Since its founding, Provincetown has been a place of shelter and nurture for the “other”—a place for those whose artistic and life expression might challenge the norm.
Building on this legacy, PFS founded in 2013 the Gabrielle A. Hanna Provincetown Film Institute (PFI) to provide programs throughout the year including artists residencies, mini-festivals, workshops, and most recently, our Women’s Media Summit, a Spring think-tank for addressing gender inequity in U.S. Media.
Michelle Boyaner is an award-winning Filmmaker whose films include the Documentary features, PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON and A FINISHED LIFE: THE GOODBYE AND NO REGRETS TOUR; Documentary short films HI, YOU’VE REACHED DAVE’S APARTMENT, and TINA PAULINA: LIVING ON HOPE STREET and the narrative shorts, YOU’RE STILL YOUNG and THE BEDWETTER. Prior to her film work, Michelle wrote a popular blog, Live at Lakeridge, and a book of personal essays chronicling her beloved grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, Oh, For God’s Sake Whisper It. Michelle is currently at work on the Documentary feature, It’s NOT A BURDEN: THE HUMOR AND HEARTACHE OF RAISING ELDERLY PARENTS. She’s also at work on a scripted web series about growing up in the 1970’s in a Southern California suburb, as well as several other new media projects.
Writer/director Shelli Ainsworth is a Minneapolis-based artist whose work in experimental theater and film has earned her national recognition. Her first feature film, STAY THEN GO, has been an official selection in film festivals across the country, as well as the official selection for the Southern Circuit, a highly-regarded touring program. For STAY THEN GO, Ms. Ainsworth received the “Pioneering Women in Screenwriting” award from the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival.
Jennie Livingston is a groundbreaking film maker, known for thoughtful exploration of identity, class, race, death, sex and gender. Her films include PARIS IS BURNING, WHO’S THE TOP? and THROUGH THE ICE. In 2015, PARIS IS BURNING received the Cinema Eye Honors Legacy Award and was honored during the Sundance Collection screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Livingston lives in Brooklyn, NY and was educated at Yale.
Stacie Passon is an American film director and screenwriter, whose debut film CONCUSSION premiered at the2013 Sundance Film Festival, and won a Teddy Award Jury Prize as an outstanding film about LBGT themes at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival. The film garnered two Gotham Nominations, a Spirit Award nomination for Best First Film and won a 2014 GLADD Media award. Passon is an adjunct professor at New York University and Tisch School of the Arts.