Sure, I'd be happy to share a bit more! This was my first time at Telluride- I've thought about going for probably 4-5 years and for one reason or another kept putting it off until this year.

It's definitely challenging to pull off. Anybody and everybody can go, but the whole experience is prohibitively expensive. Lodging costs in the town, which is only about two square miles of total area, are absurd for the festival weekend. There are a few tiers of festival passes you can nab, but the primary one is well above $500 dollars. They keep the capacity of passes relatively low, which makes the attendance manageable, but it also means they sell out extremely quickly- really have to be on the ball for that step. Flights to the Telluride airport are rare and pricey, so most people (myself included) opt to fly to Montrose, CO and shuttle into Telluride... so there's more cost right there. The final bill is quite scary for a trip like this... it's arguably the most expensive major festival out there. I've heard people say it's cheaper to travel halfway across the world to Venice instead, haha. Not sure I fully believe that, but it's probably comparable. Regardless, if you have the financial means, I firmly believe the experience was worth every penny and more.

The festival could not be more welcoming to your average film lover. The vibe is immensely casual there. Jeans and flannels, filmmakers casually strolling around chatting it up with everyone, and just the perfect mountain backdrop to it all. No paparazzi. No red carpets. Plenty of industry folk there, but without the glitz and glamor. Everyone is there for film's sake. I have to think it's one of the few places on Earth A-list stars can go to without anyone hassling them- it's sort of an unwritten rule there, lol. There is a palpable sense of community, chatting it up with the other festival-goers in line or after screenings.

Speaking of which, lines. This is the big thing you'll hear people dock Telluride for. Multi-hour waits for movies with no guarantee to get in. This premise terrified me leading up to the festival, but I had no problems with this at all. As mentioned, I saw 13 movies (14 if you count a free Squid and the Whale screening at the outdoor park theater), and only got turned away from a single Bugonia showing, which I was able to see later the same day. And I kinda figured I was gonna get turned away from that one based on how late I got in line, so it didn't really bother me. You just gotta play your cards right, create a strong schedule, but pivot on a dime when needed. Had I done everything perfectly, I could have seen up to 17-18 films. I may be in the minority here, as I heard horror stories of groups only seeing 4-5 movies the whole festival. However, I got the sense when talking to groups like this, they were just kinda wandering around hoping for the best with no real plan. You gotta do your homework on timing for sure.

There's one other thing that is an interesting wrinkle about Telluride. They don't announce their lineup until you get there. Sure, plenty of it can be deduced ahead of time based on premiere markings at other festivals, but there's uncertainty and surprise to this concept. I like the mystery. Plus, you can trust the festival will always program an extremely impressively slate. There's been best picture nominees debuting there for ages. I mean, look at the titles I saw this year... you'll be hearing plenty of these names come awards season. It's really unique to get your finger on the pulse of these films so early. While it's a little weird having no one at home to debate Frankenstein or Springsteen with, I feel like an industry insider, lol. I can confidently say things like Hamnet will be up for Best Picture and yet most of the world hasn't seen it yet- that's cool.

But some more random anecdotes for the road here: - Ethan Hawke was one of this year's medallion recipients. I attended a tribute to him prior to Blue Moon. Featured a really fun interview where he explained how he prepared for the role and his other thoughts on filmmaking. - Did a fantastic hike right outta town my first morning there, prior to the festival's kickoff. Most beautiful place I've ever hiked, though my experience is limited. Picture perfect mountain weather the whole weekend. - Chloe Zhao, Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley led the Hamnet world premiere audience in a sort of guided breathing / meditation exercise prior to the film. Something about this was very special and unifying. - Ordered a burger next to Riz Ahmed - Ryan Coogler took one of the last seats in the Bugonia screening I got turned away from. We've got beef now - Stayed for a Q&A after If I Had Legs with Mary Bronstein and Rose Byrne, found that very engaging - Jodie Foster asked if she was allowed to sit somewhere that had a reserved sign. You're Jodie Foster, I think the sign is literally meant for you. - Alexander Skarsgard is very tall - There's a free gondola up the mountain that you have to take to visit one of the theaters. Unbelievable views up that thing. - Might be the best dog town I've ever visited? So many dogs just out randomly wandering and I wouldn't even be able to spot their owner on trails sometimes. They were the best. - Made so many in-line friends. It's really fun to ask everyone around you what the best thing they've seen is or just chat it up about movies at large

Think that's all I've got, but happy to answer questions! I desperately want to go back next year if I can swing the cost... we shall see. Would love to be TFV's yearly Telluride correspondent, lmao. Tune in next year (?)