FESTIVAL FILMS
We are very pleased to present the films for the Provincetown Film Festival
Click to jump to a section:
SPOTLIGHT FILMS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS
-
Desperate Living
Following the unrepentant outrageousness of Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble, director John Waters brought his notorious trash trilogy to a fittingly twisted close with this antifascist fairy tale. After hysterical housewife Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) murders her husband with the help of her fed-up housekeeper (Jean Hill), the newfound sisters in crime escape to the bizarro shantytown of Mortville, a depraved penal colony presided over by a despotic queen (Edith Massey) whose tyranny pushes her subjects to shocking revolt. Deviant cops, death by dog food, DIY surgery Waters unleashes all this and more in an at once relentlessly warped and…
-
Erosions
Set in Provincetown, EROSIONS interweaves environmental dance, interviews, and archival materials to explore erosion as both a physical and cultural force. Developed through a residency of community workshops, local conversations, and field research in Provincetown, the film reflects on the ever-shifting landscape of the Cape as a visual metaphor for cultural pressures on queer memory, belonging, and social continuity. Moving between documentary portrait and dance film, EROSIONS considers the inevitability of change and asks how collective life can endure within it.
-
Family Movie (Closing Night Film)
A filmmaking family’s low-budget horror movie turns into a real-life slasher when an actual dead body lands on their film set. Chaos ensues on the family’s farm in Texas as the Smiths fight to keep their production on track when everything around them starts to go wrong. After all—the show must go on! Beloved actors/directors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick—working alongside their adult children Sosie Bacon and Travis Bacon—have created a wildly entertaining love letter to horror, to independent film, and, most of all, to family, while veteran actors John Carroll Lynch and Scoot McNairy infuse even more humor into the raucous…
-
Jaripeo (Spotlight Film)
A journey to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing, leading to a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind. Efrain Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s lyrical, inventive documentary captures a portrait of life as a young queer ranchero in Penjamillo. Jaripeos are frequently raucous, rural rodeos that often host hidden queer encounters. It’s an erotically-charged and deeply sensorial film, vividly exploring performative machismo through a uniquely specific queer lens, embracing its subjects’ bodies and spirit within its stylized dreamy depiction of their shared memories.“… shows us a shimmering, sensual subculture…
-
John Waters Presents: Sick of Myself
The second feature from Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, this wicked comedy is a deliciously dark portrait of a toxic relationship that landed on John Waters’ Top Ten List in 2022. In Artforum, he described SICK OF MYSELF this way: “ A pair of narcissistic lovers can’t stop competing for the public’s attention. He’s a sculptor who uses furniture he steals as material, and she takes recalled poison medication on purpose to make her skin break out in rashes and boils so she can become a model with disabilities. No, it’s not Female Trouble, but it’s just as nuts. Pretty? Pretty?…
-
Letty Lynton
Madeleine Smith’s murder trial for the poisoning of her lover inspired several books, two plays and three films. The first screen treatment, LETTY LYNTON, stars Joan Crawford as a woman who flees her possessive paramour in South America and falls for American tycoon (Robert Montgomery). It was a big hit, and the white organdy gown with ruffled sleeves Adrian designed for Crawford flew off the shelves at Macy’s. MGM based the film on a 1931 novel, but the writers of a play that focused on the same case claimed that the film had too many similarities to their work, made claims…
-
Leviticus (Spotlight Film)
Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most—each other.A haunting portrait of how religious fanaticism stands in the path of two boys’ acceptance of themselves and their growing connection morphs into a transcendently original coming-of-age horror story. In his feature debut, writer-director Adrian Chiarella incorporates sensuality and tenderness into the horrors his young protagonists face. As their undeniable attraction becomes the very heart of their torment, leads Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen deliver fantastically complex performances, encompassing each boy’s vulnerability and growing dread as well as the embodiment of the…
-
Stop! That! Train! (Opening Night Film)
STOP! THAT! TRAIN! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first-class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day in this wild ride of camp and comedy.Director Adam Shankman and Marcia Marcia Marcia are scheduled to attend Opening Night.Opening Night Film tickets include the Opening Night Party following…
-
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Spotlight Film)
After years of slapdash sequels, the Camp Miasma franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder) for resurrection. But when she visits the original’s star (Gillian Anderson), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) continues to be one of the most stylish and adventurous independent filmmakers working today with this dreamy, wonderfully weird ode to old-school slasher films, told with a distinctly queer sensibility, arriving in Provincetown fresh from its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Einbinder…
Back to Top
EVENTS
-
Conversation with Marco Calvani
A conversation with Marco Calvani following a screening of the final episode from Season 2 of THE FOUR SEASONS–the Netflix hit show featuring his breakout performance as Claude. The conversation will be moderated by Stephen Walker from OUT Magazine on Sunday, June 14 at 12:30pm at Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St. MARCO CALVANI is an Italian born award-winning writer, actor and filmmaker based in the U.S. Marco wrote, directed and produced his first feature film HIGH TIDE which was filmed in Provincetown and premiered at SXSW to wide critical acclaim. The film stars Brazilian star Marco Pigossi, Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei and…
-
Filmmaker on the Edge Conversation with Ryan Murphy
The Provincetown Film Festival’s signature award, FILMMAKER ON THE EDGE, is presented to an artist whose outstanding achievement, innovation, and vision continue to push the boundaries of the medium.Ryan Murphy has long held the position as the most prolific and most successful creator of his generation. Winner of multiple Emmy, DGA, PGA, Golden Globes, Writers Guild, GLAAD, HRC, People’s Choice, Peabody, and Tony Awards – Murphy was recently inducted into the TELEVISION ACADEMY HALL OF FAME. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Shows Murphy created as a writer, director and producer include POPULAR, NIP/TUCK, GLEE, AMERICAN HORROR…
-
Honoree Tribute with Adam Shankman
A conversation with Festival Honoree Adam Shankman moderated by writer David Rooney on Thursday, June 11 at 12:30pm at Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St. Adam Shankman is one of Hollywood’s most versatile directors, choreographers, andproducers, with a career spanning film, television, and stage. A multi-award-winning creative force, he has been recognized by the Emmys, DGA, and Critics’ Choice Awards. Shankman is the director of the PIFF 2026 opening night film STOP! THAT! TRAIN! starring RuPaul, Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Matt Rogers and Sarah Michelle Geller.Shankman has directed and produced a wide range of…
-
Next Wave Conversation with Jane Schoenbrun & Hannah Einbinder
A conversation with PIFF Next Wave Honorees Jane Schoenbrun and Hannah Einbinder moderated by producer Christine Vachon on Friday, June 12 at 12:30pm at Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St.Hannah Einbinder (she/her) has quickly established herself as a sought-after actress and comedian, best known for her role as Ava in the Emmy® Award-winning HBO Max comedy series Hacks, where she stars opposite Jean Smart. Her performance has earned critical acclaim, including an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and four Golden Globe® nominations for Best…
-
Opening Night Party
at Crown and Anchor, 247 Commercial St. Provincetown, MA 02657Kick off the festival with a special celebration. Rub elbows with filmmakers and celebrities at a fun filled evening featuring food and great music. Cash bar. All proceeds benefit the Provincetown Film Society.
-
Tony: Clips & Discussion of Upcoming Anthony Bourdain Biopic
On Friday, June 12 at 4pm at Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street, writer/director Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) joins actors Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) and Leo Woodall (Tuner) in conversation to introduce clips and host a discussion about the upcoming A24 film TONY, a nostalgic and electric depiction of a pivotal moment that changed the course of Anthony Bourdain’s life. Set during the summer of 1975, Sessa stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen. The conversation will feature an exclusive first look of select clips from TONY, set to…
Back to Top
NARRATIVES
-
Cotton Fever
A group of interconnected characters—a low level drug dealer, an expectant mother, an outreach worker, a young unhoused couple—struggle to outrun the cycles of addiction that bind them as they lean on one another to keep hope alive. Writer/director Daniel Blake Schwartz draws from his real-life experiences to immerse us in the uncertainty and frustration of addiction and recovery, and Kyle Gallner and Sosie Bacon deliver terrific performances as the expectant couple trying to claw their way to a more stable life. Set in Chelsea, Massachusetts, COTTON FEVER is a hard-hitting, deeply personal film with resonance for so many.Director Daniel…
-
Edie Arnold is a Loser
Timid dork Edie accidentally takes the spotlight when she starts a punk band with her fellow “turds,” becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her all-girls Catholic school while managing to piss off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you’ve ever seen. Directors Megan Rico and Kade Atwood have created a vivid, fresh and fun musical ode to weirdos and outsiders. Young lead Adi Madden Cabrera delivers a terrific performance in a wonderfully unique coming-of-age film that is as full of heart as it is of laughs.“A sensational, hilarious buddy comedy that will…
-
Family Movie (Closing Night Film)
A filmmaking family’s low-budget horror movie turns into a real-life slasher when an actual dead body lands on their film set. Chaos ensues on the family’s farm in Texas as the Smiths fight to keep their production on track when everything around them starts to go wrong. After all—the show must go on! Beloved actors/directors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick—working alongside their adult children Sosie Bacon and Travis Bacon—have created a wildly entertaining love letter to horror, to independent film, and, most of all, to family, while veteran actors John Carroll Lynch and Scoot McNairy infuse even more humor into the raucous…
-
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Midwestern bride-to-be Gail Daughtry has a “free celebrity pass” agreement with her fiancé—who suddenly uses it. With her relationship in crisis, Gail sets out on an epic journey through Hollywood to even the score.Writer/director David Wain’s (Wet Hot American Summer) newest star-studded screwball comedy is a beginning-to-end delight. Gail and her growing group of new friends’ absurd and adventurous caper through Hollywood is a wonderfully unique, occasionally bawdy, comic ride, with a treasure trove of terrific cameos along the way. Zoey Deutch delights as the sunny and sweet fish-out-of-water Gail, who is willing to go to any length to save…
-
I Want Your Sex
When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth, as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Indie film fixture and 2006 Provincetown Filmmaker on the Edge Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation, Mysterious Skin) returns to the festival with his mischievous, funny defense of sex positivity in an increasingly prudish world. Cooper Hoffman delivers a star-making turn as the smitten Elliot, matched perfectly by…
-
In a Whisper
Back in Tunisia for her uncle’s funeral, Lilia (Eya Bouteraa) reunites with a family that knows nothing about her life in Paris, especially her love life. She’s brought along her girlfriend Alice (Marion Barbaeau), but drops her off at a hotel to avoid family scrutiny. Determined to unravel the mystery surrounding the sudden death of her uncle, Lilia finds herself confronted with family secrets in a house where three generations of women move between silences and longstanding traditions. Lilia’s mother (Succession’s Hiam Abbas) refuses to accept her daughter’s sexual orientation, keeping her distance while Lilia investigates her uncle’s hidden past.…
-
Julian
After an unexpected encounter, Fleur and Julian fall madly in love. Soon after Julian proposes, an ambitious yet challenging idea starts to dawn on Fleur. Slowly but surely, she works out a plan to get married in every country where she and her wife are legally allowed to do so. Fueled by their love and a rising sense of urgency, they take a leap of faith. After only four weddings, their journey comes to an inevitable, painful halt. Based on a true story, first-time director Cato Kusters has crafted an intimate and powerful drama about love and activism. In English, French…
-
Lady Champagne
LADY CHAMPAGNE is a bold, irreverent comedy that follows the outrageous life of Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White, a notorious San Francisco erotic dancer. When she is framed for her husband’s murder, Champagne is thrust into a chaotic adventure filled with corrupt businesswomen, bumbling detectives and brutal prison guards. Directed by D’Arcy Drollinger, the film embraces camp, absurdity and unapologetic humor, drawing comparisons to classic spoof comedies. Packed with eccentric characters and high-energy antics, it delivers a playful, subversive take on crime and identity within a vibrant queer world.Director D’Arcy Drollinger is scheduled to attend.
-
Late Fame
Ed Saxberger (Willem Dafoe), a long-forgotten New York poet, leads a quiet life working at the post office until an eager, flattering young admirer (Edmund Donovan) appears on his doorstep. Suddenly beckoned into a circle of twentysomething devotees who anoint him as a rediscovered genius, Saxberger finds himself intoxicated by the attention—and by the alluring presence of Gloria (Greta Lee), the group’s “tragic heroine.” As he navigates this newfound fame, he must gradually reckon with the authenticity of his poetic circle and the reality of his own legacy. LATE FAME is a witty and contemplative look at a lost idea…
-
Leviticus (Spotlight Film)
Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most—each other.A haunting portrait of how religious fanaticism stands in the path of two boys’ acceptance of themselves and their growing connection morphs into a transcendently original coming-of-age horror story. In his feature debut, writer-director Adrian Chiarella incorporates sensuality and tenderness into the horrors his young protagonists face. As their undeniable attraction becomes the very heart of their torment, leads Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen deliver fantastically complex performances, encompassing each boy’s vulnerability and growing dread as well as the embodiment of the…
-
Maddie’s Secret
MADDIE’S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, in which he stars as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life looks picturesque—complete with an adoring husband (Eric Rahill), ride-or-die best friend (Kate Berlant), and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot—mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from Maddie’s troubled past. A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts and intimate performances, the film marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.“… like a Lifetime movie made…
-
On the Sea
Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life. He works as a hand raker on the mussel beds in North Wales with his younger brother, Dyfan, and Dyfan’s three sons. Jack has always assumed that his own boy, Tom, will join the family business on leaving school, but Tom’s resistance to follow in his footsteps causes familial tension. Tensions are further inflamed by the arrival of an itinerant deckhand, Daniel, who makes known his feelings for Jack. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around church and fishery, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma. ON…
-
Power Ballad
When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves—even if it means risking everything he cares about. In the lead roles, Rudd and Jonas display a winning odd-couple bromance chemistry, while writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once) creates yet another feel-good funny film that immerses us in a musical world while also delivering an authentic examination…
-
Romería
When Marina, 18, orphaned at a young age, must travel to Spain’s Atlantic coast to obtain a signature for a scholarship application from the paternal grandparents she has never met, she navigates a sea of new aunts, uncles, and cousins, uncertain whether she will be embraced or met with resistance. Stirring long-buried emotions, reviving tenderness, and uncovering unspoken wounds tied to the past, Marina pieces together the fragmented and often contradictory memories of the parents she barely remembers. In Spanish, Catalan, and French with English subtitles “… an elegant, visually poetic film…” — The Hollywood Reporter
-
See You When I See You
Indie stalwart Jay Duplass, at the festival last year with The Baltimorons, returns with this touching and timely dramedy of grief and trauma, in which a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister. Writer Adam Cayton-Holland translates his own deeply personal memoir Tragedy Plus Time: A Tragi-Comic Memoir for the screen in this terrifically empathetic family drama. Lead Cooper Raiff is surrounded by a terrific all-star supporting cast—David Duchovny, Hope Davis, Kaitlyn Dever, and Lucy Boynton—playing a close-knit family of characters who are each struggling in their own way.
-
She Keeps Me Young
Michelle (Blair Beeken), adrift in the aftermath of a tragic accident, floats through her days in the company of her overbearing best friend, Kelly (Katy Fullan), until one evening, Michelle and Kelly meet Bridget, a vibrant, artistic high-schooler. When Bridget innocently asks Michelle to model for a school photography project, an unexpected friendship forms—one that begins to challenge Kelly’s hold on Michelle in ways both uncomfortable and absurdly comedic. First-time director Doron Max Hagay co-wrote the film with his two lead actors, and their long-standing creative collaboration is infused throughout the story. At turns humorous, awkward, and peppered with melancholy…
-
Sparks
Urban legend has it that a Nevada reservoir is a time portal—the tease of which is enough to keep life exciting for the Crop, an aimless but spirited group of teen best friends, until Cleo (Elsie Fisher) moves to town hell-bent on reaching 1960s Paris and becoming Jean-Luc Godard’s muse. Cleo convinces the Crop they need to try way harder to get the portal to open, and when it apparently does, the Crop grapples with where they belong and what they mean to each other.“An affecting debut about friendship, time travel, and queer identity.” — The New York TimesDirector Fergus…
-
Stop! That! Train! (Opening Night Film)
STOP! THAT! TRAIN! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first-class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day in this wild ride of camp and comedy.Director Adam Shankman and Marcia Marcia Marcia are scheduled to attend Opening Night.Opening Night Film tickets include the Opening Night Party following…
-
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Spotlight Film)
After years of slapdash sequels, the Camp Miasma franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder) for resurrection. But when she visits the original’s star (Gillian Anderson), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) continues to be one of the most stylish and adventurous independent filmmakers working today with this dreamy, wonderfully weird ode to old-school slasher films, told with a distinctly queer sensibility, arriving in Provincetown fresh from its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Einbinder…
-
Test
Eddie Owens, a small-town bodybuilder chasing a pro card, lives under the intense devotion of his religious mother Joanne, who manages his career through faith; unbeknownst to her, he quietly funds his training through late-night online sex work he keeps hidden. Struggling to win on the competitive circuit, Eddie turns to a new coach, Mike, and develops a secret romantic attachment. As these hidden worlds begin to collide, the pressure mounts. Torn between ambition, belief, and identity, Eddie searches for a path forward–one that allows him to live authentically while holding on to the relationships that matter most to him.Director…
-
The Musical
When a frustrated playwright and middle school theater teacher finds out his ex-girlfriend has started dating his nemesis—the school’s principal—he decides to ruin the principal’s chances of winning the Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence.In her constantly surprising feature debut, director Giselle Bonilla delivers a darkly funny, delightfully-twisted ode to the inspirational power of spite. Alexander Heller’s screenplay offers a witty takedown of public school performance culture and riffs on the politics of the theater world.Tony-winner Will Brill captivatingly embodies Doug’s stewing toxic resentment as he transforms from an uncharismatic sad sack into a hilariously dastardly antihero, supported by veteran actors…
-
Trial of Hein
After 14 years on the mainland, Hein returns to his remote North Sea island village, drawn not only by memory but by a past connection he never resolved. To his shock, no one recognizes him, not even his childhood friend Friedemann, with whom he once shared an intimacy neither ever named. Now distant, Friedemann avoids him. The villagers convene a court to decide if Hein is who he claims. As testimony unfolds, contradictions mount, with Hein’s memories clashing with those of witnesses, and suspicion soon turning to hostility. Near ruin, Hein searches for proof of his past, only to confront…
Back to Top
DOCUMENTARIES
-
Adam’s Apple
ADAM’S APPLE is an intimate, collaborative documentary told through the dual perspectives of Adam, a transgender teen, and his mother, visual artist Amy Jenkins, in New Hampshire. Offering an authentic and tender counterpoint to the hostility facing trans youth today, Adam’s journey balances the milestones of gender transition with the rhythms of adolescence. As Adam asserts his identity and steps out into the world, his parents grapple with the challenges of raising a teen while also learning to let go. Through a visually poetic approach, the film transforms a deeply personal archive—collected over two decades—into a powerful, joyful testament to…
-
Anne Packard: An Artist’s Resolve
At 92, Provincetown artist Anne Packard prepares for a final visit to the gallery that cemented her legacy. Her journey began in hardship when, at 41, she was left to support five children alone after her husband left them. Facing a 1960s art world that dismissed her talent, Anne defiantly sold small paintings from her front fence for a few dollars. Her persistence ignited a phenomenon, drawing collectors and galleries alike. Together with her daughters, she established her own gallery, where her works commanded thousands. Though she now bids farewell to that physical space, Anne’s resolute spirit and creative drive…
-
Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story
BANG MY BOX: THE ROBIN BYRD STORY traces the rise of a boundary-pushing, sex-positive, NYC cable-access pioneer who became an accidental AIDS-era activist and First Amendment fighter. Now at 70, with 600 shows behind her, she considers her place in history.Robin Byrd never set out to be an activist. She followed her instincts toward pleasure, freedom, and inclusion. And in doing so, she became a lifeline for the gay community and for countless outsiders searching for joy without judgment. Through grit and consistency, Robin built something enduring. And now, in a profound turn, she is caring for the partner who…
-
Barbara Forever
This archive-driven exploration of the life, work, and legacy of pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer turns the lens on its genius subject with a sensitivity and spirit that recalls Hammer’s iconic artistic work. In her 2026 Berlinale Teddy Award-winning debut feature, Brydie O’Connor skillfully deploys a treasure trove of archival footage, immersing us in Barbara’s story, the footage frequently guided by Hammer’s own voice. BARBARA FOREVER is a celebration of a groundbreaking artist who chose to create work that embraced her life, body, and lesbian identity, told not only with tremendous affection but also a candor and curiosity of which…
-
Cookie Queens
It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls each strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which childhood and ambition collide. Alysa Nahmias’ sparkling, family-friendly documentary fully captures the big personalities of its ambitious, funny and charming young subjects. It’s an absolute joy to be around these young girls as they embark on their cookie-selling journeys, finding their own voices and making decisions about their paths to success and happiness along the way. Nahmias’ gentle, playful filmmaking style allows the audience a front-row seat to the girls’ journeys. Executive produced by Prince Harry…
-
Give Me the Ball!
Billie Jean King is a global icon whose impact on equality resonates far beyond tennis, yet the personal turmoil behind her rise has often remained hidden. GIVE ME THE BALL! reminds us of the immense sacrifices King made while fighting high-profile battles for both professionalization of her sport and equal treatment for women. From struggling with an unhappy marriage and hiding her sexual orientation to facing eating disorders and relentless misogyny, her journey was long and often lonely. This film explores her saga beyond the “Battle of the Sexes,” showcasing King as the persistent fighter she had to be. Through…
-
Hunky Jesus
HUNKY JESUS explores and celebrates the legacy of the San Francisco chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a global, secular order of queer and trans “nuns” who combat guilt, shame, and exclusion through joy, humor, activism, and irreverence, serving their communities while challenging bigotry and redefining spirituality.The film culminates with their irreverent Easter Sunday pageant called Hunky Jesus, which transforms a San Francisco park into sacred ground for seekers of all kinds: a pilgrimage of outsiders, misfits, and the spiritually curious who gather in search of belonging, inclusion, and divine fabulousness.
-
Jaripeo (Spotlight Film)
A journey to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing, leading to a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind. Efrain Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s lyrical, inventive documentary captures a portrait of life as a young queer ranchero in Penjamillo. Jaripeos are frequently raucous, rural rodeos that often host hidden queer encounters. It’s an erotically-charged and deeply sensorial film, vividly exploring performative machismo through a uniquely specific queer lens, embracing its subjects’ bodies and spirit within its stylized dreamy depiction of their shared memories.“… shows us a shimmering, sensual subculture…
-
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Mary Oliver: best-selling poet and Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, queer and out, but intensely private. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites. America’s unlikely, contemporary mystic stalked the ponds and forests of Provincetown for nearly fifty years with her partner Molly Malone Cook in order to open herself—and us, her readers—to the known and unknowable world. Featuring John Waters, Maria Shriver, Jason Reynolds, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Jesse Welles, and Oprah Winfrey.Director Sasha Waters is scheduled to attend on Thursday, June 11.
-
Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders
MINESHAFT: THE CRUISING MURDERS peels back the layers of controversy surrounding the making of the 1980 thriller Cruising. Directed by William Friedkin, Cruising triggered fierce protests from the LGBTQ+ community for its portrayal of a serial killer targeting gay men in New York’s leather bars. Friedkin drew inspiration from the brutal murder of Variety reporter Addison Verrill, blurring the boundaries between cinematic fiction and real-life tragedy.Emmy®-winning director Jeffrey Schwarz (Vito, I Am Divine, Tab Hunter Confidential) brings his signature storytelling flair to this gripping chapter of queer history where true crime, moviemaking, and LGBTQ+ resistance collide.
-
Seized
SEIZED is a gripping, stranger-than-fiction investigative thriller that plunges audiences inside the troubling police raid on the Marion County Record. What begins as a shocking small-town incident quickly spirals into a national story, exposing how corruption, politics, and decades-long tensions turned a quaint Kansas community into a battleground over the First and Fourth Amendments. The film unfolds in real time through police body-cam and surveillance footage, revealing the raid’s chaos, the bombshells that followed, and the devastating personal toll on the newsroom, including the tragic death of its 98-year-old co-owner. Blending the juicy intrigue of a classic muckraking narrative with…
-
Soul Patrol
From deep behind enemy lines, a hidden chapter of American military history is uncovered, prompting the question of whether reckoning with the past can bring peace to those who lived it. The Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team reunites for one last time to tell their incredible story. As SOUL PATROL delves into the identity crises and racial tension these young soldiers faced in Vietnam, director J.M. Harper combines striking footage filmed by the soldiers themselves along with excellent recreations and astonishing first-person accounts of survival, harrowing escapes, and the shared experiences that have kept this troop bonded for…
-
Summer Tour
This charming, intimate documentary follows a group of young Deadheads who are driving across the country to catch every show of Dead & Company’s 2023 goodbye tour. Directed by Provincetown native and self-proclaimed Deadhead Mischa Richter, SUMMER TOUR offers a surprisingly complex and nuanced portrait of this music-loving nomadic commune, defying stereotypes and offering real insight into the appeal of their way of life. Shot in 16mm and echoing the Dead’s surprising, unconventional sense of form in the edit, the filmmaker’s affection for and understanding of this ragtag group of devotees is present in every frame. Produced by Chloë Sevigny.Director…
-
The Big Cheese
American-crafted cheese and the mongers who serve it to us deserve our deepest respect. The world just doesn’t realize it yet. In Europe, cheesemongering is a vaunted, prestigious career—but in America, cheesemongering usually means working for minimum wage behind a grocery store counter. Adam “Mr. Moo” Moskowitz wants to change things by coaching an underdog American team to victory at the Mondial du Fromage—the Olympics of cheese—in France. THE BIG CHEESE follows the competitors as they prepare for the annual showdown with blind tastings, over-the-top cheese plates, and other challenges. Our ragtag, tattooed Team USA has never won against the European…
-
The Brittney Griner Story
Basketball star Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle offer intimate access to their lives as they recount the story of the circumstances that led to Griner playing basketball outside the U.S.—despite being one of the best players in the sport—including her harrowing detainment and Cherelle’s unwavering determination to secure her wife’s freedom. Brittney Griner’s 10-month Russian imprisonment spurred a politicized media frenzy. Now, filmmaker Alexandria Stapleton allows a resilient, open Griner to reclaim her entire life story, sharing her experiences on her own terms. The film provides an unprecedented look into her historic career while also exploring issues of both gender…
-
The Hand That Holds the Line
Fishermen live a life that’s deeply connected to nature, shaped by the rhythm of the tides, the temperament of the sea, and the unpredictability of the catch. Their work is both physically demanding and emotionally rewarding, driven more by passion than profit. THE HAND THAT HOLDS THE LINE shines a light on the unique experiences of Cape Cod commercial fishermen—including those based in Provincetown—who have devoted their lives to one of the most challenging and dangerous professions in the world. Cape Cod-based director Geoff Bassett spent over one hundred hours with these local fishermen, capturing their stories and depicting their…
-
The Last Critic
THE LAST CRITIC explores the life and legacy of Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed “Dean of American Rock Critics.” Christgau helped invent modern music criticism in 1967 while covering the Monterey Pop Festival for Esquire, then redefined the form with his iconic Consumer Guide at The Village Voice. Over five decades, he produced 18,000 letter-graded capsule reviews—a prolific output that continues today on Substack. Beyond his sharp-witted writing, Christgau was a transformative writer and editor who championed not just the punk of CBGB, but the funk of George Clinton and the soul of Al Green. Now in his eighties, Bob remains…
-
Time and Water
Renowned Icelandic poet and author Andri Snær Magnason is chasing something elusive. As the glacial ice of his homeland melts, he constructs a cinematic time capsule to hold onto this moment and send it to the future, before everything he loves slips away. Using his own collected archives, his grandparents’ photographs and homemade films, as well as traditional songs and folktales, Andri interlaces his family’s story with that of the land around him. From Academy Award®-nominated director Sara Dosa (Fire of Love), TIME AND WATER is a universal reflection on the power of home and what it means to be…
-
Uncle Roy
Built from nine decades of personal and professional archives, UNCLE ROY traces the remarkable life of globe-trotting skater-turned-photographer Roy Blakey through the eyes of his niece, filmmaker Keri Pickett. Growing up, Keri barely knew her enigmatic uncle until she followed him to New York to pursue photography—where an unexpected friendship took shape. As their lives intertwine, she discovers his groundbreaking 1972 book He, long hidden from her, and his legacy as a pioneer of gay photography. When Roy’s health declines, Keri is faced with an urgent, intimate challenge: to care for him while preserving the story he kept so carefully…
-
When A Witness Recants
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case decades later, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted, ultimately spending 36 years in prison. Acclaimed documentarian Dawn Porter (Luther: Never Too Much) investigates the confluence of media frenzy and corruption that allowed this miscarriage of justice, facilitated by the coercion of black children to testify against their peers. The riveting film goes on to explore the impact on not only these innocent incarcerated men but also their accusers and the community at large, culminatingâfollowing their…
Back to Top
SHORTS
-
100-Years of Schooner Hindu
For more than 100 years, the sailing schooner Hindu has been shaped by wind, water and mariners devoted to her.
-
2 Girls Kissing
Naomi, a struggling director, tries to hold onto her nerves when her lead actress, who happens to be her girlfriend, won’t show up to set or pick up her phone. Hubris ensues.
-
Albatross
Maria, burdened with caregiving for her sick husband, gets invited to a party.
-
Apart
Amid the harsh realities of South African apartheid, two boys—Themba and Joel—form a dangerous friendship.
-
ATTAGIRL!
When a scumbag debtor tries to duck a $22K debt, Siren tears through Manhattan and Brooklyn to collect what’s hers, no matter who gets in the way.
-
Away
A young man books a solitary weekend retreat in coastal New England to embrace the memories of his late father.
-
Bobby Wetherbee, 60 years performing in Provincetown
A very short film about Bobby Wetherbee’s performing career in Provincetown.
-
Bubbe & Tal
Tal gets roped into driving Bubbe, their Jewish grandmother, to Cape Cod during the off season.
-
Buckskin
An experimental portrait of the filmmaker’s grandfather Carroll B. Williams, a groundbreaking African-American and Indigenous forester, as he reflects on his work and legacy in the twilight of his life.
-
Callback
Max arrives home to find that his boyfriend has booked a callback. All hell breaks loose.
-
Charlie is Not a Boy
This is the tale of Charlie, who seeks solace in the whimsical world of his eccentric grandmother. As his safe haven unravels, Charlie must navigate the hostile world caught between his authentic self and the mask he must wear.
-
Chi Mangia Solo
On the night before selling their childhood home, an estranged brother and sister reconnect while cooking their late mother’s favorite recipe; they find their grief simmering beneath the surface.
-
Cockroach
A Black transgender man plans to exchange sex with an older gay man for top surgery money, until his night hook-up turns into a hunt for a cockroach that inspires him to open his heart and conquer his fears.
-
Couples Skate
A night at the roller rink reveals the cracks in a relationship.
-
Creature of the Deep
While visiting home, a queer college freshman is brought by her parents to meet a reclusive elderly uncle who controls the family’s estate.
-
Free Joan Little
FREE JOAN LITTLE explores the groundbreaking 1975 case of Joan Little, the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault.
-
Hail Maya
On her last night in the dorms, a faithful Catholic undergraduate trades salvation for sin, diving headfirst into a tangle of lust, love and betrayal that confession can’t absolve.
-
I & Me
In order to “heal,” Sam must embrace her inner Me and kill her I.Content warning: This film contains references to themes of sexual abuse, childhood trauma and homophobia/conversion therapy.
-
I’m Gonna Kill You
Cal and Spector have been paired to carry on humanity as we know it… even if it kills them.
-
Kiloran Bay
Set in the Scottish Hebrides and shaped around the tradition of a wedding cèilidh, this film featuring Alan Cumming, explores shame, repression and joy held inside for too long.
-
Linda Gerard: Look At Me
Linda Gerard was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for Funny Girl in the 60s, a nightclub singer, and the owner of the last lesbian bar in Provincetown, The Pied Piper.
-
Marble & Lemons
During a vacation on the Italian coast, a classy woman and her free-spirited adult daughter are struggling to connect, in this ode to body changes, femininity, and sorority.
-
Milk of Life
A true story based on the 19th-century New York Swill Milk tragedy, in which contaminated milk led to the deaths of thousands of working-class infants while systems of powers remained intact.
-
Munchies
A fast-paced crime comedy that follows an estranged high school clique as they reunite for a summer girls night before finding themselves in the middle of a robbery.
-
Old Dykes
On the day Mel visits Laurie in hospice care to say goodbye, Laurie finally asks Mel to be with her but is it too late?
-
On The Tide
ON THE TIDE gives an insider perspective on the cultural, community, and environmental importance of shellfishing in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, a practice that sustains both the land and the people beyond its significant contribution to the local economy.
-
Pacific Lady
In 1965, fewer than eight months after first stepping on a boat, Sharon Sites Adams set sail for Hawaii on a twenty-foot Danish folk boat.
-
Queer Shorts Program 1: Face in the Mirror
Six short films that embrace dark humor, danger and legacy while capturing laughter when everything is on the line.
-
Queer Shorts Program 2: The Language of Life
Stories about tenderness, recognition, and risk while embracing the messiness of connection.
-
Respirateur
Since 1958, Calvin Tompkins has devoted himself to profiling visual artists and creative virtuosos for The New Yorker.
-
Room of the Absolute
Amid three years of relentless destruction to her homeland, Ukrainian painter Alla Hurenko (professionally known as Pazza Pennello) offers a diaristic perspective on daily life under war.
-
Ruffled Feathers
A girl’s parents are throwing a house party. The evening suddenly takes flight after her younger brother secretly tries their parent’s drink.
-
Sam Wants Her Sweater Back
Three queer friends launch a half-witted heist to steal back a sweater from one of their exes, but recovering from heartbreak isn’t quite the slick lit neon-noir adventure one of them imagines.
-
Sex in Drag
An intimate unfiltered portrait of Shery Vine—a performer who’s spent her life straddling gender, sexuality, and the unforgiving streets of New York City.
-
Shorts Program 3: New England Voices
New England- centered stories around grief, return, memory and devotion.
-
Shorts Program 4: Chasing Shadows
Stories of honor, courage and transformation reveal growth as a negotiation.
-
Shorts Program 5: The Standstill World
These films explore the cost of survival in hostile worlds and the possibility of healing amid power, memory, and loss.
-
Shorts Program 6: Meeting the Moment
Portraits of resilience focusing on the power of bearing witness and not looking away.
-
Shorts Program 7: Cape Cod Stories
Five short films highlighting the various voices found in the Cape Cod area.
-
Some Kind Of Refuge
An intimate glimpse into a life where survival depends on resourcefulness and a deep respect for nature.
-
Squall Mouth
15-year-old Olivia seeks to prove herself within the world of Southern hunting dog breeders while navigating the boundary between adolescence and adulthood.
-
Stinging Nettles
In the midst of a city woodland, 16-year-old Iris explores her attraction to an older man, but it quickly turns dangerous.
-
The Artist Must Grow Ever More Selfish
From the 1950s Paris diary of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and gay icon Ned Rorem, during which time he devoured Paris and Paris consumed him.
-
The Last Wish
Because 70-year-old Rosabella is determined to live the rest of her life without regrets, she faces her greatest fear: water.
-
The Windkeeper
A young woman wakes up to find an auspicious wind has brought another version of herself.
-
Women Laughing
Longtime New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly sets out to explore her lifelong passion for women’s humor and cartooning by speaking, laughing, and drawing with a diverse group of remarkable women who create cartoons for the iconic magazine.
Back to Top
FILMMAKER EVENTS
-
Filmmaker Open House
Join us for a special Filmmaker Open House and step back in time while imagining the future at artist and filmmaker Jay Critchley’s unique backyard destination. This event celebrates an ongoing year-round Provincetown Film Society program taking place monthly both virtually and in person at Waters Edge Cinema.6 Carnes Lane, Provincetown
-
Free Filmmaker Event–Out in Hollywood: LGBTQ+ Directors on Power, Visibility, and the Stories That Get Told
Who gets trusted with a vision, and what happens once they are in the room? In this candid conversation, LGBTQ+ directors share what they have learned building careers in Hollywood, moving between queer and non-queer stories, leading creative teams, finding the right collaborators, and shaping the future of who gets to stand behind the camera.Panelists include: C. Fitz (JEWEL’S CATCH ONE)Francesca Gregorini (TANNER HALL)John Krokidas (KILL YOUR DARLINGS, STAR)Jason Moore (PITCH PERFECT, SHOTGUN WEDDING)Moderator: Rajendra Roy, Chief Curator of Film at MoMASponsored by DGALocation: Gifford House, 9 Carver StreetThis is a free event. No ticket necessary. All are welcome.
-
Free Filmmaker Event–Sport as Story: The New Brand Narrative
Panelists include:Rell Harwood, OlympianLina Plath, Producer & Co-Founder of Frank PublicityKevin Ulrich, writer/director of SKI DOGSModerated by Mike Syers, filmmaker & Co-Founder of Outer Cape Filmmakers GroupSKI DOGS is an offbeat short comedy about what it takes to be great, featuring an unconventional speaker, 30 unruly kids, and a few US Olympians. Written and directed by Kevin Ulrich and starring Tim Dillon. SKI DOGS will be screened and then followed by a deep dive into how sports storytelling and branded content are converging, with a closer look at recent collaborations between major brands and athletes that are shaping a new kind…