Telluride has dropped its 52nd edition lineup — a compact, awards-heavy program running Aug. 29–Sept. 1 in Colorado. The SHOW includes world premieres from Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, Scott Cooper’s Springsteen film and Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player, plus Venice imports by Yorgos Lanthimos and Noah Baumbach. Festival leaders also announced tributes to **Noah Baumbach, Ethan Hawke and Jafar Panahi**, and flagged the Nugget headquarters project due by **end of 2026**. This slate looks designed to set the early tone for the 2026 Oscars race.
What Telluride’s Aug 29–Sept 1 lineup means for awards 2026
Telluride (52nd) — Lineup announced Aug. 28; festival runs Aug. 29–Sept. 1, Colorado.
60+ features — More than sixty films, shorts and revivals from 30+ countries.
Tributes set — Silver Medallions for Baumbach, Hawke, Panahi, with on-stage conversations.
Oscar signal — Several premieres (Zhao, Lanthimos, Berger) viewed as early awards season shapers.
Why this 52nd Telluride slate could reshape the 2026 Oscars race
Telluride’s compact weekend and curated SHOW often give awards momentum to overlooked films; this year’s program stacks heavy hitters and documentaries likely to travel through Venice and Toronto. With world premieres from Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet and Scott Cooper’s Springsteen feature, plus Venice carryovers like Lanthimos’ Bugonia and Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, studios and critics will be eyeing Telluride for early awards traction. The festival’s emphasis on filmmaker conversations and tributes intensifies industry attention now, not later.
Telluride Film Festival Lineup: 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere', Edward Berger's 'Ballad Of A Small Player', Chloé Zhao's 'Hamnet' Among World Premieres https://t.co/NcBJEff14q
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 28, 2025
Who’s reacting to Telluride’s 2025 picks — quick quotes and posts
Festival director Julie Huntsinger praised the lineup’s compassion and surprises, saying many films left her “glad to be a human being.” Critics and awards watchers quickly amplified Variety’s list on social, spotlighting lead performances from Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Colin Farrell and Emma Stone as early contenders. The industry response landed within minutes of the announcement, underlining Telluride’s role as a launchpad for awards-season narratives.
Two surprise screenings coming at Telluride: Julie Huntsinger teases the festival’s mysterious TBD slots. “One will be no surprise at all — that filmmaker has achieved yet another home run,” she says.https://t.co/8YmakrP5h7 via @variety
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) August 28, 2025
What the festival’s program numbers reveal about industry shifts in 2025
Telluride’s roster (documentaries, auteur features, restorations) reflects studios leaning back into prestige filmmaking and boutique releases amid a tighter theatrical market. The presence of multiple high-profile premieres plus documentaries on cultural figures signals cross-genre awards strategies: filmmakers use festival momentum to convert festival buzz into distribution deals and awards campaigns. Partnerships with Google, Netflix and Amazon MGM also show industry players still invest in curated festival exposure to build early narratives.
Key figures from Telluride 2025 that change awards forecasts
| KPI | Value + Unit | Scope/Date | Change/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edition | 52nd edition | Telluride, Aug 29–Sept 1, 2025 | Signals long-running prestige influence |
| Program size | 60+ films | SHOW + shorts, 2025 | Broad slate increases awards pick pool |
| Countries represented | 30+ countries | Telluride 2025 | Global films raise international profile |
| Silver Medallion honorees | 3 people | Baumbach/Hawke/Panahi, 2025 | Amplifies awards-season visibility |
Summary: Bigger, global lineup and three tributes amplify Telluride’s awards-season influence.
Sources
- https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/telluride-festival-lineup-2025-hamnet-springsteen-1236498020/
- https://deadline.com/2025/08/telluride-film-festival-2025-movies-1236499034/
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/telluride-springsteen-hamnet-world-premieres-tributes-1236352582/
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Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.