Telluride Film Festival 2026: Read All Of Deadline’s Reviews
The 53rd Telluride Film Festival opened on Friday, 5 September in Colorado, running through the Labor Day weekend, and Deadline is compiling its reviews of the films screening there. The festival lacks major studio blockbusters but draws strong specialty and awards-season interest, with Focus Features and Searchlight Pictures each bringing one title, alongside a wave of world and North American premieres, several following on from bows at the Venice Film Festival.
Notable premieres include Mike Leigh's Tender Loving Care and Simon Stone's Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott, both opening the festival, plus Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine with John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and films from Andrew Haigh, Guy Nattiv, Danny Boyle and Werner Herzog. Early reviews single out Andrew Scott's performance as actor Ian Charleson in Elsinore as a standout, while Mike Leigh's Tender Loving Care is praised as a quieter, character-driven family drama.
- Telluride Film Festival's 53rd edition began 5 September in Colorado.
- Highlights include Elsinore with Andrew Scott and Mike Leigh's new film.
- Deadline is publishing ongoing reviews of festival premieres, including Venice crossovers.
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Telluride is a film festival held each year in Colorado over the Labor Day weekend. It is known for showing independent and international films rather than a slate of major studio blockbusters, and its screenings often attract attention from film critics and awards watchers.
The programme brings together established directors, actors and newer work, including films making their first public screenings and others that have already premiered at festivals such as Venice. Focus Features and Searchlight Pictures are among the studios represented. The festival offers an early chance to see films that may become part of the autumn cinema and awards-season conversation.