THE FRONT RUNNER

[jo]

Said partly in jest (hence, the wink)… but

In film circles, Jason was a boy wonder when he first broke the scene. He was Oscar-nominated twice as director, once as screenwriter and once as producer. He is best known for JUNO and Up in the Air. He is a festival darling at Telluride and Toronto. His live reading shows (such as PRINCESS BRIDE) are very successful entertainment. Of course, in the later years, he had a bit of a slump. He is known as the son of fairly famous director ( Ivan Reitman, known for GHOSTBUSTERS, KINDERGARTEN COP, ANIMAL HOUSE, etc).


Jo

[jo]

Even if it has been speculated, there is no certainty that THE FRONT RUNNER will be screened at the TIFF( Toronto International Film Festival) in early September.

For those who might be interested, TIFF has already announced some details on the festival.

www.tiff.net/industry-accreditation-resources/

[jo]

At last, an update from Jason Reitman --

http://instagram.com/p/BlUBrusgo9n

In general terms --

Audio post production is the general term for all stages of production happening between the actual recording in a studio and the completion of a master recording. It involves sound design, sound editing, audio mixing, and the addition of effects.

[jo]

I wonder if he is also working directly on the first trailer? With a big studio as the distributor ( or producer/distributor), the trailer is usually handled by another unit but given the inputs from the creative team, primarily the director ( such as in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, where the trailer was not a direct output of director Michael Gracey, but it was worked out with him).

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Speculations on possible screenings at the Toronto International Festival include THE FRONT RUNNER.


www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-guess-whos-coming-to-tiff-2018/

Last year, less was more for the Toronto International Film Festival.

In an effort to “fine-tune” its programming and address industry concerns of bloat, TIFF announced that it would screen 20 per cent fewer films. It was a drastic goal for a festival that’s prided itself on growth and whose reputation relies partially on its everything-for-everyone lineup – perhaps too drastic, it turned out, as its actual 2017 numbers saw a drop of only about 13 per per cent (TIFF screened 255 feature-length films last year, compared with 296 films in 2016).

According to TIFF, the festival will likely see a further reduction in selections for this September’s edition. Yet what will make the cut as the organization seeks to slim itself down further – and as it prepares for the last festival under outgoing TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling?


The festival won’t reveal the first portion of its 2018 lineup until July 24. But it’s never too early to play a round of Guess Who’s Coming to TIFF, a favourite industry game whose eventual answers will fuel the film industry’s hype machine for the rest of the year.


The most obvious, frustrating and fun place to start is TIFF’s opening-night slot. Scheduled this year for Sept. 6, TIFF will have to balance a spotty history with ever-high expectations, especially as the competing Venice Film Festival will kick off with La La Land director Damien Chazelle’s new NASA drama First Man, starring Ryan Gosling. Will organizers choose to go Hollywood, as they did in 2016 with the glitzy (and all-but-forgotten) remake of The Magnificent Seven? Will it aim for a mix of mainstream and art-house, like last year’s (completely forgotten) Borg vs. McEnroe? Or if TIFF goes back to its CanCon roots, will it be more prestige (The Sweet Hereafter) than, um, not (Score: A Hockey Musical)?


Last year, prognosticators (myself included) placed bets on TIFF landing the world premiere of Quebecois director Xavier Dolan’s English-language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. The film turned out to be not even being close to ready – and has since lost co-star Jessica Chastain in the editing process – but time might be more on TIFF and Dolan’s side this fall. Assuming Dolan would even want the spot, so saddled it is with expectations and false promise.

Another potential Canadian candidate, though saddled with its own distinct challenges, is Through Black Spruce. Produced by Robert Lantos (no stranger to TIFF’s opening-night, thanks to Fugitive Pieces, Whale Music, The Sweet Hereafter, and In Praise of Older Women, among other titles) and directed by industry veteran Don McKellar, Through Black Spruce is one of the highest-profile Canadian films set to enter the 2018 market. Yet the drama, telling the story of a Cree hunter who looks to escape his life in Moosonee, Ont., is adapted from the novel by Joseph Boyden, who last year was in the centre of a serious cultural-appropriation debate. TIFF has a history of courting controversy, but that may be a headline it wants to avoid.



Away from the opening-night dilemma, though, is the high-wattage glitz that drives TIFF’s prestige: the awards bait that the festival hopes to boast about come Oscars time. Last year, TIFF did exceptionally well for itself, having screened (although not hosted the world-premieres of) eventual Academy Awards champions The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Darkest Hour.


Expect TIFF this year to make plays for Jacques Audiard’s adaptation of Patrick deWitt’s novel The Sisters Brothers, starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly (another opening-night bet, thanks to deWitt’s Canadian connection); Steve McQueen’s crime thriller Widows starring Viola Davis; Josie Rourke’s historical drama Mary Queen of Scots starring recent Oscar nominees Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie; Joel Edgerton’s LGBTQ drama Boy Erased starring Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman; Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga; the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex starring Felicity Jones; Jason Reitman’s political drama The Frontrunner starring Hugh Jackman; and If Beale Street Could Talk, the new work from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.


Unlike Cannes, which has taken a firm stance against Netflix thanks to the company’s strategy of releasing its films in theatres the same day they’re available to stream, TIFF has no such policy against the media giant. Last year, TIFF welcomed Netflix productions Mudbound and First They Killed My Father, and it is likely the fest will screen the company’s big 2018 offerings: Jeremy Saulnier’s thriller Hold the Dark, Paul Greengrass’s terrorism drama Norway, Noah Baumbach’s latest untitled comedy, Alfonso Cuaron’s eagerly anticipated family drama Roma, and perhaps Orson Welles' unfinished epic The Other Side of the Wind (completed this year thanks to the streaming giant).


One Netflix title not to count on, though, is Martin Scorsese’s massively anticipated film, The Irishman. The epic Jimmy Hoffa drama – starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, and Joe Pesci – is currently classified as a 2019 release, even though many awards pundits are hoping it will sneak into the last days of this year. Plus, Scorsese typically avoids the festival circuit, and when he doesn’t, he chooses his hometown New York Film Festival.

Then, as ever, are the holdovers from Sundance, Berlin, and Cannes. Although this year’s pre-TIFF festivals offer something of a challenge. At Cannes, there was little love for much of Thierry Frémaux’s programming (though expect Asghar Farhadi’s Everybody Knows, Gaspar Noé’s Climax, and Lars von Trier’s loathed and loved The House that Jack Built to resurface in Toronto). Meanwhile, Berlin and Sundance have already seen much of their high-profile offerings already hit theatres (Gus Van Sant’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot from the German festival; Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You from the Utah fest). Still, if Jia Zhangke’s Ash Is Purest White, Lee Chang-dong’s Burning and the Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters from Japanese master Hirokazu Koreeda don’t arrive in Toronto, there will be understandably loud grumblings.

Finally, given TIFF’s current focus on its Share Her Journey fundraising campaign, it’s a certainty that diversity will be top of mind. If the festival’s opening slate next week doesn’t at least inch close to gender parity, TIFF 2018 may look far smaller than intended.

The 43rd edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 6 to 16.

Follow Barry Hertz on Twitter @hertzbarry

[jo]

The competing Venice Film Festival is gearing up for some potential box office and Oscar probables --

www.indiewire.com/2018/07/venice-film-festival-oscars-suspiria-beautiful-boy-roma-1201985563/

[jo]

It looks like Jason Reitman is now completing post!

http://instagram.com/p/BlbdzYog6mB

Enigmatic image -- has it anything to do with THE FRONT RUNNER

[jo]

Hugh - he has now moved to COLOR

[jo]

There could be a bit of confusion -- there was a 1974 book called THE FRONT RUNNER by Patricia Nell Warren, a critical and commercial success as contemporary gay fiction at that time. It hit the NYTimes Bestseller List.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Runner



This movie is based on Matt Bai's " All The Truth Is Out : The Week Politics Went Tabloid ", which chronicles the time when the Gary Hart political scandal hit the nation and how the role of media evolved. Presumably it was Jason Reitman (who co-wrote the screenplay) and others involved in the film project who may have decided to call the movie THE FRONT RUNNER. At some point before the scandal broke, Sen Gary Hart was deemed the front runner in the USA presidential race then.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Runner_(film)


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hart


Jo

[jo]

Will this be the transformation ?

http://instagram.com/p/BlS6AZXhNNQ

http://instagram.com/p/BlQg-7Vhs62

[jo]

CONGRATULATIONS!

[jo]

The Toronto International Film Festival for 2018 is announcing the early entries for this year's fall festival. The press conference will be held on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

www.tiff.net/tiff/

Hopefully, THE FRONT RUNNER will be among the early entrants. The TIFF is slated to be held from September 6-16, 2018.

Btw, unlike other festivals were a panel of judges gives the festival awards -- in the case of Toronto, it is only a People's Favorite Choices which are recognized. In 2012, Prisoners was voted by the festival audiences as the second most favorite movie.


Jo

[jo]

@realhughjackman LIKED the Jason Reitman tweet re completion of THE FRONT RUNNER --

twitter.com/RealHughJackman/likes


but surprisingly has not retweeted it. Most likely, his next tweet/Instagram post on the movie will be the start of the promotional campaign or some sort of big announcement ( trailer? festival entry? behind-the-scene scene?) --

Hurry, Hugh -- we are getting excited now

[hughmanity]

It's official..


variety.com/2018/film/news/toronto-film-festival-2018-lineup-star-is-born-widows-1202881591/

[jo]

Yeah!

It's going to be a very full awards-bait line-up!


Lineup includes both Galas and Special Presentations (presumably both are premium showings)

Here’s a full list of the announced films:


GALAS 2018
“Beautiful Boy,” ​Felix van Groeningen, USA
“Galveston,” ​Mélanie Laurent, USA
“Everybody Knows​,” Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy
“First Man,” ​Damien Chazelle, USA
“The Hate U Give,” G​eorge Tillman,Jr.,USA
“Hidden Man​,” Jiang Wen, China
“High Life​,” Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom
“Husband Material​,” Anurag Kashyap, India
“The Kindergarten Teacher,” Sara Colangelo, USA
“The Land of Steady Habits,” ​Nicole Holofcener, USA
“Life Itself,” ​Dan Fogelman, USA
“The Public,” ​Emilio Estevez, USA
“Red Joan,” ​Sir​ ​Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom
“A Star is Born,” ​Bradley Cooper, USA
“Shadow,” Z​hang Yimou, China
“What They Had,” ​Elizabeth Chomko, USA
“Widows,” ​Steve M​cQ​ueen, United Kingdom/USA


SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2018

“Ben is Back,” ​Peter Hedges, USA
“Burning,” L​ee Chang-dong, South Korea
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” ​Marielle Heller, USA
“Capernaum​,” Nadine Labaki, Lebanon
“Cold War,” P​aweł Pawlikowski, Poland/UnitedKingdom/France
“Colette,” W​ash Westmoreland, United Kingdom
“Dogman,” ​Matteo Garrone, Italy/France
“The Front Runner,” ​Jason Reitman, USA
“Giant Little Ones,” K​with Behrman, Canada
“Girls of the Sun (Les filles du soleil),” ​Eva Husson, France
“Hotel Mumbai,” ​Anthony Maras, Australia
“The Hummingbird Project​,” Kim Nguyen, Canada
“Maya,” ​Mia Hansen-Løve, France
“Manto,” ​Nandita Das, India
“Monsters and Men,” R​einaldo Marcus Green, USA
“Mouthpiece,” P​atricia Rozema, Canada
“Non-Fiction​,” Olivier Assayas, France
“Old Man & the Gun,” ​David Lowery, USA
“Papi Chulo,” J​ohn Butler, Ireland
“Roma​,” Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA
”Shoplifters,”​ Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan
“The Sisters Brothers,” ​Jacques Audiard, USA/France/Romania/Spain
“Sunset,” ​László Nemes, Hungary/France
“Through Black Spruce,” D​on McKellar, Canada
“The Weekend​,” Stella Meghie, USA
“Where Hands Touch,” A​mma Asante, United Kingdom
“White Boy Rick,” ​Yann Demange, USA
“Wildlife​,” Paul Dano, USA

Not from the official site of TIFF, but note the distinction --

Gala Presentations — films with a high profile and stars on the red carpet
Special Presentations — other high-profile films, and sometimes world premieres

Some films are showing in more than one festival ( First Man will open Venice. Star is Born is also slated for screening there).


Hope THE FRONT RUNNER drops a trailer shortly -- and the publicity train starts soon.


Trailers have already been released for FIRST MAN and A STAR IS BORN ( that one is getting mileage of publicity by getting endorsements from everyone, almost sounding too overhyped).


Jo

[jo]

More info on the nature of the festival itself and the kind of entrants --

www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-toronto-film-festival-lineup-20180724-story.html


www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-lady-gaga-julia-roberts-and-hugh-jackman-lead-tiffs-2018-lineup/


www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tiff-2018-lineup-beautiful-boy-life-more-1129445

[jo]

If you're planning to attend the festival ( why not - some Hugh fans made it to the Toronto tryout of BACK ON BROADWAY ) --

here are tips for attending TIFF ( albeit they were written in 2016) --


dailyhive.com/toronto/guide-toronto-international-film-festival-tiff-2016

[jo]

And what about that little festival occurring at about the same time as the two big ones ( Venice and Toronto) -- it's the festival that real film buffs swear by

www.telluride.com/festivals-and-events/telluride-film-festival

“There are two kinds of film festivals: there are the mega-hyped, hoopla-infested selling circuses, and there is Telluride. It is extraordinarily exciting, in this age of the triumph of capitalism, to discover an event dedicated not to commerce, but to love. And if that sounds old-fashioned and starry-eyed, so be it. The cinema was always in the business of gazing at stars.” – Salman Rushdie


The Show
The prestigious Telluride Film Festival brings together industry masters under the auspices of the majestic San Juan Mountains. It is nothing short of a magical weekend, a celebration of film, community, and creativity. The festival notoriously keeps its film schedule a secret, but you can bet that many of the films you will see will be at the top of your Oscar picks in the next awards season.

The festival debuted in 1973 and has since been a gathering place for industry professionals and film enthusiasts alike. The festival seeks to both honor legendary filmmakers of old and give voice to new talent.

In addition to film screenings, the weekend includes guest speakers, symposia, discussions, and informal meet and greets. There are also numerous free events throughout the weekend such as the popular film screenings in Town Park and guest speakers in Elks Park.

Why would there be a chance to show THE FRONT RUNNER at Telluride?

For one, the movie's subject, Gary Hart, was a senator of COLORADO ( where Telluride is located). The former senator also resides there, according to an article about a meeting with the man who is portraying him on screen before the movie was filmed. And that actor also posted an Instagram image of himself against the famous mountain backdrop of Telluride.

It might even hold its world premiere there

Could there be a rare possibility that the Senator might even attend a Telluride premiere, if THE FRONT RUNNER becomes part of the festival?



And here's another reason why Telluride is a possibility -- from an older article :

Writer-director Jason Reitman continues his tradition of debuting his films at the Telluride Film Festival with the screening Thursday of his latest, the drama "Labor Day," starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin...

Telluride holds its festival from August 31 to September 3, 2018. Toronto (TIFF) will hold its festival from September 6-16, 2018. Venice ( a rarer possibility ) holds its festival from August 29 to September 8, 2018.



Just speculating, of course


Jo

[jo]

Deadline sometimes provides more info than other trade paper


deadline.com/2018/07/toronto-film-festival-2018-lineup-full-list-1202432368/

Excerpts --

A key pillar in the launch of awards season, Toronto is the first of the three early fall shows to reveal — although it kicks off after both Venice and Telluride (Venice announces tomorrow, and Telluride does not officially announce its lineup until the Friday before its Labor Day weekend run).

Of the 17 Galas and 30 Special Presentations unveiled today, this first announcement includes 21 world premieres, seven international premieres, eight North American premieres and 11 Canadian premieres.

International premieres, whose billing suggests they could turn up in Telluride, include Jason Reitman’s Gary Hart story The Front Runner starring Hugh Jackman as the 1980s presidential candidate...

LOL - finally figured it out

It has actually been confirmed unofficially -- they are going to Telluride!


It is holding the world premiere ( the first one) in America ( Telluride, Colorado)

while the Toronto screening will be an international premiere ( outside the USA).

[jo]

Among the gala presentations at TIFF --

“Red Joan,” ​Sir​ ​Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom

Red Joan
Sir Trevor Nunn
Academy Award winner Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson take on the complex persona and legacy of Joan Stanley, the seemingly demure physicist who was also...

Will Hugh have a chance to touch base with his former theatre mentor?


Jo

[jo]

www.tiff.net/tiff/the-front-runner/

112 minutes

International Premiere

[jo]

It looks like Hugh is coming back to this beautiful place by the mountains --

Telluride, Colorado!

http://instagram.com/p/BbeYLZhDtV6

[jo]

Deadline does an analysis of the film fare at TIFF.

deadline.com/2018/07/oscar-toronto-international-film-festival-announcement-1202432466/


It also offers a more precise distinction of the nature of the film presentation --

Of course the competition for movies that are the big hopes for the six-month-long awards season that begins in earnest with Venice/Telluride/Toronto is fierce and will be overlapping starting Wednesday, when Venice will announce its official lineup — much of which we have already figured out. TIFF helps in this regard by the way its labels selections as either world premieres (first seen at TIFF), international premieres (not seen in Venice or Cannes), North American premieres (coming from Cannes or Venice) and Canadian premieres (Sundance or Telluride got there before Toronto).

Telluride, which runs August 31-September 3, does not announce its schedule until August 30 and forces participants to keep quiet about it until then. Part of the reason is that the increasingly important but always cool fest doesn’t put labels on it films, even if the press eventually does. There was a dust-up between the two fests a few years ago regarding which film goes where first, but it appears to have calmed down. Still, TIFF gives the prime programming slots in the first four days of its fest to world or North American premieres, which does give pause to distributors in mapping out their festival strategy.

Of the movies that might be going to Telluride and then Toronto, here are a few guesses: First Man, What They Had, Cold War, Dogman, The Front Runner, The Old Man and the Gun, Roma, Shoplifters, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and White Boy Rick. Again, it’s all just speculation at this point and those few titles are just a drop in the bucket of what Telluride will manage to pack in over the course of four days. The 47 movies listed today for TIFF is only about one-fifth of the eventual number that will be on display in Canada over those 10 days in September.

Is a puzzlement, so says the King of Siam


But there are 2 things going for TELLURIDE (Colorado) re THE FRONT RUNNER.


*It is where the film subject hails from as a longtime senator and where he currently resides. Is there a faint chance he might actually attend the premiere? Presumably he might see the movie before it is released?

*Jason Reitman is supposed to be a darling at Telluride as an auteur with a mixed bag of creativity. He does have 4 Oscar nominations ( 2 as director/1 as screenwriter/1 for Best Picture). This year, he will have TULLY and THE FRONT RUNNER for his show of creativity.

At any rate, Venice is supposed to announce its slate today...so we will know if The Front Runner will be keen to reach international/European audiences via the BiennaleCinema.


Jo

[jo]

Why the fuss over whether The Front Runner will be in any of the famous fall festivals?

It is not just for award-bait reasons, if any. The film ( which will be released on a limited basis on November 7 and on an expanded basis on November 21) needs an excellent publicity campaign to attract the box office. Presumably, it will drop a first trailer soon...but any good or excellent word from the festival can launch its worldwide appeal without the start of the promotion train before release.

Personally, I am also hoping to hear about how the portrayal by Hugh Jackman is regarded. After LOGAN ( action-oriented with drama), THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ( musical inspired by real-life subject's story), this will be a new genre foray for him. It is inspired by real-life drama decades ago but it is also a politically-attractive subject for the more politically-charged current times ( political divisions and the forthcoming midterm elections in the USA). What has not been highlighted is that the story will carry another major aspect -- how the press has changed from its former role to one that was almost tabloid-like in nature. So, two interesting subjects of current interest -- and Hugh's performance will serve to anchor how the story is told!


Jo