Podcast: Cannes Preview

On this week's podcast Nathaniel R (The Film Experience) grills Cannes enthusiast Nick Davis (Nick's Flick Picks) on the difference between the competitive slate, un certain regard, and director's fortnight. We discuss the complete competition lineup for 2014 and answer reader questions, too. 

00:01 Jane Campion and her jury
04:30 Un Certain Regard vs. Director's Fortnight 
08:00 Camera D'Or & The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby 
13:00 Ronit Elkabetz & Ryan Gosling's new films
16:00 Olivier Dahan's Grace of Monaco troubles 
18:00 The Competition Lineup
With sidebar chat on Olivier Assayas, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Mike Leigh, Dardenne Bros, Xavier Dolan, and Mike Leigh
37:30 Which directors should Cannes take a break from?
39:45 Hilary Swank and Best Actress
42:45 Nick and Nathaniel name least favorite Palme D'Or Winners
46:00 Juries of yore: Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Sally Field, Kathleen Turner, Quentin Tarantino

Who could have ever imagined this trio? Cannes 2004

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download the conversation on iTunes. As always you should continue it in the comments so we can feel you out there in the dark. What's your favorite Olivier Assayas? Your favorite Dolan? And which Palme D'Or win baffles you?

Related Articles
Cannes Line-Up | Meet the Jury | Jessica Chastain in Vogue | Nathaniel's review of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Parts 1 and 2 

Cannes Preview 2014

Nashville Awards: Andrew Haigh's "Weekend" and More...

Jury Deliberations. Most festivals have separate jurors for each of the major sections. Cannes is the one people are most familiar with it being the festival of festivals. The competition slate is the main focus but they don't actually decide each of the awards you hear about. There are other juries gathered to decide things like the Camera D'Or (best first film) and the short film prizes. Nashville has five juries and they're also an AMPAS qualifying festival so if, for instance, a short film wins "best" in category here it becomes eligible for Oscar consideration. I was on the Narrative Competition jury this year. The running joke at the table became "this doesn't leave the table..." so...end of story!

Let it suffice to say that it's always usually enjoyable to discuss movies with other creative types and in this case it was extra enjoyable as my fellow jurors Dan Butler (previous discussed) and Joe Leydon (a Texas based film critic who also writes for Variety) were both fun passionate movie-loving guys.

After we decided our prizes, I scampered over to the Music Film jury when I saw them wrapping up to thank the gorgeous Kimberly Reed for her Prodigal Sons film the one I kept raving about to y'all a couple of years back. She told me about a new percolating project of hers but she's actually still trekking around the country with her breakthrough film years later. Oprah's interest in her story really made a huge impact -- Oprah really does control the world, doesn't she? -- but that kind of sustained interest couldn't have happened to a better documentary or to a more articulate champion for the transgendered community.

BEST OF THE 2011 NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Read on to find out which films each jury loved as well as a few notes on the films.

Click to read more ...

This & That: Nashville, Disney, Broadway

NASHVILLE
I'm packing up and heading out to the Nashville Film Festival which is becoming something of an annual jaunt for me. The opening night film is Bloodworth starring this year's career achievement honoree Kris Kristofferson.

I'm on the jury for the narrative competition with actor Dan Butler (Frasier, Crazy Stupid Love) and critic Joe Leydon. Last year I had the pleasure of attending an event honoring composer Carter Burwell but this year I have to miss the Gustavo Santaoalla celebration, damnit. (Since the festival is in Music City, they wisely opt to honor composers each year).

I'll send you little bits from the festival and meanwhile the usual contributors will be on hand here to keep you entertained!

Have you ever been to Nashville? A few years back when I went for the first time I took a trip to the Parthenon and i'd never wanted to know how to play guitar worse. I woulda busted out the strings and sung Nashville's "It Don't Worry Me ♫" at the top of my lungs right then and there.

DISNEY
Sorry about that Hit Me With Your Best Shot situation. We'll do something special for Beauty & The Beast once I'm back from Nashville. Next week's Wednesday night film is Charlie Chaplin's The Circus (1928) but we'll figure something out. It's part of my Personal Canon anyway so we have to work Belle & The Beast in. In the meantime I really hope you'll click around and read all those posts it prompted among animation fans.

Broadway's "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN": Norbert Leo Butz (Tom Hanks role), Aaron Tveit (DiCaprio's role), Tom Wopat (Christopher Walken's role)

BROADWAY
I'm doing too many things at once. Before I head out to Nashville I had to also get up this week's Towleroad column where you should head if you want to read a bit on The Hobbit Part One or my reaction to Broadway's "Catch Me If You Can" (hint: it's better than the reviews say).