Telluride Film Festival Lineup 2025: ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Springsteen’ and More

The Telluride Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 52nd edition, showcasing a mix of world premieres, international debuts and awards-season hopefuls from some of cinema’s most acclaimed auteurs.

Among the buzziest titles in the main program, known as the SHOW, are the world premieres of Chloé Zhao’s Shakespearean-set drama “Hamnet,” starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal; Edward Berger’s psychological thriller “Ballad of a Small Player,” with Colin Farrell; and Scott Cooper’s music biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” headlined by two-time Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White. In addition, three films will arrive from the Venice Film Festival after debuting there: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone; Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly,” starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler; and Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia,” the Italian drama opening Venice.

Other hot titles include a double dose of Richard Linklater with “Blue Moon,” which premiered at Berlin, and “Nouvelle Vague,” which bowed at Cannes. Also, Joachim Trier’s Norwegian drama “Sentimental Value,” Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident,” Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent” and Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut “Urchin” will be making their Stateside appearances, along with Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind,” Olivier Assayas’ “The History of Sound” and Rebecca Zlotowski’s “A Private Life.”

The nonfiction lineup will surely garner plenty of buzz, including Ivy Meeropol’s “Ask E. Jean,” about Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll; Morgan Neville’s “Man on the Run,” looking at Paul McCartney and the band Wings; Laura Poitras’ “Cover-Up” about political journalist Seymour Hersh; and Ethan Hawke’s Merle Haggard musical documentary “Highway 99: A Double Album.”

Running Aug. 29 through Sept. 1 in the Colorado mountain town, the festival will screen more than 60 feature films, shorts and revival programs from over 30 countries, along with tributes, conversations, student programs and special events.

Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger says this year’s selections reflect a spirit of resilience and compassion amid turbulent times. “There really is a lot of compassion in these films,” Huntsinger tells Variety. “Even something like ‘Pillion,’ the BDSM gay romantic comedy, is so full of heart. You come away going, ‘Oh my God, I’m so glad I saw that, and that aspect of our humanity depicted.’ Even the heartbreaking ones leave you feeling glad to be a human being.”

The 2025 Silver Medallion awards, better known as the Festival Tributes, will go to Baumbach, Hawke and Panahi, each accompanied by on-stage conversations and screenings of their latest works. While all three honorees are men — a decision Huntsinger acknowledged could spark conversation — she emphasized the artistic significance of Panahi’s latest effort.

“You can’t deny this movie. It’s so important, and he’s so important,” Huntsinger said of “It Was Just an Accident.” “He goes for it. Instead of retreating into metaphor, he just says it all in this film. I couldn’t be more impressed.”

The festival will also bestow a Special Medallion upon producer Tessa Ross, recognizing her contributions as a behind-the-scenes force behind acclaimed works such as “Carol,” “Billy Elliot” and “The Iron Claw.” Recently coming off her first Oscar nomination for Edward Berger’s “Conclave” (2024), she will be honored during the screening of his latest film, “Ballad of a Small Player.”

Guest director Ezra Edelman, the Oscar-winning documentarian behind “O.J.: Made in America,” curates a sidebar with classics including “Rashomon,” “Network,” “Malcolm X,” “The Insider” and “All the President’s Men.”

Telluride has a reputation for being a launching pad for Oscar contenders, with recent alumni including best picture winners “Moonlight,” “Nomadland” and “The Shape of Water.” Asked whether this year’s best picture champion might be hiding in the lineup, Huntsinger was characteristically coy.

“If we think something’s good, chances are other people probably do too,” she says. “I hope so, for our filmmakers. It doesn’t matter to me, but it matters to them. I always like when it lines up because it means they don’t toil in obscurity.”

Huntsinger also teased the festival’s mysterious TBD slots — a quintessential part of every schedule where the festival adds one or two movies to surprise during the weekend. “One will be no surprise at all — that filmmaker has achieved yet another home run,” she says. “The other is not obvious, but I love this movie. Sometimes it’s a ‘duh’ film, sometimes it’s a discovery. Both are high quality.”

When it comes to other potential Oscar-worthy performers, Huntsinger highlighted standout turns from Jodie Foster in Rebecca Zlotowski’s “A Private Life,” marveling at her linguistic skills: “Her flawless French is absolutely bananas. She’s a national treasure, and we must not take her for granted.”

Emma Stone, she says, delivers “something beyond, beyond, beyond” in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” along with her co-star Jesse Plemons. At the same time, she says Ethan Hawke brings a career-best performance in “Blue Moon.” Renate Reinsve, in Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” is another revelation: “She very easily could have had [a tribute] from us this year — and she will [eventually]. She’s extraordinary.” Huntsinger also singled out Colin Farrell (“a tender, special human being”) and Jessie Buckley (“please Lord, it’s her year”) as performers poised to dominate awards chatter.

The longtime festival director believes this year’s Telluride slate may signal an unusually competitive run for best actor at the Oscars.

“I think the male race for best actor is going to be so hard,” she expresses. “For years, it’s felt like the opposite, with the actress category stacked. This year, the actors’ race is just chock-full of incredible performances.”

The festival continues to expand its partnerships, this year welcoming Google as a shorts program sponsor while renewing support from Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios and National Geographic. Huntsinger acknowledged the challenges of operating in a Hollywood economy marked by contraction but expressed optimism.

“We’re really — and not to be corny — blessed in terms of sponsorship and the individual people who support us,” she says. “They love what we do and support both the festival and the Nugget.”

The Nugget is Telluride’s ambitious new headquarters project, a permanent home in the town’s historic Nugget Building that will house screenings, residencies and education programs year-round. Huntsinger expects completion by the end of 2026, with Dolby and Meyer Sound outfitting its flagship Atmos theater.

“Cinema is alive and well,” Huntsinger says. “Stars of a certain stature want to be in really quality projects. Our program lives to defy the idea that everything is just a sequel or remake. Every year, we prove original filmmaking is thriving.”

The full lineup is below.

Feature Films and Episodic Works – The SHOW

Short Films – The SHOW

Backlot Screenings

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. The Conversations series, sponsored by Indian Paintbrush, is devoted to cinema and culture. The outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Special Screenings and Festivities

Telluride Film Festival’s Education Programs present students with the opportunity to experience film as an art form and to expand participants’ worldviews through film screenings and filmmaker discussions, including: