A Beginner List to the 2023 International Film Festival Movies

What's that in the air? ...Oscar buzz? Check out this list to see my predictions on this year's movies from Cannes, Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals.

Before I worked in entertainment, I felt overwhelmed at all the Oscar buzz that came from a few movies that all had to be seen in theaters from December to February. Where do they all come from? How does someone make the time for all of this??

The time management thing—still figuring it out.

But anticipating what will be fun to watch or hastily considered an “Oscar must-watch” before the ceremony early next year? We can get ahead of that.

Cannes, the French film festival pronounced “can” (oui oui bonjour monsieur, indeed), happens annually in the summer. The rest of the summer, all the industry people with money go on vacation. Then, in an August to September stretch, the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals squeeze together to showcase the rest of this year’s top films.

Due to the WGA and SAG strikes, people worried that these fall festivals would be impacted in their press (no celebrity red carpets!) and their lineups. Challengers, a Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) f…