It’s late August. Do you know where (and what) your Oscar contenders are?
In the past, I would have answered that question by saying, “No, but in about three weeks I will.” That’s because the end of August brings the beginning of the three fall film festivals that for decades have been the most fruitful ground for premiering Academy Award winners and nominees.
For 14 years between 2007 and 2020, from “No Country for Old Men” to “Nomadland,” the Oscar Best Picture winner screened (and in all but three cases premiered) at the Venice International Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival or the Toronto International Film Festival, and in many cases in more than one of those festivals.