The Telluride Film Festival has just announced the lineup for its 51st edition, which begins tomorrow, Friday, August 30, and runs through Monday, September 2, in the Colorado Rockies. This year, three prominent Latin American filmmakers—Alfonso Cuarón from Mexico, Pablo Larraín from Chile, and Petra Costa from Brazil—will be in attendance to present their latest productions. After the world premieres of their films today at the Venice Film Festival, all three will swiftly travel across the ocean to participate in the American festival.
Cuarón will present the seven-episode Apple TV+ thriller series Disclaimer, starring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. Partly shot by acclaimed Mexican DP Emmanuel Lubezki, the series is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Renée Knight. It follows a famed documentary journalist who discovers she is a prominent character in a novel—one that reveals a secret she has tried to keep hidden.
Larraín will present the North American premiere of his biopic Maria, starring Angelina Jolie as American-Greek soprano Maria Callas, one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. The film tells the tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic story of her life, as relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.
Costa will present her latest documentary, Apocalypse in the Tropics / Apocalipse nos Trópicos, in its North American premiere. The Brazilian filmmaker explores the powerful influence of faith leaders over politics in her country, gaining extraordinary access to key figures, including President Lula, former President Bolsonaro, and Brazil’s most famous televangelist. The film chronicles the evangelical movement's role in Brazil’s political turmoil and the apocalyptic theology driving its leaders.
Telluride will also host the North American premiere of the Mexican co-production Emilia Pérez by French director Jacques Audiard. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Karla Sofía Gascón, the musical crime comedy narrates the story of high-powered lawyer Rita, who takes on an unexpected assignment: helping a Mexican cartel leader fake their death and undergo sex-reassignment operations.
Additionally, Brazilian-American filmmaker Pedro Kos will participate at Telluride with his latest documentary The White House Effect, co-directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. The film centers on three pivotal decades—the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—and the key figures who changed the world through scientific discovery, political intrigue, fossil fuel power, evolving media coverage, and emerging activism. This gripping drama plays out against the backdrop of our embattled and changing planet, providing a singular lens on humanity’s most important story.
