‘September 5’ Stuns Fest Attendees, Becomes Hottest Sales Title, Awards Contender

Many Telluride Film Festival attendees initially flocked to screenings of high-profile titles with distributors already lined up. However, by Monday, a shift occurred, with more attendees branching out to explore lesser-known films without backing. Among these was the film September 5, whose second festival screening just concluded at the Werner Herzog Theatre.

Premiering globally at the Venice Film Festival last Thursday and now making its North American debut, September 5 has garnered immense attention. The film’s relevance was heightened by recent real-world tragic events, making it particularly timely. Many festivalgoers, including industry insiders and the general audience, left the venue buzzing with excitement, some even labeling it the strongest narrative film of the fest.

This 94-minute film recounts ABC Sports’ coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack on Israeli athletes. Should it secure a top-tier distributor, September 5 could be a serious contender in numerous Oscar categories. Potential nods include best picture, best director for Tim Fehlbaum, best actor for Peter Sarsgaard, who plays ABC Sports chief Roone Arledge, best supporting actor for John Magaro as Geoff Mason, ABC’s young coordinating producer, and possibly best original screenplay for Fehlbaum and Moritz Binder. The film could also vie for best production design.

Despite recent trends where distributors shy away from politically sensitive topics like abortion, Ukraine, and Donald Trump, there’s confidence that at least one distributor will recognize the value of September 5. The film carefully navigates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and provides a riveting look at journalists, journalism, and ethical considerations in the field. Its narrative could well be placed alongside classics such as All the President’s Men, Shattered Glass, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Spotlight.