Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a retired school teacher yearning for some adventure, and some sex. Good sex. And she has a plan, which involves hiring a young sex worker named Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack). Having never had an orgasm, despite a long marriage, Nancy decides to take charge to rectify her situation. Leo arrives at her plus London hotel ready to assist and their… “GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE”
A movie fan in a remote farmland strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond in legendary director Zhang Yimou’s (Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers) latest film, an intimate and darkly funny fable about their shared search for a very important strip of film. ONE SECOND embeds an unmistakably barbed rumination on Chinese history and culture within a poignant ode to… “ONE SECOND”
Taking as its starting point the pioneering trans woman immortalized via a 1960’s UCLA gender health study, FRAMING AGNES broadens focus to reenvision the trans experience throughout culture and history, upending long-held conventions in this unmistakably bold and original reframing of the conversation. Taking the form of a meta-retro chat show, director Joynt and an impressive cast blend fiction and documentary as they embody the… “FRAMING AGNES”
Did you know there are over 30,000 conservative, Christian mothers in America who accept their LGBTQ+ children and identify as “mama bears”? Although they may have grown up as evangelical Christians, mama bears are willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their children safe — even if it rips their worlds apart. MAMA BEARS (directed by PIFF alum Dareshi Kyi, Chavela)… “MAMA BEARS”
Faye (Dale Dickey) is a lone traveler biding her time fishing, birding, and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito (Wes Studi), a figure from her past who is navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West. Channeling the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves and others — on the road, in the… “A LOVE SONG”
Intrepid volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft dedicated their lives to their work, hoping to truly understand the majestic and destructive natural phenomena. Along the way, they captured hundreds of hours of video and photographic evidence of volcanic eruptions around the world. Sara Dosa weaves the Kraffts’ awe-inspiring footage into her layered, creative ode to not only the subject of their studies but also the texture… “FIRE OF LOVE”
Author Priya Sura found breakout success with her memoir about her abusive father and has since made a career of exploring her own trauma through a feminist lens. Lately, she has been finding it harder and harder to have an emotional connection in her writing. Now she’s mining someone else’s trauma by interviewing Nic, her nephew by marriage, about his history of exploitation as a… “I’LL SHOW YOU MINE”
A mysterious frequency seeps its way into the airwaves. Felt around the globe, its terrifying effects transform the fabric of reality. SHORTS 6: DREAMSCAPES:Thursday, June 16th @ 11:30 a.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
In 1981, a vibrant mother made an audio recording of her thoughts as her life was slipping away. Her daughter couldn’t bring herself to listen, until now. SHORTS 6: DREAMSCAPES:Thursday, June 16th @ 11:30 a.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
An amplified sense of place that nonetheless leaves one feeling unmoored, the destabilization of loss layered with a new, raw potential…these relatable states of being are invoked through image and voice in Cam Archer’s new film. SHORTS 6: DREAMSCAPES:Thursday, June 16th @ 11:30 a.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
A window into how 2020 radically transformed the way Colombian immigrants in Minnesota celebrate culture, aid community, and attempt to thrive in the current overlapping crises. SHORTS 6: DREAMSCAPES:Thursday, June 16th @ 11:30 a.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Marcel, a shell, ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother, Connie, and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. When a documentary filmmaker discovers them, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, unprecedented dangers, and a new hope of finding his long-lost family… “MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON”
After returning to his rural hometown of Bad Axe, MI at the start of the pandemic, an Asian-American filmmaker documents his family’s struggles to keep their restaurant open. When the BLM movement takes center stage, the family uses their voice to speak out in a town where Trumpism runs deep. What unfolds is an intimate, real-time portrait of 2020 through the lens of the family’s… “BAD AXE”
A pair of expectant parents in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, disputed territory in 2014, the early days of the Donbas war. Their nervous anticipation of their first child’s birth is violently disrupted as the crash of flight MH17 ignites the tension enveloping their village. Writer-director Maryna Er Gorbach creates a meaningful, empathetic ode to resilience as KLONDIKE viscerally delineates… “KLONDIKE”
A middle-aged man with Down Syndrome faces an uncertain future when his mother is no longer able to help him. installation. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Granular skirmish: In the Flesh, Western Sunset, Sea Green, Bubble Yum!, Blue. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A meta-comedy about the line between the stories we tell ourselves and the stories that get told about us. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A drifter begins having haunting visions after taking a job on a secluded farm. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A portrait of Provincetown legend and owner of the A-House—Reggie Cabral. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Ruby imagines a revenge fantasy to help cope with her sexual assault as a teen. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
An intimate love triangle is at the center of veteran director Claire Denis’ bold new work. Sara (Juliette Binoche) and her husband Jean (Vincent Lindon) return home from vacation to a wintry Paris, where Sara works as a radio host. Jean, a former professional rugby player with a prison record, is an absent father to his teen son Marcus. When Sara glimpses her estranged ex-boyfriend… “BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE”
Performance artist, Xray Aims, transforms a Covid-abandoned basketball court into an expansive outdoor installation. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A dark-as-midnight comedy about an 8-year-old boy who plots a heist to sneak into his first R-Rated movie. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Steven climbs to a building’s rooftop to end it all only to find someone already there. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
MY NAME IS ANDREA is about one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Andrea Dworkin offered a revolutionary analysis of male supremacy with a singular urgency and iconoclastic flair. Decades before #MeToo, Dworkin called out the pervasiveness of sexism and rape culture, and the ways it impacts every woman’s daily life. Striking performances by Ashley Judd, Soko, Amandla Stenberg, Andrea Riseborough, and… “MY NAME IS ANDREA”
Bowen Yang wrote for Saturday Night Live for one season before bursting onto the scene with breakout performances as a cast member, including instantly viral skits like “The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic” and ”Trade Daddy.” In what seemed like a blink of the eye, Yang landed an Emmy nomination and a spot on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people list. Yang can be seen… “Next Wave Award: BOWEN YANG”
Hailing from Milton, MA, critically-acclaimed actress, comedian, and New York Times bestselling author Jenny Slate is one of the most versatile creators in Hollywood. Slate was a standout cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2013-2015, and quickly transitioned to television and film work, making her feature film debut in 2014 in the award-winning Obvious Child (2014 Official PIFF Selection). Slate shines in everything she… “Next Wave Award: JENNY SLATE”
Drawn to the drag scene as a student in the 1950s and identifying as both butch lesbian and between genders, Esther Newton has spent six decades writing about and forging queer communities; and her 1972 book Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America is noted as the first rigorous academic/anthropological study of queer community in modern history. ESTHER NEWTON MADE ME GAY is a rare look… “ESTHER NEWTON MADE ME GAY”
Dawn Langley Simmons was one of the first transgender and interracial marriage pioneers. A celebrated author and heir to a fortune, Dawn lived in a Charleston mansion before her life radically changed. SHORTS 5: TRAILBLAZERS:Thursday, June 16th @ 4:30 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
She was once as famous as Jackie O — and then she tried to take down a President. Martha Mitchell was the unlikeliest of whistleblowers: a Republican wife who was discredited by Nixon to keep her quiet. Until now. SHORTS 5: TRAILBLAZERS:Thursday, June 16th @ 4:30 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Fresh out of college, aimless Andrew finds his unlikely calling as a bar mitzvah party starter and an even more unlikely bond with local single mom Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her tween daughter. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH is a delightful and thoughtful dramedy about young love and growing up that brims with hopeless romanticism and emotional honesty, featuring stellar performances from its entire star-studded ensemble… “CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH”
Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö frankly swap stories of their frustrations and expectations regarding love and sex. Volatile misfit Mimmi, unexpectedly swept up in the thrill of a new romance with champion skater Emma, struggles to adjust to the trust and compromise required by a lasting relationship. Meanwhile, the indefatigable Rönkkö hits the teen party scene, stumbling through a series of awkward encounters with members… “GIRL PICTURE”
Every gay man needs a good Judy, so when his best friend and creative partner suddenly couples off and moves away, an ambitious New York drag queen determined for the limelight must reinvent himself or risk becoming an irrelevant solo act both onstage and off. CHRISSY JUDY is a dark comedy that peers into the underbelly of queer culture and examine the struggles and triumphs… “CHRISSY JUDY”
BEBA is a poetic, raw, and ruthless coming of age tale, in which a young NYC-born and bred Afro-Latina stares down historical, societal, and generational trauma with unflinching courage. Filmmaker Rebeca Huntt turns the camera on herself and her family as she uncovers truths about her family members that allow her to reflect further on her own experiences. This stunning and lyrical debut explores both… “BEBA”
More than outrageous fashions, hunky models, and scandalous undies, ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY is a journey across three decades of the iconic catalog’s lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay rights—a publication that changed the way men looked and how the world looked at them. With a circulation of over 3 million, the catalog successfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences, and… “ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY”
In this sexually explicit drama, a scandal drives Casey from his small Australian town to Sydney, where he meets Tib, another scarred, isolated young man similarly exploring his desires. The two grow close enough to eventually share their emotional wounds. Both may feel isolated in different ways, but perhaps this will be the relationship that sticks. Director Craig Boreham’s film is a sensitive and timely… “LONESOME”
50th Anniversary Screening! New 4K Restoration by Criterion Collection! John Waters made bad taste perversely transcendent with the forever shocking counterculture sensation PINK FLAMINGOS, his most infamous and daring cinematic transgression. Outré diva Divine is iconic as the wanted criminal hiding out with her family of degenerates in a trailer outside Baltimore while reveling in her tabloid notoriety as the “Filthiest Person Alive.” When a… “PINK FLAMINGOS”
LOVING HIGHSMITH is a unique look at the life of celebrated American author Patricia Highsmith. Focusing on Highsmith’s quest for love and her own troubled identity, the film sheds new light on her life and writing and includes her big screen adaptations: Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley and her partly autobiographic Carol, known as the first American lesbian story with a happy… “LOVING HIGHSMITH”
In a rural east-coast trailer park, Link lives with his toxic father and younger half-brother Travis. When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother could still be alive, it lights a flame and the boys make a run for a better life. On the road they meet Pasmay, a pow wow dancer drawn to Link. As the three journey across Mi’kma’ki, Link finds community, identity, and love… “WILDHOOD”
It’s the summer of 2002 and Violet and Stella are inseparable nine-year olds. They spend their days in New England playing in waves, catching butterflies, and spying on nude adults at the beach. When summer ends, they each return to their regular lives in California. Over the next few summers, boys, family trauma, and the desire to “fit in” all begin to threaten the magic… “OVER/UNDER”
Penélope Cruz stars as a renowned filmmaker hired by a billionaire entrepreneur to create the movie of the century, starring two handsome leading men (Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez). The legendary nemeses sling jabs at one another over who is a bigger sellout, while Cruz tries to teach them both how to really act. The stars undergo a series of increasingly eccentric tasks that force… “OFFICIAL COMPETITION”
Amidst the cut-throat and traditionally male-dominated world of high school debate, a group of young women lead the Newton South debate team, a rare elite team in MA with nearly half female members and only a part-time volunteer coach – where the students are responsible for mentoring and supporting one another. GIRL TALK is an enlightening, timely portrait of young women striving to embrace their… “GIRL TALK”
Every gay man needs a good Judy, so when his best friend and creative partner suddenly couples off and moves away, an ambitious New York drag queen determined for the limelight must reinvent himself or risk becoming an irrelevant solo act both onstage and off. CHRISSY JUDY is a dark comedy that peers into the underbelly of queer culture and examine the struggles and triumphs… “CHRISSY JUDY”
Haunted by the memory of a woman he loved and lost, an isolated Ian prefers to relive his history rather than confront a grim present without her. Writer-Directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott mine tremendous atmospheric tension from the film’s setting on Washington’s Whidbey Island as they spin an intimate and creative portrait of the difficulty one man faces in escaping the pervasive grip of… “MIDDAY BLACK MIDNIGHT BLUE”
THE TERRITORY follows the vital, inspiring fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people of Brazil to defend their land from non-Indigenous farmers intent on colonizing their protected territory in the Amazon rainforest. Partially shot by the Uru-eu-wau-wau people and filmed over the course of several years, the debut feature of Alex Spitz offers an authentic portrait of an Indigenous community’s daily life and struggles and chronicles… “THE TERRITORY”
Bogged down by student debt and with her path to career advancement blocked by her minor criminal record, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) struggles to barely make a living. After finding herself swept up in a local stolen credit card racket, she is seduced by her new lifestyle and the dangerous world of black market capitalism. EMILY THE CRIMINAL is a tense and compelling thriller, heartbreakingly tied… “EMILY THE CRIMINAL”
Faye (Dale Dickey) is a lone traveler biding her time fishing, birding, and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito (Wes Studi), a figure from her past who is navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West. Channeling the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves and others — on the road, in the… “A LOVE SONG”
An intimate evening between a film director and an escort is disrupted when a familiar face arrives. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Under the orders of General William Sherman, the ancestral home of the Gullah people was originally deeded to freed slaves after the Civil War. But when the real estate of the southern U.S. coast is eyed by the wealthy, tax hikes and land auctions threaten the homes of the people who have been stewards of the region for generations. Beautifully layered and expressionistic, AFTER SHERMAN… “AFTER SHERMAN”
After a night of intoxication, a hungover and hysterical Nick wakes up next to his boyfriend Charlie and must conceal him from his own homophobic and dysfunctional family. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th, 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Haunted by their childhood memories, Chinese American drag sensation Sky returns to their hometown to confront their estranged father. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A young man in the rural Midwest tries to deny a budding interest in leather. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th, 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A love letter to a New York City in the not-too-distant past where the only apps were served before dinner and the thrill of gay sex was always just around the corner or on a pier or in a backroom or even Hoboken, New Jersey. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House… “STEPHEN + JAMES: BEST GIRLFRIENDS”
The Tank Fairy’s arrival upends the life of Jojo, a lonely ten-year-old who dreams of dancing and drag. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Struggling to get over her ex-girlfriend, Gabriela impulsively decides to drop into an old job, where she unexpectedly runs into a friend from her past. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A moving tribute to Barbara Hammer through the eyes of her partner Florrie Burck. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A non-binary queer woman taps into her experiences with Butoh dance and the off-Broadway show Stomp to learn how to parent her profoundly disabled son. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An angry Latinx dyke in her twenties wants to make the world a better place, but can barely keep her own life together. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Cléo is a struggling actress. She finds it difficult to communicate her newfound activity to her girlfriend even though she is empowered by it. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An animated film based on family folklore and issues surrounding mental health, accessible healthcare, and social mobility. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Nikki and her partner Margaux agree to foster Sinatra, but we soon find out this act of generosity comes with strings attached. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
When New England realtor Hildy Good tries to do business with her old high-school flame, Frank Getchell, their rekindled romance ignites long-buried emotions and family secrets that propel Hildy toward a reckoning with the one person she’s been avoiding for decades: herself. Anchored by a towering performance by Sigourney Weaver, assisted by a strong supporting cast led by Kevin Kline, THE GOOD HOUSE expertly explores… “THE GOOD HOUSE”
SELL/BUY/DATE is a hybrid doc/narrative following Tony-winning performer and comedian Sarah Jones. As a mixed-race Black woman in America, Sarah, alongside the multicultural characters she’s known for, explores her own personal relationship to one of the most relevant issues in our current cultural climate: the sex industry, and the surprisingly diverse range of people whose lives it touches. Through interviews and monologues, this film poses… “SELL/BUY/DATE”
THREE MINUTES: A LENGTHENING presents a brief home movie shot by David Kurtz in 1938 in a Jewish town in Poland and tries to figuratively postpone its ending. The film is a haunting essay about history and memory. As long as we are watching, history is not over yet. The three minutes of footage, mostly in color, are the only moving images left of the… “THREE MINUTES: A LENGTHENING”
MY NAME IS ANDREA is about one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Andrea Dworkin offered a revolutionary analysis of male supremacy with a singular urgency and iconoclastic flair. Decades before #MeToo, Dworkin called out the pervasiveness of sexism and rape culture, and the ways it impacts every woman’s daily life. Striking performances by Ashley Judd, Soko, Amandla Stenberg, Andrea Riseborough, and… “MY NAME IS ANDREA”
Profile of celebrated artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley provides insight into their unique perspectives on painting. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
After being estranged for almost a decade, former best friends Jake and Drew reunite so that Drew can ask Jake the age-old queer question… can I have your sperm to make a baby? SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
The astonishing true story of Scotland’s most notorious imposter is unveiled in a creative documentary that finally reveals the truth behind one of the most incredible stories of the last 30 years. As Alan Cumming brilliantly gives life to the testimony of imposter Brandon Lee amidst 90s-style animated “reenactments,” a chorus of Lee’s real-life classmates tell their versions of the story as only those who… “MY OLD SCHOOL”
A man comes face to face with the person he feels is responsible for his troubled life. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
A dark surreal comedy about a depressed undertaker who finds solace among the dead people he looks after. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Heartbroken following a break-up, Martine receives an unexpected visit from her mother. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Since 1982, police have weaponized Louisiana’s Crime Against Nature by Solicitation (CANS) law to terrorize queer/trans Louisianians. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
A pair of expectant parents in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, disputed territory in 2014, the early days of the Donbas war. Their nervous anticipation of their first child’s birth is violently disrupted as the crash of flight MH17 ignites the tension enveloping their village. Writer-director Maryna Er Gorbach creates a meaningful, empathetic ode to resilience as KLONDIKE viscerally delineates… “KLONDIKE”
A poetic documentary that pays homage to the House of LaBeija through a series of letters from its members. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Intrepid volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft dedicated their lives to their work, hoping to truly understand the majestic and destructive natural phenomena. Along the way, they captured hundreds of hours of video and photographic evidence of volcanic eruptions around the world. Sara Dosa weaves the Kraffts’ awe-inspiring footage into her layered, creative ode to not only the subject of their studies but also the texture… “FIRE OF LOVE”
More than outrageous fashions, hunky models, and scandalous undies, ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY is a journey across three decades of the iconic catalog’s lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay rights—a publication that changed the way men looked and how the world looked at them. With a circulation of over 3 million, the catalog successfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences, and… “ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY”
In a rural east-coast trailer park, Link lives with his toxic father and younger half-brother Travis. When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother could still be alive, it lights a flame and the boys make a run for a better life. On the road they meet Pasmay, a pow wow dancer drawn to Link. As the three journey across Mi’kma’ki, Link finds community, identity, and love… “WILDHOOD”
Fresh out of college, aimless Andrew finds his unlikely calling as a bar mitzvah party starter and an even more unlikely bond with local single mom Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her tween daughter. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH is a delightful and thoughtful dramedy about young love and growing up that brims with hopeless romanticism and emotional honesty, featuring stellar performances from its entire star-studded ensemble… “CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH”
Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö frankly swap stories of their frustrations and expectations regarding love and sex. Volatile misfit Mimmi, unexpectedly swept up in the thrill of a new romance with champion skater Emma, struggles to adjust to the trust and compromise required by a lasting relationship. Meanwhile, the indefatigable Rönkkö hits the teen party scene, stumbling through a series of awkward encounters with members… “GIRL PICTURE”
A love letter to a New York City in the not-too-distant past where the only apps were served before dinner and the thrill of gay sex was always just around the corner or on a pier or in a backroom or even Hoboken, New Jersey. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House… “STEPHEN + JAMES: BEST GIRLFRIENDS”
After a night of intoxication, a hungover and hysterical Nick wakes up next to his boyfriend Charlie and must conceal him from his own homophobic and dysfunctional family. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th, 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
The Tank Fairy’s arrival upends the life of Jojo, a lonely ten-year-old who dreams of dancing and drag. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Penélope Cruz stars as a renowned filmmaker hired by a billionaire entrepreneur to create the movie of the century, starring two handsome leading men (Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez). The legendary nemeses sling jabs at one another over who is a bigger sellout, while Cruz tries to teach them both how to really act. The stars undergo a series of increasingly eccentric tasks that force… “OFFICIAL COMPETITION”
A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A young man in the rural Midwest tries to deny a budding interest in leather. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th, 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
After returning to his rural hometown of Bad Axe, MI at the start of the pandemic, an Asian-American filmmaker documents his family’s struggles to keep their restaurant open. When the BLM movement takes center stage, the family uses their voice to speak out in a town where Trumpism runs deep. What unfolds is an intimate, real-time portrait of 2020 through the lens of the family’s… “BAD AXE”
Haunted by their childhood memories, Chinese American drag sensation Sky returns to their hometown to confront their estranged father. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An intimate evening between a film director and an escort is disrupted when a familiar face arrives. QUEER SHORTS 1: Friday, June 17th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Marcel, a shell, ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother, Connie, and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. When a documentary filmmaker discovers them, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, unprecedented dangers, and a new hope of finding his long-lost family… “MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON”
Nikki and her partner Margaux agree to foster Sinatra, but we soon find out this act of generosity comes with strings attached. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Cléo is a struggling actress. She finds it difficult to communicate her newfound activity to her girlfriend even though she is empowered by it. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An animated film based on family folklore and issues surrounding mental health, accessible healthcare, and social mobility. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
A moving tribute to Barbara Hammer through the eyes of her partner Florrie Burck. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
Struggling to get over her ex-girlfriend, Gabriela impulsively decides to drop into an old job, where she unexpectedly runs into a friend from her past. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
The legendary Chelsea Hotel is under renovation. Soon it will reopen to the public as one of New York’s most fashionable luxury hotels. Dozens of artists, most in their later years, still live amidst the scaffolding and constant construction. Against this chaotic backdrop, the film takes us through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical… “DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL”
A non-binary queer woman taps into her experiences with Butoh dance and the off-Broadway show Stomp to learn how to parent her profoundly disabled son. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An angry Latinx dyke in her twenties wants to make the world a better place, but can barely keep her own life together. QUEER SHORTS 2: Friday, June 17th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Saturday, June 18th @ 4:30 p.m., Art House 2 Available to Stream June 20-26
An intimate love triangle is at the center of veteran director Claire Denis’ bold new work. Sara (Juliette Binoche) and her husband Jean (Vincent Lindon) return home from vacation to a wintry Paris, where Sara works as a radio host. Jean, a former professional rugby player with a prison record, is an absent father to his teen son Marcus. When Sara glimpses her estranged ex-boyfriend… “BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE”
A middle-aged man with Down Syndrome faces an uncertain future when his mother is no longer able to help him. installation. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Granular skirmish: In the Flesh, Western Sunset, Sea Green, Bubble Yum!, Blue. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A drifter begins having haunting visions after taking a job on a secluded farm. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Steven climbs to a building’s rooftop to end it all only to find someone already there. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A meta-comedy about the line between the stories we tell ourselves and the stories that get told about us. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Ruby imagines a revenge fantasy to help cope with her sexual assault as a teen. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
Performance artist, Xray Aims, transforms a Covid-abandoned basketball court into an expansive outdoor installation. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A portrait of Provincetown legend and owner of the A-House—Reggie Cabral. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND:Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
A dark-as-midnight comedy about an 8-year-old boy who plots a heist to sneak into his first R-Rated movie. SHORTS 4: NEW ENGLAND: Thursday, June 16th @ 2 p.m., Art House 2 Saturday, June 18th @ 6:30 p.m., Art House 1 Available to Stream June 20-26
It’s the summer of 2002 and Violet and Stella are inseparable nine-year olds. They spend their days in New England playing in waves, catching butterflies, and spying on nude adults at the beach. When summer ends, they each return to their regular lives in California. Over the next few summers, boys, family trauma, and the desire to “fit in” all begin to threaten the magic… “OVER/UNDER”
Drawn to the drag scene as a student in the 1950s and identifying as both butch lesbian and between genders, Esther Newton has spent six decades writing about and forging queer communities; and her 1972 book Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America is noted as the first rigorous academic/anthropological study of queer community in modern history. ESTHER NEWTON MADE ME GAY is a rare look… “ESTHER NEWTON MADE ME GAY”
In this sexually explicit drama, a scandal drives Casey from his small Australian town to Sydney, where he meets Tib, another scarred, isolated young man similarly exploring his desires. The two grow close enough to eventually share their emotional wounds. Both may feel isolated in different ways, but perhaps this will be the relationship that sticks. Director Craig Boreham’s film is a sensitive and timely… “LONESOME”
Author Priya Sura found breakout success with her memoir about her abusive father and has since made a career of exploring her own trauma through a feminist lens. Lately, she has been finding it harder and harder to have an emotional connection in her writing. Now she’s mining someone else’s trauma by interviewing Nic, her nephew by marriage, about his history of exploitation as a… “I’LL SHOW YOU MINE”
Taking as its starting point the pioneering trans woman immortalized via a 1960’s UCLA gender health study, FRAMING AGNES broadens focus to reenvision the trans experience throughout culture and history, upending long-held conventions in this unmistakably bold and original reframing of the conversation. Taking the form of a meta-retro chat show, director Joynt and an impressive cast blend fiction and documentary as they embody the… “FRAMING AGNES”
Bogged down by student debt and with her path to career advancement blocked by her minor criminal record, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) struggles to barely make a living. After finding herself swept up in a local stolen credit card racket, she is seduced by her new lifestyle and the dangerous world of black market capitalism. EMILY THE CRIMINAL is a tense and compelling thriller, heartbreakingly tied… “EMILY THE CRIMINAL”
The legendary Chelsea Hotel is under renovation. Soon it will reopen to the public as one of New York’s most fashionable luxury hotels. Dozens of artists, most in their later years, still live amidst the scaffolding and constant construction. Against this chaotic backdrop, the film takes us through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical… “DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL”
Under the orders of General William Sherman, the ancestral home of the Gullah people was originally deeded to freed slaves after the Civil War. But when the real estate of the southern U.S. coast is eyed by the wealthy, tax hikes and land auctions threaten the homes of the people who have been stewards of the region for generations. Beautifully layered and expressionistic, AFTER SHERMAN… “AFTER SHERMAN”
LOVING HIGHSMITH is a unique look at the life of celebrated American author Patricia Highsmith. Focusing on Highsmith’s quest for love and her own troubled identity, the film sheds new light on her life and writing and includes her big screen adaptations: Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley and her partly autobiographic Carol, known as the first American lesbian story with a happy… “LOVING HIGHSMITH”
Luca Guadagnino is an Academy Award-nominated director, screenwriter, and producer known for his visually arresting style and his affecting psychological portraits. He is currently in production on Challengers starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, and in post-production on the hotly anticipated Bones and All, starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell. Guadagnino’s varied credits include the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated I Am Love… “Filmmaker on the Edge: LUCA GUADAGNINO”
SELL/BUY/DATE is a hybrid doc/narrative following Tony-winning performer and comedian Sarah Jones. As a mixed-race Black woman in America, Sarah, alongside the multicultural characters she’s known for, explores her own personal relationship to one of the most relevant issues in our current cultural climate: the sex industry, and the surprisingly diverse range of people whose lives it touches. Through interviews and monologues, this film poses… “SELL/BUY/DATE”
Since 1982, police have weaponized Louisiana’s Crime Against Nature by Solicitation (CANS) law to terrorize queer/trans Louisianians. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Profile of celebrated artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley provides insight into their unique perspectives on painting. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
A dark surreal comedy about a depressed undertaker who finds solace among the dead people he looks after. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Heartbroken following a break-up, Martine receives an unexpected visit from her mother. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
A poetic documentary that pays homage to the House of LaBeija through a series of letters from its members. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
Amidst the cut-throat and traditionally male-dominated world of high school debate, a group of young women lead the Newton South debate team, a rare elite team in MA with nearly half female members and only a part-time volunteer coach – where the students are responsible for mentoring and supporting one another. GIRL TALK is an enlightening, timely portrait of young women striving to embrace their… “GIRL TALK”
A man comes face to face with the person he feels is responsible for his troubled life. SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
After being estranged for almost a decade, former best friends Jake and Drew reunite so that Drew can ask Jake the age-old queer question… can I have your sperm to make a baby? SHORTS 3: BELONGING: Friday, June 17th @ 9:30 p.m., Art House 2 Sunday, June 19th @ 2 p.m., Waters Edge Cinema Available to Stream June 20-26
The astonishing true story of Scotland’s most notorious imposter is unveiled in a creative documentary that finally reveals the truth behind one of the most incredible stories of the last 30 years. As Alan Cumming brilliantly gives life to the testimony of imposter Brandon Lee amidst 90s-style animated “reenactments,” a chorus of Lee’s real-life classmates tell their versions of the story as only those who… “MY OLD SCHOOL”
Haunted by the memory of a woman he loved and lost, an isolated Ian prefers to relive his history rather than confront a grim present without her. Writer-Directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott mine tremendous atmospheric tension from the film’s setting on Washington’s Whidbey Island as they spin an intimate and creative portrait of the difficulty one man faces in escaping the pervasive grip of… “MIDDAY BLACK MIDNIGHT BLUE”
BEBA is a poetic, raw, and ruthless coming of age tale, in which a young NYC-born and bred Afro-Latina stares down historical, societal, and generational trauma with unflinching courage. Filmmaker Rebeca Huntt turns the camera on herself and her family as she uncovers truths about her family members that allow her to reflect further on her own experiences. This stunning and lyrical debut explores both… “BEBA”
When New England realtor Hildy Good tries to do business with her old high-school flame, Frank Getchell, their rekindled romance ignites long-buried emotions and family secrets that propel Hildy toward a reckoning with the one person she’s been avoiding for decades: herself. Anchored by a towering performance by Sigourney Weaver, assisted by a strong supporting cast led by Kevin Kline, THE GOOD HOUSE expertly explores… “THE GOOD HOUSE”
Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (PIFF 2022 Filmmaker on the Edge honoree) lovingly pays tribute to Salvatore Ferragamo’s remarkable life and his unparalleled work as an artisan shoemaker. From his very early years in Southern Italy to an apprenticeship in Naples’s best workshops, Salvatore showed promise as a young artist. Coming to the United States as a teen, he spent time in Boston before heading West to… “SALVATORE: SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS”
Did you know there are over 30,000 conservative, Christian mothers in America who accept their LGBTQ+ children and identify as “mama bears”? Although they may have grown up as evangelical Christians, mama bears are willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their children safe — even if it rips their worlds apart. MAMA BEARS (directed by PIFF alum Dareshi Kyi, Chavela)… “MAMA BEARS”
A movie fan in a remote farmland strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond in legendary director Zhang Yimou’s (Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers) latest film, an intimate and darkly funny fable about their shared search for a very important strip of film. ONE SECOND embeds an unmistakably barbed rumination on Chinese history and culture within a poignant ode to… “ONE SECOND”