Provincetown, MA: The Provincetown Film Society is pleased to present an exciting line-up of film screenings with special filmmaker appearances and events during women’s week October 6 – 15, 2017. Among the highlights of the ten-day showcase of films made for, about, and by women, is the 31st Anniversary re-release of Donna Deitch’s swooning and sensual groundbreaking film DESERT HEARTS. Deitch will also be honored at the 3rd Annual Women Filmmaker’s Residency brunch on Friday, October 13, 11 am – 1 pm at Harbor Lounge.
Provincetown Film Society CEO said, “It is a thrill to honor Donna Deitch, whose passionate and beautiful drama DESERT HEARTS is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential mainstream fiction films about lesbian relationships and who has since managed to carve out a remarkably sustained career in media.”
Other featured films in the series are Catherine Gund and Deresha Kyi’s 2017 PIFF audience-pleaser CHEVALA based on the life of Chevala Vargas, musical pioneer, hard-drinking rebel and queer icon who captured the heart of Frida Kahlo and the imagination of Pedro Almodovar; and a shorts program with Robin Kampf’s LOVE WINS that tells the story of two women, Jan (80) and Emily (85), who met and fell in love during a time when doing so was strictly taboo. During this time, they raised a family of 3 children, while living in suburban New Jersey, completely in the closet. They’d travel to Provincetown each year, where for one week would be able to live their true lives. Actor Blaire Baron will also be on hand to present her provocative short titled THE CANDIDATE. Based on popular demand, Andrea Myerson’s CLAMBAKE and Maggie Rizzi’s ANN MAGUIRE: AN AMERICAN HERO will also screen. Here is the full program:
31st ANNIVERSARY RE-RELEASE OF DESERT HEARTS directed by Donna Deitch
Screens Daily from Oct 6 – 15
Fri, Oct 6, 5:15 pm & 7:30 pm
Sat – Mon, Oct 7-9, 3 pm, 5:15 pm, 7:30 pm
Tue – Sun, Oct 10-15, 3 pm & 7:30 pm (Director in attendance for Q & A Thur, Fri, Sat)
Donna Deitch’s swooning and sensual first film, DESERT HEARTS, was groundbreaking upon its 1986 release: a love story about two women, produced and directed by a woman. In the 1959-set film, an adaptation of a beloved novel by Jane Rule, straitlaced East Coast professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno to file for divorce, but winds up catching the eye of someone new, the younger free spirit Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), touching off a slow seduction that unfolds against the breathtaking desert landscape. With smoldering chemistry between its two leads, an evocative jukebox soundtrack, and vivid cinematography by Robert Elswit, Desert Hearts beautifully exudes a sense of tender yearning and emotional candor.
The conversation will be moderated by award-winning journalist and The Provincetown Banner Editor Ann Wood.
CHAVELA directed by Catherine Gund and Deresha Kyi
Screens Daily from October 6 – October 15
Fri & Sat, Oct 6 & 7, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm & 6:30 pm
Sun – Tue, Oct 8 – 10, 2:30 & 4:30 pm
Mon & Tue, Oct 9 & 10, 2:30 pm & 4:30 pm
Tue, Oct 10, 6:30 pm
Wed, Oct 11, 4:30 & 6:30 pm
Thu, Oct 12, 2:30, 4:30 pm
Fri, Oct 13, 2:30 pm, 4:45 pm
Sat & Sun, Oct 14 & 15, 4:45 pm, 7:00 pm
Musical pioneer, hard-drinking rebel, and queer icon, Chavela Vargas captured the heart of Frida Kahlo and the imagination of Pedro Almodovar, who frequently used her vocals in his films. Her scandalous reputation saw her blacklisted from the largest performance venues in Mexico for much of her career until she rightfully, and triumphantly, took the world by storm in her 70s, enjoying sold out shows in Spain and France — and finally, her native Mexico. Featuring interviews with key figures in her life, including film auteur Almodovar.
CLAMBAKE directed by Andrea Meyerson
Mon, Oct 9, 6:30 pm (Director in attendance for Q & A)
Sat, Oct 14, 3 pm (Director in attendance for Q & A)
CLAMBAKE charts the growth of Women’s Week in Provincetown, from its inception to the thriving lesbian mecca it is today. Documenting its 30-year journey through archival footage, photos and interviews with celebrities and organizers, the film casts an historical and hysterical look at what a few innovative women can accomplish.
LESBIAN SHORTS PRESENTATION: LOVE WINS directed by Robin Kampf & THE CANDIDATE with Director and Actor Blaire Baron
Sun, Oct 8, 6:30 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Mon, Oct 9, 4:30 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Tue & Thu, Oct 10 & 12, 3 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Wed, Oct 11, 5 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Fri, Oct 13, 7:30 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Sat & Sun Oct 14 & 15, 3 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Love Wins is a half-hour documentary that tells the story of two women, Jan (80) and Emily (85), who met and fell in love during a time when doing so was strictly taboo. During this time, they raised a family of 3 children, while living in suburban New Jersey, completely in the closet. They’d travel to Provincetown each year, where for one week would be able to live their true lives. Their story has many layers to it, not the least of which is that Jan met Emily while Emily was working with Jan’s husband! Their compelling and at times, humorous story gives a fascinating look in to how gay couples lived double lives, fearing being “outted.” After 45 years of living that double life, Jan and Emily finally got married, once marriage equality passed as law in New Jersey and now both women are community activists and proud flag-waving members of the social movement that changed the course of history.
SHORT FILM PRESENTATION: ANN MAGUIRE: AN AMERICAN HERO
Wed, Oct 11, 2:30 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Thu, Oct 12, 7 pm (Filmmakers in attendance for Q & A)
Ann Maguire’s remarkable career is highlighted by pioneering roles in politics, public service, and activism over five decades. Among her achievements are co-founding the Greater Boston Lesbian-Gay Political Alliance, managing the campaign for the first openly gay elected state official in the country, serving as the Chief of Health and Human Services in Boston for Mayor Tony Menino, creating the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, and supporting countless causes for the homeless. The story of Ann Maguire shows how one person can make a significant and lasting difference.
SPECIAL EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION
Mon, Oct 9, @ 6 pm, Waters Edge Cinema, 237 Commercial Street, Tickets are $25.00.
Meet the filmmakers and preview the week’s upcoming events and screenings. Ticket includes screening of CLAMBAKE or DESERT HEARTS.
AUTHORS AND FILMMAKERS MEET AND GREET CO-SPONSORED BY THE GOLDEN CROWN LITERARY SOCIETY
Wed, Oct 11 @ 5:30 pm, Sage Inn and Lounge, Free with ticket stub from any Women’s Week screening.
Talk story, enjoy snacks and a cash bar, and socialize with writers of lesbian content. Afterwards, join us for what promises to be a fascinating conversation with burgeoning screenwriters.
PANEL DISCUSSION: ADAPTING LESBIANS: WRITING LESBIAN STORIES FOR THE SCREEN Co-sponsored by The Golden Crown Literary Society
Wed, Oct 11 @ 7:00 pm, Free with ticket stub from any Women’s Week screening
Moderated by Christine Walker, CEO of the Provincetown Film Society and Executive Director of PIFF with writers Lucy Madison, Caroline Hart, and Laurie Hart.
WOMEN FILMMAKERS RESIDENCY BENEFIT BRUNCH: IN CONVERSATION WITH DESERT HEARTS DIRECTOR DONNA DEITCH
Sponsored by Harbor Lounge & Angel Foods
Fri, Oct 13 @ 11 – 1 pm, Harbor Lounge, $35.00 for members, $50.00 General Admission
Click Here to Buy Tickets
Donna Deitch is a director and producer with more than 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Her landmark lesbian love story Desert Hearts (1986) was a hit at the Telluride, Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Desert Hearts made an impression on Oprah Winfrey, too, and she subsequently hired Deitch to direct her first TV movie, the Emmy-nominated ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place. Many other TV directing credits followed, including five network pilots and numerous cable and network films such as HBO’s Prison Stories: Women on the Inside; ABC’s sexual harassment-themed Sexual Advances; and Showtime’s gay/lesbian-themed Common Ground and Holocaust-themed The Devil’s Arithmetic, for which Deitch received an Outstanding Directing Emmy Award. She has also directed many hours of episodic television drama including numerous episodes of NYPD Blue, ER, Heroes, Law and Order: SVU, Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, Judging Amy and A Gifted Man, among others.
Visit our dropbox folder for photos and other press materials, https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lmudghmbjd8zair/AAARshEXE4gjXBOh8AOrr-wva?dl=0
All-Access Passes to all screenings and events can be purchased for $100. Tickets for the Women Filmmaker’s Residency Benefit Brunch are General Admission @ $50.00 and Members @ $35.00. Opening Night Reception and Film screening is $25.00. Tickets for individual screenings are: General Admission @ $12.00; Senior @ $10.00; and Members @ $8.00. Purchase passes and tickets online at www. Provincetownfilm.org or at our cinema box office @ 237 Commercial Street, located on the mezzanine between the 2nd and 3rd floor of Whalers Wharf.
ABOUT PFS
The Provincetown Film Society (PFS) is a nonprofit dedicated to continuing the founding mission of the Provincetown Art Colony–to provide a welcoming, nurturing, and inspiring environment for boundless and authentic creative exploration–in film. From it’s founding in 1998 the Society has been committed to serving its communities, which are often outside of the mainstream, in the margins, or otherwise underserved, but have a voice critical to the evolution of artistic expression. It has also been dedicated to the celebration of Provincetown, an American treasure nestled among spectacular National Seashore beaches, and a shining example of diversity and inclusion. Through the Provincetown International Film Festival, Waters Edge Cinema, and Gabrielle A. Hanna Provincetown Film Institute, the Society endeavors to give year-round support to independent filmmakers, and to connect them with curious and engaged audiences globally.
For more information, contact Christine Walker, [email protected], 612.867.6628
Visit our dropbox folder for photos and other press materials:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lmudghmbjd8zair/AAARshEXE4gjXBOh8AOrr-wva?dl=0