According to Dartmouth Film Society director Grey Cusack '11, Telluride at Dartmouth is a rare opportunity to see films fresh from the festival, and was made possible by Hop film director Bill Pence, who cofounded the first Telluride festival in 1974 with his wife Stella Pence and Tom Luddy. Telluride was first brought to Dartmouth audiences in 1985, making this the 25th annual installment of Telluride at Dartmouth.
The festival continues to maintain its close ties to Dartmouth. According to Cusack, who attended this year's fesival with a number of former DFS directors, Dartmouth graduates comprise 40 percent of the festival's staff, which exemplifies the strong connection between the festival and the College.
"We are the only college in the world with a privilege like Telluride at Dartmouth," Cusack said. "Essentially, the event provides six sneak peeks of new movies that are generating Oscar buzz months before their general release, as well as indies that are difficult to see elsewhere."
The six films to be screened at Telluride at Dartmouth were selected to represent the broad range of genres covered at the original festival, which draws cinema lovers from across the globe with its eclectic mix of films. From showcasing top-notch mainstream films to representing independent and foreign films, Telluride at Dartmouth serves as a true sampling of the selections made available to attendees at the festival, Cusack said.
Telluride at Dartmouth kicks off this Friday with "The King's Speech," a historical docudrama about King George VI (played by Colin Firth), who is thrust onto the throne after his brother's abdication. Due for a limited release in the United States this November, "The King's Speech" had its world premiere at Telluride and has already been hailed by critics across the country as a contender for best picture and best actor nominations.
"["The King's Speech"] is my favorite selection [of the films coming to Dartmouth]," Cusack said. "The film has a fantastic cast, and it's well shot with great cinematography.
Another mainstream selection for Telluride at Dartmouth is "Never Let Me Go" (to be screened Sept. 26), the film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's deeply unsettling 2005 novel of the same title. The film, which is scheduled to be released in the U.S. in January, stars critical darlings Carey Mulligan (2009's "An Education") and Keira Knightley (2007's "Atonement").
Two of the remaining films in the Telluride at Dartmouth lineup are also film adaptations of published works "Tamara Drewe" (Sept. 25) and "The Princess of Montpensier" (Sept. 30). The former is based on Posy Simmond's graphic novel about a female journalist, and the latter is based on the short story of the same name by classic French author Madame de La Fayette.
The film series also includes "The Illusionist" (Sept. 28), an animated art house flick about a stage musician and "Oka! Amerikee" (Sept. 29), a documentary about the Bayakan pygmies of the Central African Republic rainforest.
This year's Telluride at Dartmouth has brought some changes to make the event more accessible to students. According to Cusack, the event had been held before or during Orientation in previous years, and this is the first time that it will be held while classes are in session. The series has also been moved to Spaulding Auditorium from its previous venue in Loew Auditorium to accommodate more attendees. Cusack said she hopes the change of location will encourage more students to attend.
"Telluride was once described as the best film festival in the world," Cusack said. "I had one of the best weeks of my life at the festival. I'm so grateful that we have such a strong relationship with Telluride, and we should take advantage of the enormous privilege."
Tickets for Telluride at Dartmouth are available online or at the Hopkins Center box office. Students can purchase individual tickets or a Telluride Pass for all six shows. Each film will be screened twice at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the day of its showing.
