Provincetown International Film Festival

Schedule of Events:

11:00am: Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda) at Art House:

Directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

Anand, a 30-something city dweller compelled to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in the rugged countryside of western India, tenderly bonds with a local farmer struggling to stay unmarried. As the mourning ends, forcing his return, Anand must decide the fate of a relationship born under duress. In his artful and sensual feature debut, Kanawade creates a wholly original portrait of queer life among the rural and lower castes of India while depicting both Anand's longing and his bereavement with warm-heartedness and sincerity.

1:30pm: Come See Me in the Good Light at Art House:

Directed by Ryan White

Two poets, one incurable cancer diagnosis. Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley go on an unexpectedly funny and poignant journey through love, life, and mortality in Ryan White's remarkable new documentary. A captivating portrait of Gibson's artistic process, a stirring depiction of her harrowing health battle and an ode to her unique true love with partner Falley all in one, COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT is a life-affirming, heartstring-pulling masterpiece supported by a powerhouse team of executive producers including Tig Notaro, Abby Wambach, and Brandi Carlile.

8:30pm: Creede U.S.A. at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Kahane Corn Cooperman

In 1966 the small mining town of Creede, Colorado, built a theater to boost their flagging economy. While the theater lifted the town's bottom line, it also revealed tensions between the local residents and the new ideas and perspectives that came with the theater company, many of whom were queer and/or people of color. In CREEDE U.S.A., director Kahane Corn Cooperman uncovers a fascinating, and perhaps unlikely, microcosm of America's national divisions as neighbors struggle to live side-by-side in this isolated community with differing opinions and values. Includes footage and interviews with original company member Mandy Patinkin.

4:00pm: Everything Moves at Town Hall:

Directed by Michael Cestaro

EVERYTHING MOVES tells the remarkable story of renowned Provincetown painter Salvatore Del Deo as he reflects on his life, art, and the enduring bond he shared with his late wife, Josephine. Together, they played a pivotal role in preserving the town's iconic dunes, protecting them from the threat of developers. As Provincetown evolves, these dunes—long a source of inspiration for artists, writers, and musicians—remain a symbol of the creative spirit they both cherished. Through Salvatore's journey, Cape Cod-based director Michael Cestaro explores the passage of time in a changing town, celebrating the legacy of love, art, and preservation in a place deeply rich with history and heart.

6:30pm: Familiar Touch at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Sarah Friedland

Sarah Friedland's insightful feature debut follows an octogenarian woman's transition to life in an assisted living facility as she contends with her conflicting relationship to herself and her caregivers amidst her shifting memory, age identity, and desires. The remarkable Kathleen Chalfant's sensitive central performance and Friedland's constant centering of Ruth's own experience and perspective as she adjusts to this disorienting new stage of life imbue this coming-of-(old)-age story with uncommon dignity. FAMILIAR TOUCH takes on a challenging subject and creates a film filled with love and compassion.

6:00pm: Heightened Scrutiny at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Sam Feder

In addition to the surge in anti-trans legislation that Chase Strangio battles in the courtroom, he must also fight against media bias, exposing how narratives in the press influence public perception amidst the fight for transgender rights. Director Sam Feder expands 2020's Disclosure's examination of the depiction of trans lives on screen in this blisteringly important new documentary. HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY wisely grounds its examination of complex and overwhelming issues by centering Massachusetts-raised ACLU lawyer Strangio, a hero for many in the LGBTQ+ community, as he prepares to participate in historic litigation that will take him all the way to the Supreme Court.

12:00pm: Jimpa at Town Hall:

Directed by Sophie Hyde

Hannah takes her nonbinary teenager, Frances, to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather, Jim—lovingly known as Jimpa. But Frances' desire to stay abroad with Jimpa for a year means Hannah is forced to reconsider her beliefs about parenting and finally confront old stories about the past.  Olivia Colman, John Lithgow and Aud Mason-Hyde display impressive, natural chemistry as a thoroughly unconventional modern family. Sophie Hyde's (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) loving, insightful examination of intergenerational tensions within the LGBTQ+ community, also serves as a spirited tribute to the resilience and joy of that community.

12:00pm: Move Ya Body: The Birth of House at Art House:

Directed by Elegance Bratton

PIFF alum Elegance Bratton assembles a mix of interviews with house music pioneers and forgotten innovators, many of them queer and Black, along with impressive archival footage to create a definitive history of house music and a pivotal cultural period. From its beginnings in Chicago through its march to global domination, Bratton reclaims the narrative of this genre and, in a bigger sense, asks compelling questions about who gets credit—and compensation—for culture in America. Featuring interviews with Celeste Alexander, Lady D, Kevin Aviance, and Lena Waithe.

12:00: Plainclothes at Town Hall:

Directed by Carmen Emmi

Set in upstate New York in 1997, a young police officer named Lucas (Tom Blyth) is working undercover to entice gay men into illicit interactions by luring them into a shopping mall bathroom. When Lucas finds himself drawn to a handsome target named Andrew (Russell Tovey), he ultimately defies his professional orders and soon begins to unravel under the pressure of keeping his true self a secret. First-time director Carmen Emmi deftly explores a risky and forbidden existence for a young man in uniform in this taut, dramatic story of hidden desire.

12:30pm: Queerpanorama at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Jun Li

In a broken city, a gay man impersonates men he has had sex with and brings this new persona with him to his next hook-up. Only by pretending to be someone else can he be truly himself.  A series of erotic interludes (exquisitely shot in black-and-white) take various forms and tones, but come together to assert the underlying beauty and vulnerability of hook-up culture in Jun Li's striking third feature. QUEERPANORAMA offers a highly intimate, naturalistic exploration of the meaning of desire amidst one character's journey of self-discovery.

10:30am: Sally at Town Hall:

Directed by Cristina Costantini

Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was a secret. Sally's life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied their 27 years together. The story of a trailblazing woman fighting for respect in a male-dominated world combines with a beautiful heretofore largely unknown love story in director Cristina Costantini's (Science Fair, Mucho Mucho Amor) nuanced portrait of the incredible Sally Ride, detailing both her personal experiences and professional accomplishments with care.

8:30: Sauna at Fishermen Hall:

Directed by Mathias Broe

Johan is living his best young gay life in Copenhagen. Working at a steamy bathhouse, boarding at his boss' apartment, and enjoying bars and parties, his life is centered around sex and sexuality. This all changes when he meets William, a transgender man, and falls deeply in love—but without the experience and language to navigate something more than a casual fling. With great sensitivity to both Johan and William's life experiences, director Mathias Broe has crafted a complex and sexy story of two young people as they both take their first tentative steps toward the lives they want to live.

10:30: Seeds at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Brittany Shyne

SEEDS is a deeply moving and powerful exploration of three Black generational farmers in the American South, creating an intimate portrait of farming today. Deploying a visually striking observational approach, and utilizing rich black-and-white cinematography, filmmaker Brittany Shyne showcases these farmers' lives, joys, and struggles, as well as the fragility of legacy land ownership. Black farmers owned 16 million acres of land in 1910, but today, that number has dwindled to a mere fraction of the original. Through these stories, we see the cycles of inequity and embedded racism that persist to this day, and the signs of hope and renewal with younger generations of farmers.

11:00am: Sisters at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Susie Yankou

Lou (Susie Yankou) and Esther (Sarah Khasrovi) are codependent best friends who often fantasize what their lives would have been like had they grown up with a sister. When Lou's father unexpectedly passes away, she discovers that she has a very real, and very cool, half-sister, Priya. As Lou begins to explore her relationship with Priya, her and Esther's found family bliss is rudely interrupted, creating a rift between them. As the rift threatens to grow beyond repair, Lou must learn to redefine what family is, or risk losing Esther for good.

1:30pm: Sorry, Baby at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Eva Victor

Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least.  In an aching and tender debut feature, writer-director-star Eva Victor displays a tremendous specificity of voice, depicting graduate student-turned-professor Agnes with sensitivity and emotional clarity both before and after her colossal, life-interrupting trauma. The Massachusetts-shot SORRY, BABY premiered at Sundance Film Festival before screening in Cannes as the Closing Night selection of Directors Fortnight, a rare achievement that speaks to the biting, funny and fragile film's deep emotional power.

9:00pm: The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Art House:

Directed by Jim Sharman

Since the film first opened in 1975, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the longest running theatrical release in film history. For half a century, audiences have flocked to theaters late at night to watch the young and naive couple Brad and Janet have their minds blown by Dr. Frank-n-Furter and his merry band of partiers at his castle. This wildly campy romp is a timeless good time that resonates more now than ever—so grab a friend, come sing along… and "let's do the Time Warp again!"

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