Telluride Film Festival 2012: 5 Most Hyped Films

Culture

Film festival season is now officially underway. Venice is off and running and Friday marks the beginning of the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. The 39th annual festival will screen nearly 100 feature films, shorts films, and revivals; also on the agenda are conversations, panels, and educational programs. The festival will screen numerous high-profie films including many that were celebrated earlier this year at Cannes; Oscar buzz abounds, circling films like Michael Haneke’s Amour and Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone. Actress Marion Cotillard is set for a tribute at the festival. 

In past years, the festival has helped springboard some of that year's biggest Oscar winners to success including The Descendants, Black Swan, and Slumdog Millionaire. 

Here are five of the most anticipated films at Telluride this year: 

1. Hyde Park on Hudson 

Bill Murray and Laura Linney star as FDR and his cousin Margaret Stuckley, with whom he has an affair. The film takes place at FDR's home on the Hudson River, all unfolding over a weekend in 1938 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom come for a visit. Murray's portrayal of FDR is one of the most anticipated of the year. 

Release Date: December 7, 2012

2. Argo 

The official release of Argo will take place next week at the Toronto Film Festival, so the film's Telluride run is being billed as a special feature. The film, directed by Ben Affleck, features a solid cast including Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman. Unfolding during the height of the Iranian Revolution, Argo follows a CIA specialist as he works to free six Americans stuck in Tehran. 

Release Date: October 12, 2012

3. Frances Ha

Sure to be an indie darling, Frances Ha star's the independent film scene's coice leading lady: Greta Gerwig. The film is a black-and-white look at a young dancer and is directed by Noah Baumbach of The Squid and the Whale fame. Gerwig and Baumbach co-wrote the film; they also happen to be a couple. Other familiar faces in the film are Adam Driver, who plays the role of Adam on Girls, and Grace Gummer -- daughter of Meryl Streep. 

Release Date: TBA

4. Midnight's Children

Adapted from the Salman Rushdie's losely autobiographical novel (Midnight's Children) about a young man switched at birth to a life of privelege. The film unfolds in India at the cusp of India's independence from England. Written by Rushdie, Indian director Deepa Mehta is the directing force behind the film. 

Release Date: October 26, 2012

5. Ginger and Rosa

Starring up-and-comer Elle Fanning, Ginger and Rose is a coming-of-age story from filmmaker Sally Potter. The story follows two London girls growing up in the 1960s. Also in the cast are Annete Benning and Christina Hendricks. 

Release Date: October 19, 2012

For the full list of films playing at Telluride check out the official site. The festival run from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3.