Deadline reports that a mystery "surprise" film screening at the Telluride Film Festival has set off a guessing game among industry insiders and journalists. The studio behind it has been confirmed as A24, but the title itself remains under wraps, with the festival taking unusually tight security measures to prevent leaks — a rarity in an industry where secrets rarely last.

Sources indicate the 174-minute film blends documentary and narrative elements and appears to be a recent acquisition by A24 in a competitive bidding situation, rather than a project it developed in-house. It is due to screen at Telluride's largest venue, the Herzog theatre, followed by a Q&A, with all phones and electronic devices locked away using the Yondr system during the showing. Deadline ruled out several candidates, including Ethan Hawke's Merle Haggard documentary Highway 99 (already premiered), the comedy Goblin, Zac Efron's Famous, and Ruben Östlund's The Entertainment System Is Down, leaving the film's true identity unconfirmed.