The Reel: Fall film festivals dominate awards season as the Oscars race begins

Awards season is around the corner and highly anticipated movies are on full blast at film festivals across the world. Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA), Glenn Whipp (@GlennWhipp) and Jen Yamato (@jenyamato) about what to expect from the onslaught of movies premiering across festivals as we head into awards season. The Venice and Telluride Film Festivals kicked off this fall season, screening major titles like James Gray's “Ad Astra,” Todd Phillips' “Joker,” Steven Soderbergh's “The Laundromat,” and Noah Baumbach's “Marriage Story.” Next, filmmakers turn to Toronto, New York and London, ending the wave of key festivals sure to shape the fate of awards season.It’s the moment of truth for filmmakers who eagerly await reactions from critics and audiences. The post-festival rhetoric often forecasts which movies may receive awards season love, or which films leave audiences wanting more. The Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu stripper drama, “Hustlers,” has audiences talking. There’s also Martin Scorsese’s “Irishman,” a three-and-a-half-hour-long crime drama starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino.Last year, movies like “Roma,” “A Star is Born” and “Green Book” left festivals feeling like top Academy Award candidates. We’ll see if the same proves true after this year’s fall festival season wraps up.