As the Major Fall Film Festivals Wrap, the Oscar Race Goes Regional — SkimNews
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- Middleburg Film Festival launched Thursday at BET co-founder Sheila Johnson's Salamander resort in the Virginia countryside outside D.C., running four days alongside regional events like SCAD and Virginia with roughly 45 features on view.
- Festival director Susan Koch has steadily drawn more top Oscar contenders and talent, with this year's sell-outs including Jesse Eisenberg's 'The Debut' (A24), 'Wicker' (Black Bear), and Amazon/MGM's 'I Play Rocky.'
- Palme d'Or winner 'Fjord' headlines the Oscar frontrunners screening at Middleburg, joined by Cannes director winner 'La Bola Negra,' Cannes Actress co-winner 'All of a Sudden,' Venice hit 'Possible Love,' and Cannes prize-winners 'Fatherland' and 'Minotaur' — the latter two reportedly competing for the international-feature fifth slot.
- Julianne Moore arrives Friday as the Best Actress frontrunner for 'The Debut,' part of a slate that includes Seth Rogen's 'The Invite' in conversation, breakout Rosalind Eleazar ('Misty Green'), Léa Seydoux, and Netflix Cannes breakout 'Gentle Monster' director Marie Kreutzer.
- Saturday brings a panel with Oscar-winning producers Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger ('Little Miss Sunshine') alongside Bill Pullman, who stars in Berlin director-winner 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans' (Cohen Media).
- Diane Warren — credited with 17 Oscar nominations and no wins — returns as the festival's perennial songwriter hopeful, joining a music panel with Eisenberg and composer Daniel Pemberton.
Why it matters: Middleburg's rapid ascent under Susan Koch shows regional stops can now attract A24 premieres, Amazon/MGM titles, and Cannes/Venice front-runners alongside the coasts' traditional festivals. For D.C.-area audiences and non-L.A. awards journalists, that means near-universal venue access to roughly 45 features and top contenders while the nomination race is still taking shape.
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