Today co-directors Cameron Bailey and Piers Handling of the Toronto International Film Festival announce the first batch of titles that are the make-up of the 36th edition. Today's the pair will read off mostly Gala screening mentions (our Blake Williams will be LIVE tweeting), which in turn give us a strong indication as to what will be shown in Venice and what Telluride, NYFF and BFI London Film Festivals might salvage/lasso as their own.
"Influenced by the avant garde artists of the early 20th Century, Cocteau developed an eerie surrealistic visual style; rich with symbolism, magical settings and photographic effects. But, thanks to his background as a writer, Cocteau would employ his signature stylistics in the telling of generally coherent narratives – regardless of their underpinnings in fantasy – and his films achieved worldwide recognition and critical success. It’s not a stretch to describe Jean Cocteau as the Julie Taymor of his era."
In give or take 364 days from now, the 65th edition of the Cannes film festival will be upon us. I know it's absurd, but there are some bonafide films in the works from some Cannes vets and according to these prognostications I supply below, we'll have one more heavyweight event with the possible participation from the likes of Abbas Kiarostami, Olivier Assayas, Paul Thomas Anderson and Hou Hsiao Hsien being joined by recent Palme d'Or winners (2008 and 2009) Laurent Cantet and Michael Haneke.
Long story short I got in touch with him through this really circuitous route. We started talking. I started calling him every day. Then I kinda just showed up at his house. I was like “We’re going to make a movie, I’m going to write for Rolling Stone.” – I had never written for Rolling Stone before.
Paramount had to look no further than Magnolia Pictures for their latest project – an adaptation of Billy Corben’s documentary Cocaine Cowboys. Optioned awhile back with names like Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg attached, it is now World Trade Center writer Andrea Berloff who'll take over script duties from Generation Kill writer Evan Wright, whose book on the subject, American Desperado: My Life — From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset, will be published in November.