49th Telluride Film Festival lineup: World premieres of ‘Empire of Light,’ ‘Women Talking;’ tributes set for Cate Blanchett, Sarah Polley

The Telluride Film Festival has revealed the lineup for their 49th edition, known as “The Show,” which will feature world premieres of Empire of Light from Sam Mendes, The Wonder from Sebastian Lelio and Women Talking from Sarah Polley. The Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, September 2 – Monday, September 5, 2022.

Cate Blanchett, whose film TÁR just premiered at Venice, will receive a silver medallion tribute with a screening of the film. The two-time Academy Award winner will be joined by her director Todd Field and co-star Nina Hoss. Sarah Polley will bring the world premiere of the much-anticipated Women Talking, about a group of Mennonite women who come together to discuss the sexual assaults they endured by the religious group’s men. She will be joined by her film’s stars Frances McDormand, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey, Jessie Buckley and more. Irish documentarian Mark Cousins, who is screening two new films, The March on Rome, about Mussolini’s rise to power, and My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, about the English director.

Also making the trip from Venice to the tiny mountain town will be Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) and Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, starring Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell and Mark Rylance. From this year’s Cannes we have award winners Close by Lukas Dhont, Ali Abassi’s Holy Spider and Broker from Hirokazu Kore-eda. Also making the jump will be James Gray’s period drama Armageddon Time, starring Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong, all of whom are set to attend.

The lineup is also heavy on documentaries this year, including Bryan Fogel’s follow up to his 2017 Oscar winning Icarus, Icarus: The Aftermath, which follows up with whistleblowing Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov; Steve James’s A Compassionate Spy, about a Manhattan Project scientist; Ryan White’s Good Night, Oppy, about the Mars rover that outlived expectations (a world premiere); Matt Tyrnauer’s The End of the World, about Bennington College in the 1980s; and Eva Weber’s Merkel, about German chancellor Angela Merkel.

“There’s so many more divisive films,” says program director Julie Huntsinger, who curates alongside Tom Luddy. “There’s so much more angst. There’s just tumult and upheaval in the world, and it’s reflected in the films. People will fight about movies this year more than they ever have.”

Here is the complete lineup of the 49th Telluride Film Festival with nearly ninety feature films, short films, and revival programs representing twenty-five countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs, and Festivities.

•       ARMAGEDDON TIME (d. James Gray, U.S., 2022) In person: James Gray, Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway

•       BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS (d. Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mexico-U.S., 2022) In person: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Ximena Lamadrid, Íker Sánchez Solano

•       BOBI WINE, GHETTO PRESIDENT (d. Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo, Uganda-U.K., 2022) In person: Christopher Sharp, Moses Bwayo, Bobi Wine, Barbie Kyagulanyi

•       BONES AND ALL (d. Luca Guadagnino, U.S., 2022) In person: Luca Guadagnino, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance

•       BROKER (d. Hirokazu Kore-eda, South Korea, 2022) In person: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Song Kang-ho

•       CLOSE (d. Lukas Dhont, Belgium-France-Netherlands, 2022) In person: Lukas Dhont, Eden Dambrine

•       A COMPASSIONATE SPY (d. Steve James, U.S.-U.K., 2022) In person: Steve James

•       THE CORRIDORS OF POWER (d. Dror Moreh, U.S., 2022) In person: Dror Moreh

•       EMPIRE OF LIGHT (d. Sam Mendes, U.K.-U.S., 2022) In person: Sam Mendes, Micheal Ward

•       THE END OF THE WORLD (d. Matthew Tyrnauer, U.S., 2022) In person: Matthew Tyrnauer, Jonathan Lethem

•       THE FUTURE TENSE (d. Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, Ireland, 2022) In person: Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor, Molly Lawlor

•       GODLAND (d. Hlynur Pálmason, Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden, 2022) In person: Hlynur Pálmason, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir 

•       GOOD NIGHT OPPY (d. Ryan White, U.S., 2022) In person: Ryan White, Steve Squyres

•       HOLY SPIDER (d. Ali Abbasi, Denmark-Germany-Sweden-France, 2022) In person: Ali Abbasi, Zar Amir Ebrahimi

•       ICARUS: THE AFTERMATH (d. Bryan Fogel, U.S., 2022) In person: Bryan Fogel

•       IF THESE WALLS COULD SING (d. Mary McCartney, U.K., 2022) In person: Mary McCartney

•       LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER (d. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, U.K.-U.S., 2022) In person: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell

•       LAST FLIGHT HOME (d. Ondi Timoner, U.S., 2022) In person: Ondi Timoner, Morgan Doctor, Rabbi Rachel Timoner, and the Timoner family

•       LIVING (d. Oliver Hermanus, U.K., 2022) In person: Oliver Hermanus, Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood

•       THE MARCH ON ROME (d. Mark Cousins, Italy, 2022) In person: Mark Cousins

•       MERKEL (d. Eva Weber, U.K.-Denmark-Germany, 2022) In person: Eva Weber

•       MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2022) In person: Mark Cousins

•       ONE FINE MORNING (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France, 2022) In person: Mia Hansen-Løve, Léa Seydoux

•       RETROGRADE (d. Matthew Heineman, U.S., 2022) In person: Matthew Heineman, General Sami Sadat, Matt Chaney

•       “SR.” (d. Chris Smith, U.S., 2022) In person: Chris Smith, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey

•       SQUARING THE CIRCLE (d. Anton Corbijn, U.K., 2022) In person: Anton Corbijn

•       TÁR (d. Todd Field, U.S., 2022) In person: Todd Field, Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss

•       TORI AND LOKITA (d. Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, Belgium-France, 2022) In person: Joely Mbundu

•       WILDCAT (d. Melissa Lesh and Trevor Beck Frost, U.S., 2022) In person: Melissa Lesh, Trevor Beck Frost, Harry Turner, Samantha Zwicker

•       WOMEN TALKING (d. Sarah Polley, U.S., 2022) In person: Sarah Polley, Frances McDormand, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey, Jessie Buckley, Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod, August Winter, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil

•       THE WONDER (d. Sebastián Lelio, U.K.-Ireland, 2022) In person: Sebastián Lelio

The 2022 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett (with TÁR); award-winning writer-director Mark Cousins (with THE MARCH ON ROME and MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK); and celebrated actor, writer, and filmmaker Sarah Polley (with WOMEN TALKING). Tribute programs include a selection of clips, the presentation of the Silver Medallion, and a screening of the aforementioned films. 

Additional episodic works and short films also playing in the main program are:

•       ANASTASIA (d. Sarah McCarthy, U.K.-Russia, 2022) In person: Sarah McCarthy, Anastasiia Shevchenko, Vladislava Shevchenko, Mikhail Shevchenko

•       ANGOLA DO YOU HEAR US? VOICES FROM A PLANTATION PRISON (d. Cinque Northern, U.S., 2022) In person: Cinque Northern, Liza Jessie Peterson

•       THE BEST CHEF IN THE WORLD (d. Ben Proudfoot, U.S., 2022) In person: Ben Proudfoot

•       GUERRILLA HABEAS (d. Emma Wall and Betsy Hershey, U.S., 2022) In person: Emma Wall, Betsy Hershey, Gregory Copeland, Baba Sillah, Mamou Drame 

•       LE PUPILLE (d. Alice Rohrwacher, Italy-U.S., 2022) 

•       MARIANNE (d. Lara Porzak and Rebecca Ressler, U.S., 2022) In person: Lara Porzak, Rebecca Ressler, Marianne Wiggins

•       RUSSIA [1985-1999] TRAUMAZONE (d. Adam Curtis, U.K., 2022) 

•       THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST Episode 1(d. Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein, U.S., 2022)

“While it can often feel like the world is crumbling around us, I continue to remind myself, at least we have movies,” remarks TFF executive director Julie Huntsinger. “And for every bit of doubt that meets that sentiment, our resolve to keep it true is exponentially intensified. My hope for this year’s Festival is that as our film-watching community gathers in Telluride, we remember that we cannot take this act for granted; that we will continue on after the Festival’s end and redouble our efforts to ensure we will long be able to sit in a dark room and be fortified by the enchanting and sometimes difficult stories we see. This year’s films challenge us and remind us how wonderful and hard it is to be alive.”

TFF’s 2022 Guest Directors, Kantemir Balagov and Kira Kovalenko, serve as key collaborators in the Festival’s programming decisions. Both will be present to introduce their finely curated film selections:

•       ELEGY OF A VOYAGE (d. Aleksandr Sokurov, France-Russia-Netherlands, 2001)

•       GETTING TO KNOW THE BIG, WIDE WORLD (d. Kira Muratova, Soviet Union, 1978)

•       L’ATALANTE (d. Jean Vigo, France, 1934)

•       OASIS (d. Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, 2002)

•       WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME? (d. Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 1987)

•       THE WONDERS (d. Alice Rohrwacher, Italy-Switzerland-Germany, 2014)

“It was important to us to include the films that not only changed us as directors but also struck us as a miracle,” comment Balagov and Kovalenko. “They keep us from getting used to war and its nightmare, allow us to feel human and inspire hope that darkness will eventually vanish.”

Five film revival programs include two shows presented in collaboration with The Film Foundation: the five-hour miniseries EIGHT DEADLY SHOTS (d. Mikko Niskanen, Finland, 1972); ÉL (d. Luis Buñuel, Mexico, 1953); two shows presented by Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films: THE MÉLIÈS AMERICAN NEGATIVES: World Premiere 3-D Screening and THE ROBBER SYMPHONY (d. Friedrich Feher, U.K., 1936); as well as KENTUCKY PRIDE (d. John Ford, U.S., 1925).

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring films about movies and portraits of artists, musicians, and cultural icons, will screen the following programs:

•       1341 FRAMES OF LOVE AND WAR (d. Ran Tal, Israel-U.S.-U.K., 2022) 

•       DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY (d. Nancy Buirski, U.S., 2022)

•       FRAGMENTS OF PARADISE (d. KD Davison, U.S., 2022)

•       THE LAST RIDER (d. Alex Holmes, U.K., 2022)

•       THE MÉLIÈS MYSTERY (d. Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange, France, 2021)

•       MIÚCHA, THE VOICE OF BOSSA NOVA (d. Daniel Zarvos and Liliane Mutti, Brazil-France, 2022) 

•       THE PADILLA AFFAIR (d. Pavel Giroud, Spain-Cuba, 2022)

•       SALVATORE: SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS (d. Luca Guadagnino, Italy, 2020)

•       SEE YOU FRIDAY, ROBINSON (d. Mitra Farahani, France, 2022) 

Special Screenings and Festivities programmed throughout the Festival include ORLANDO (d. Sally Potter, U.K.-Russia-Italy-France-Netherlands, 1992); THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER – FEATURING BRANDI CARLILE (d. Kathlyn Horan, U.S., 2022); THE FIRE WITHIN: A REQUIEM FOR KATIA AND MAURICE KRAFFT (d. Werner Herzog, U.K.-France-Switzerland-U.S., 2022); THEATER OF THOUGHT (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2022); WERNER HERZOG: RADICAL DREAMER (d. Thomas von Steinaecker, Germany-U.K., 2022); Bobi Wine in Concert; and a poster signing with 49^th TFF poster artist Leanne Shapton.

Telluride Film Festival’s shorts section, Filmmakers of Tomorrow,includes three programs: Student Prints, now in its 29th year, screening five films from the best in student-produced work from around the globe; Calling Cards, six exceptional new works by promising filmmakers; and Calling Cards – Redband, a new program featuring works from six innovative and diverse filmmakers. The shorts program is curated by Barry Jenkins and Gregory Nava.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students with the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldviews through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings together eighteenhigh school students and six teachersfrom four schools to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB, in partnership with the American Film Institute, brings exceptional AFI Fellows to learn from world-class filmmakers in a masterclass setting. The FilmSCHOLAR program, created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin, gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best voices in the field. University Seminars allow university professors to travel with students to the Festival and participate in special programming throughout the weekend.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations about cinema and culture will take place among Festival guests, and three outdoor Noon Seminars will feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.