SHOW! Telluride lineup announced!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The 35th Telluride Film Festival has announced their lineup, and American helmers are tellingly absent.

David Fincher will be on hand to accept the fest's Silver Medallion and to screen his cut of "Zodiac.” Considering that 20 minutes of "There Will Be Blood" unspooled during Daniel Day Lewis' medal tribute, it is possible Fincher could bring a portion of his unfinished "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which re-teams Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a love story of a man who ages backwards.

This year, the schedule sees only two U.S. filmmakers so far. (As usual, several late announcements are expected.)

Paul Schrader will preem his drama "Adam Resurrected," starring Jeff Goldblum (pictured), and Tim Disney will debut "American Violet," with Alfre Woodard.

Several of last year's Telluride class of U.S. pics ended up as award season faves. Sneak screenings of "Juno" and "The Savages" added wattage to other indies "I'm Not There," "Into the Wild," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

This year, scheduling conflicts kept some U.S. films out of the mountain town.

With limited slots over four days, the fest didn’t invite Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married" or Clint Eastwood's "Changeling." Toronto title "The Wrestler," from Darren Aronoksky, wasn't submitted. Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt,” Gus Van Sant's "Milk," and Oliver Stone's "W" weren't finished.

The fest also chose to go a different direction from Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married" and Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" which are now bound for Toronto and New York film fests, respectively.

"Last year was one of the strongest for American film," said Telluride co-director Tom Luddy. "But this year I didn't get any calls from Warner Independent, Picturehouse, Vantage. They're gone." Luddy also thinks the writers strike could have played a role in delaying projects.

The dearth of American product has instead made way for a vibrant international selection. Pics making the voyage are Mike Leigh's comedy "Happy-Go-Lucky," Nandita Das' "Firaaq" (pictured). A hefty slice of Cannes imports include Bent Hamer's "O'Horten," Matteo Garrone’s “Gomorrah,” Ari Folman's animated docu "Waltz With Bashir," Kim Ji-Woon's Asian spaghetti western "The Good, The Bad and The Weird," and Steve McQueen's Camera d'Or winner "Hunger."

"Ireland surprised us this year," says Luddy, singling out Lance Daly's Dublin tale "Kisses," Cathal Black's docu of a poet/undertaker in "Learning Gravity," and Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor's missing child drama "Helen." Luddy is also high on the fest's unspooling of Max Ophuls restored masterwork, "Lola Montes," which debuted at Cannes.

Though tight-lipped on this year's sneaks, Luddy characterizes them as "medium to high profile." Rumored pics include Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" and Marc Abraham's "Flash of Genius," featuring Greg Kinnear as an inventor taking on the auto industry (pictured).

Other Telluride events have guest director Slavoj Zizek screening three "neglected noirs": "Nightmare Alley," "On Dangerous Ground" and "Seconds." Thesp Jean Simmons and Scandinavian filmmaker Jan Troell will receive Silver Medallions while author and filmmaker Richard Schickel will unspool his Warner Bros. doc “You Must Remember This” and accept a Special Medallion.

Anne Thompson contributed to this report.

Full coverage, including video interviews, will be posted all weekend at variety.com/telluride.