Regarding movie runtimes, Alexander Payne apparently likes short and lean and “sharklike” in their efficiency. IndieWire reports that the director of “The Holdovers” had some choice words about inflated runtimes of recent film releases at the Middleburg Film Festival last weekend. And he admits that even he’s guilty of the crime.

READ MORE: ‘The Holdovers’ Review: Alexander Payne & Paul Giamatti Reunite For A ’70s Nostalgia Dramedy [Telluride]

“You want your movie to be as short as possible,” explained Payne during a conversation at the festival.

Continue reading Alexander Payne Wants Shorter Runtimes For Feature Films: “There Are Too Many Damn Long Movies These Days” at The Playlist.

MIDDLEBURG, VA – If there is a quiet period in the Oscar race it would appear to be the month of October. The weeks between the New York Film Festival and the Governors Awards, however, are actually busier than ever. The month finds prime BAFTA campaigning at the London Film Festival and is scattered with smaller fests stateside from Mill Valley to the Hamptons to Savannah to Middleburg. In these festivals, awards contenders make the rounds with well-off attendees who look like they hopped out of an episode of “Succession,” hoping to scrounge up support wherever they can find it.

Continue reading Middle Festival Season Of The Awards Circuit Is In Full Effect at The Playlist.