With Cannes but a memory we look forward to the rest of the summer and, soon after, the dawn of the 2013-2014 film awards season. The starting gun will, as always, be the Venice and Telluride film festivals, followed by Toronto soon after, and we’ll be well on our way.

This year Telluride will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in style with an extra day of screenings (though not an expanded slate, just more opportunity to see everything) as well as a new venue, “The Werner Herzog Theatre,” named after the famed director who has made the annual trip to Colorado for decades. Before long there will be plenty of buzzing about what films could pop up there — “Labor Day?” “Nebraska?” “Out of the Furnace?” — but for now, things are just gearing up, and it all started today with the release of this year’s poster art for the fest.

Designed by Oscar-winning production designer Dean Tavoularis (“The Godfather,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”), the imagery splendidly plays up the community film-going experience that Telluride is. It’s a nice return to roots for Tavoularis, who started out studying painting. He eventually made his way to the movie business, working on 1954’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and 1955’s “Lady and the Tramp.” His first gig heading up the art department on a film was Arthur Penn’s 1967 classic “Bonnie and Clyde.” As of late he has transitioned back to his work as a painter, coming full circle on the Telluride poster.

“When I was asked by [Telluride co-directors] Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger if I would design the poster for the 40th Telluride Film Festival, I was first flattered and then thoughtful of being part of the Telluride film history. In my own way I pondered Telluride”s past and in fact all film festivals. Like the word implies, a festival is a fair; people gathering to show their films. It just as well could be their tomatoes. It”s an exchange. I wanted a poster that was simple and joyful, that looked homemade with pure colors in shapes that symbolize a 1:85 screen and an audience. One cannot exist without the other. I am very happy to be a small part of Telluride”s history.”

Take a look at the poster below. The 40th annual Telluride Film Festival runs August 29 – September 2, and we’ll be there to bring you the latest as it happens.