films premiering at these festivals that are sure to conjure both awards-season buzz and critical acclaim.
“White Noise” dir. Noah Baumbach (Venice and NYFF)
With a rumored budget of anywhere between $90 million and $140 million and a production window of around 9 months, Baumbach’s follow-up to 2019’s “Marriage Story” is his biggest film yet. The film is based on the novel of the same name and stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. It’s being described as a “black comedy apocalyptic disaster film,” which is different from the family melodramas for which he is known. Both Venice and NYFF chose it as the opening night film.
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“The Whale” dir. Darren Aronofsky (Venice and TIFF)
Based on the play of the same name, “The Whale” stars Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink. Fraser plays Charlie, an English teacher who abandons his family for his male lover. After he dies, Charlie turns to binge eating to combat his grief. Sink plays his daughter, Ellie, who Charlie attempts to reconnect with. There’s already major awards buzz for both Fraser and Sink, as they apparently deliver very profound and moving performances. Fraser will be honored with the TIFF Tribute Award at the festival’s gala fundraiser.
“Bones & All” dir. Luca Guadagnino (Venice, Telluride and NYFF)
This film reunites Timothee Chalamet with Luca Guadagnino for their first collaboration since 2017’s “Call Me by Your Name.” It’s also a book adaptation, and Chalamet serves as one of the film’s producers. Set in the 1980s, the film stars Taylor Russell and Chalamet as a pair of cannibalistic lovers that go on a road trip across America.
“TÁR” dir. Todd Field (Venice, Telluride and NYFF)
Todd Field’s first film since 2006 stars Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár, a fictional German composer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest living conductors of her time. Blanchett says the film shows her character’s “fall from grace” and is about power and the creative process. The music-oriented film will be composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, who won the Best Original Score Oscar in 2020 for “Joker.”
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“Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths)” dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu (Venice and Telluride)
While there isn’t a teaser trailer yet for Iñárritu’s latest film, excitement is growing for the nearly 3 hour-long epic. The film stars Daniel Giménez Cacho as a Mexican journalist and filmmaker who returns home to work through an existential crisis. The film is already being praised for its intricate production design and surreal atmosphere. It will be released on Netflix later this year.
