Provincetown International Film Festival

Schedule of Events:

6:00pm: Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda) Waters Edge 2:

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.

1:00pm: 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.

9:00pm: Dreaming of Lions at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Paolo Marinou-Blanco

With unmistakable allusions to Harold and Maude, DREAMING OF LIONS is, of all things, a thoroughly original tragicomedy about euthanasia and assisted suicide. In a tour-de-force performance, Brazilian actress Denise Fraga anchors the film as Gilda, a woman who seeks out the help of an underground organization that helps the terminally ill kill themselves painlessly and peacefully. At group meetings, she bonds with the much younger Amandeu (Joao Nunes Monteiro). When they discover secrets about the organization, they escape to Mallorca to die, falling in love along the way.

11:00am: Dreams (Sex Love) at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Dag Johan Haugererud

At 17, Johanne falls in love for the first time with her female teacher. Wanting to preserve her intimate feelings, she documents her newfound emotions and experiences in writing. When her mother and grandmother read what she has written, they are initially shocked by its intimate content but soon see that it has literary potential. As they debate whether to publish it, Johanne navigates the gap between her romantic fantasy and reality, and all three women confront their differing views on love, sexuality, and self-discovery in this delicately drawn story. DREAMS is the final installment of director Dag Johan Haugerud's trilogy SEX-LOVE-DREAMS.

6:30pm: Enigma at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Zackary Drucker

Emmy Award®-nominated director Zackary Drucker (The Stroll, PIFF 2023) returns with a fascinating exploration of two world-class performance legends and trans pioneers, April Ashley and Amanda Lear, who navigated public scrutiny of their identities in contrasting ways. April Ashley was immortalized as a trailblazer by embracing her transgender history, while Amanda Lear has consciously denied and obfuscated her personal history for decades. Their divergent paths reveal disparate but intertwined legacies in this revealing look at a vital piece of trans history of cabaret performers in Europe in the 1950s, while boldly highlighting their longstanding existence, which still resonates today.

6:30pm: Everything Moves at Art House:

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.

4:00pm: Forever Home at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Allison Argo

In North Carolina, two dreamers are transforming animal care through groundbreaking architecture. Their sanctuary, Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, portrays rescued animals in a new light—from goats who thrive in vertical spaces to chickens whose house opens with the sun. As they build a new home for rescued cows, FOREVER HOME unveils a vision for how we can see and care for the animals most people overlook. Through masterful storytelling and endearing animal and human characters, director Allison Argo (The Last Pig, PIFF 2017) invites us to reimagine our relationship with farm animals, showing us who they truly are when they're allowed to simply be themselves.

1:30pm: Fucktoys at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Annapurna Sriram

Channeling her inner John Waters, director Annapurna Sriram takes no prisoners in guiding audiences through the seedy underbelly of "Trashtown" as her character (known only as AP) seeks to break a curse, under which multiple psychics have told her she's been long-suffering. As AP follows this quest, she stumbles upon a variety of characters and absurd situations, each one crazier than the last. With FUCKTOYS, Sriram announces herself as a confident, exciting, and brave new voice in cinema. Featuring Big Freedia, Sadie Scott, Francois Arnaud and Damian Young.

6:30pm: Hurricanna at Town Hall:

Directed by Francesca Gregorini

In the hours surrounding a glamorous appearance at a championship boxing match in Hollywood, Florida, supermodel Anna Nicole Smith (played by Sylvia Hoeks), her psychiatrist (Holly Hunter), and her lawyer and lover (Mark Duplass) form a disastrous trio descending towards chaos. Mired in addiction and devastated by her son's death, Anna is in the midst of a costly custody battle for her baby daughter. Filmmaker Francesca Gregorini (Tanner Hall) explores the intense final days of the hurricane-like force that was Anna Nicole Smith, and the fateful string of events that led Anna to make an agonizing choice for her daughter's best future.

9:00pm: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley at Art House:

Directed by Amy Berg

Singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley had an outsized impact on the culture despite having only released one album before his tragic death at age 30. Known for his incredible vocal range and groundbreaking 1994 album Grace, Buckley became an icon before his untimely death in 1997. Never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages, and firsthand accounts from Jeff Buckley's inner circle paint a captivating portrait of the gifted musician. Veteran filmmaker Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis) has crafted an emotional portrait of the life and legacy of a complex and beloved artist, allowing us to see the deeper side of the man behind the legend.

8:30: Jimmy at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Yashaddai Owens

A lyrical and impressionistic imagining of a young James Baldwin in Paris. Shooting in black-and-white on 16mm, first-time director Yashaddai Owens creates a wholly original portrait of cultural icon Baldwin (Benny O. Arthur), exploring the early life of a young, queer artist as he finds himself and his creative voice. With painterly compositions, a lush score, and great artistry, JIMMY impresses on every level—a beautiful film that lives up to the demands for a film about James Baldwin.

4:00pm: Love Birdsa at Waters Edge 1:

Directed by Angel Morris and Elliot Kennerson

Following their breakthrough discovery of homosexuality in seagulls in 1972, George Hunt and Molly Warner tell the story of how "lesbian seagulls" changed the landscape of both the field of science and the LGBTQ+ movement in America.

11:00am: Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore at Town Hall:

Directed by Shoshannah Stern

In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award and was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old. Reflecting on her life in her primary language of American Sign Language, Marlee explores the complexities of what it means to be a trailblazer. Shoshannah Stern's intimate and loving feature directorial debut weaves together Matlin's first-person account with interviews from those who know her best.  MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE reimagines traditional documentary storytelling, creating an immersive experience embodying Matlin's tireless fight for inclusion and representation.

4:00pm: Messy at Town Hall:

Directed by Alexi Wasser

Stella Fox (Alexi Wasser) is an admitted love addict, moving from one disappointing romantic relationship to another over the course of a summer. Evoking the best of Woody Allen's comedies, in Wassner's hands we are treated to a wildly imperfect and utterly captivating lead character who sees and interacts with the world in a way that is all her own. Funny, surprising, charming and sexy, Wassner's directorial debut embraces true individuality and celebrates life and love's fantastic messiness. A John Waters "Best Movies" pick for 2024.

9:00pm: Queens of the Dead at Town Hall:

Directed by Tina Romero

On what should be a fun night at a Brooklyn warehouse party, an outbreak of flesh-eating zombies forces a ragtag group of drag queens and partiers to band together and somehow survive the night. Tina Romero's delightfully campy horror comedy is chock full of thrills, glamour and fun. Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Jaquel Spivey (of the Broadway musical A Strange Loop), and drag star Nina West lead a cast full of familiar faces in an absolute romp that pays homage to Romero's father's famous horror legacy while striking out into her own feminine, queer, club-infused cinematic ground.

1:30pm: River Gallo at Town Hall:

River Gallo (they/them) is a GLAAD Award-winning filmmaker, actor, writer, model, and intersex rights activist whose groundbreaking work is redefining queer representation in cinema.

Gallo wrote, produced, and starred in PONYBOI, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and won NewFest's Grand Jury Award. Their performance as a young intersex sex worker on the run from the mob earned them the Best Performance Award at the Torino Film Festival. Marking a historic first, PONYBOI is the first narrative feature film created by and starring an intersex person in an intersex role.

They were also the subject of the critically-acclaimed feature documentary EVERY BODY from Academy Award-nominated director Julie Cohen. Prior to their feature debut, River starred in multiple short films, a stage production of King Lear at the Annenberg Theater in Los Angeles, as well as an episode of the Hulu series Love, Victor.

3:30pm: Saints and Warriors at Waters Edge 2:

Directed by Patrick Shannon

SAINTS AND WARRIORS tells the epic and inspiring story of a legendary village basketball team in the Indigenous Nation of Haida Gwaii in northwest Canada and their deep historical and cultural roots with the sport. Throughout the course of one season of iconic "rez ball," the Skidegate Saints compete for two titles—defending their All Native Basketball Championship while battling for the title to their land and waters with the government that stole it from them via the Indian Act of 1876. Indigenous first-time director Patrick Shannon showcases the stunning role that "a silly game of putting the ball in the hoop" plays in Haida Gwaii as a tool for political action, community leadership, and the survival of culture.

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