Telluride Film Fest Unveils Lineup Highlighted by World Premieres of Oscar Hopefuls ‘Elsinore,’ ‘The Debut’ and ‘Tender Loving Care’

The Telluride Film Festival , the unofficial launch of the Oscar race in North America, will kick off its 53rd edition on Friday and run through Monday. On Thursday morning, as festival regulars waited to depart from LAX for the Rockies, the fest unveiled its lineup.

Highlights include the world premieres of several major Oscar hopefuls, among them Elsinore , which stars Andrew Scott as the ill-fated Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson; Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut , a musical vehicle for Oscar winner Julianne Moore; Tender Loving Care , which Mike Leigh has indicated may be his final film; The Liberation , in which Carrie Coon plays a Holocaust survivor ensnared by a cult; and Tenzing , the story of the Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary to the top of Mount Everest. Related Stories Movies One of Telluride Film Fest's Marquee Venues Significantly Damaged by Flash Flood, but Fest Believes It Will Be Operational by Labor Day Weekend Movies 'Karl' Review: A Likable Lagerfeld Documentary Prioritizes Breadth Over Depth

Also playing at the fest will be several contenders that previously were unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival ( Once Upon a Time in Harlem and The Only Living Pickpocket in New York ), Berlin Film Festival ( Rose , for which Sandra Hüller was awarded the best actress prize) and the Cannes Film Festival (Palme d’Or winner Fjord , as well as grand prize winner Minotaur , directing co-winners Fatherland and La Bola Negra , plus Avedon , Club Kid , Gentle Monster and The Man I Love ).

A select few other titles will arrive via the already-in-progress Venice Film Festival, including Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine , which boasts a formidable ensemble led by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell; Danny Boyle’s portrait of Rupert Murdoch’s first steps into media moguldom, Ink ; Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard , which teams the Mara sisters, Kate and Rooney; and the documentary Everest: The Other Side from Free Solo Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.

Telluride always welcomes a guest director, who this year will be actress Rebecca Hall, and always toasts a few artists with career tributes — this year’s recipients will be Malkovich, Hüller and the indie filmmaker Andrew Haigh, who is also debuting his latest film, A Long Winter , at the fest. The French actress Léa Seydoux is not receiving a tribute but is, in a sense, the MVP of this edition of the fest, with an unprecedented three films in the lineup: Gentle Monster , as well as Alpha Gang and The Unknown .

Julie Huntsinger, the fest director (who is celebrating her 20th year of working with the fest in one capacity or another), spoke with THR about this year’s lineup and honorees, as well as the condition of the recently flooded Palm Theatre , one of the fest’s marquee venues; the expected attendance of two Russian exile filmmakers; a 10th anniversary screening of Moonlight ; and the current state of relations between the highly competitive fall film fests.