The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) has announced its 2023 lineup of short films, features, documentaries, and honorees.
The town of Provincetown, Mass. – a renowned LGBTQ+ travel destination – has hosted the festival for 25 years. One of America’s oldest artist colonies, Provincetown has been home to the likes of Jack Kerouac, Jackson Pollock, Norman Rockwell, Mary Heaton Vorse, Anthony Bourdain, Helen Frankenthaler, and Ryan Murphy. And this year, it’ll be graced once again by some of the biggest names in queer filmmaking.
PIFF has named trailblazing Canadian director, photographer, and writer Bruce LaBruce 2023’s “Filmmaker on the Edge.” LaBruce will be in Provincetown to accept the award in conversation with legendary director and resident artist John Waters.
Speaking of LaBruce, Waters said, “He’s been pushing the limits of gay correctness, punk attitude, and political mayhem for about forty years and has somehow managed to keep his celluloid troublemaking spirit intact both above and below the limits of underground and commercial filmmaking.”
Also being honored is multi-hyphenate star Billy Porter, whose upcoming film Our Son will screen at the festival. Porter has been selected to receive this year’s Excellence in Acting Award.
“Billy Porter is a boundary breaking talent,” said Anne Hubbell, PIFF’s Executive Director in a statement. “Whether on the screen or on stage, Billy’s performances captivate and stay with you. We’re so thrilled to honor him and share his new film Our Son with audiences.”
Additionally, writer, actor, and director Julio Torres (Los Espookys) and writer, actress, and comedian Megan Stalter (Hacks) will both be honored with PIFF’s “Next Wave Award,” which recognizes those who take artistic risks and have an enduring commitment to independent film.
Torres’s directorial debut, Problemista, will screen as a Spotlight Selection at the festival, and Stalter will introduce PIFF’s opening night film, Cora Bora, in which she stars.
“The fresh, unparalleled artistry of Julio Torres and Megan Stalter embodies the spirit and energy of our Next Wave Award,” shared PIFF’s Director of Programming, Andrew Peterson. “We are so thrilled to share their innovative talents and films with the Provincetown Film Festival audience this year.”
The Provincetown International Film Festival runs June 14 – 18, 2023 in Provincetown, MA. Festival passes can be purchased atprovincetownfilm.org beginning May 26.
This year’s festival lineup is below:
OPENING NIGHT
CORA BORA – directed by Hannah Pearl Utt
CLOSING NIGHT
THEATER CAMP – directed by Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman
SPOTLIGHT SELECTIONS
MUTT – directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz
TAYLOR MAC’S 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC – directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
PROBLEMISTA – directed by Julio Torres
NARRATIVE FEATURES
ART THIEF – directed by Arthur Egeli
AUGUST AT TWENTY-TWO – directed by Sophia Castuera
BIG BOYS – directed by Corey Sherman
BLUE JEAN – directed by Georgia Oakley
EARTH MAMA – directed by Savanah Leaf
EGOIST – directed by Daishi Matsunaga
FAIRYLAND – directed by Andrew Durham
HANGDOG – directed by Matt Cascella
JOY RIDE – directed by Adele Lim
THE LESSON – directed by Alice Troughton
A LITTLE PRAYER – directed by Angus MacLachlan
MAMACRUZ – directed by Patricia Ortega
OUR SON – directed by Bill Oliver
PASSAGES – directed by Ira Sachs
PLAYLAND – directed by Georden West
THE POD GENERATION – directed by Sophie Barthes
ROTTING IN THE SUN – directed by Sebastián Silva
SCRAPPER – directed by Charlotte Regan
SUMMER SOLSTICE – directed by Noah Schamus
WILL-O’-THE-WISP – directed by João Pedro Rodrigues
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
AFTER THE BITE – directed by Ivy Meeropol
BOSTON SCHOOL BATTLE – directed by Sharon Grimberg, Cyndee Readdean
CHASING CHASING AMY – directed by Sav Rodgers
THE DEEPEST BREATH – directed by Laura McGann
DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY – directed by Nancy Buirski
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE – directed by Nicole Newnham
HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES – directed by Sam Shahid
IN THE WHALE – directed by David Abel
INVISIBLE BEAUTY – directed by Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
IT’S BASIC – directed by Marc Levin
IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL – directed by Alexandria Bombach
KOKOMO CITY – directed by D. Smith
LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES – directed by Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
QUEENDOM – directed by Agniia Galdanova
ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED – directed by Stephen Kijak
THE SPACE RACE – directed by Lisa Cortés, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
THE STROLL – directed by Kristen Lovell, Zackary Drucker
SUNDAY BEST – directed by Sacha Jenkins
ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (WE WILL SPEAK) – directed by Schon Duncan, Michael McDermit
WHO I AM NOT – directed by Tünde Skovrán
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
John Waters Presents: ANTICHRIST – directed by Lars von Trier
I AM A TOWN – directed by Mischa Richter
NEVER LET HIM GO (episodic series) – directed by Jeff Dupre, Jacob Hickey
SHORT FILMS
NARRATIVE SHORTS
A REAL ONE – directed by McKenzie Chinn
AFTER CLOSING – directed by Carley Byers
BI THE WAY – directed by Amir Ovadia Steklov
BREAKUP TEXT – directed by Elizabeth Baudouin
CAMPFIRE – directed by Austin Lee Bunn
CUXBALL – directed by Dave Paige
EVERY OTHER KID – directed by Patrick Godino
FAMILY AFFAIR – directed by Julio Dowansigh
FANATIC – directed by Taran Killam
GORKA – directed by Joe Weiland
HONEY TO THE MOON – directed by Rob Woodcox, Eduardo Cifuentes
INCOMPLETE – directed by Sasha Korbut
INSTA GAY – directed by Simon Paluck
KNOW YOU TWICE – directed by Andrew Chan Gladstone
MOLES – directed by Vanja Victor Kabir Tognola
MOTHERLAND – directed by Christina Yoon
MY DEAR BOY – directed by Leaf Lieber
READ’EM AND WEEP – directed by Jeffery Hoyt
REST – directed by Joan Cassin
SAFE AS HOUSES – directed by Mia Mullarkey
SAFE WORD – directed by Christopher Cunetto
SWIPE NYC – directed by Sue Zarco Kramer
THE DALLES – directed by Angalis Field
THE PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY – directed by Jordan Ancel
THIRSTYGIRL – directed by Alexandra Qin
TO MY NEXT LOVER – directed by Kieran Charnock
TOE TAG – directed by Jordon Bolden
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
A CALL TO ACTION: THE FREEDOM BUDGET OF 1966 – directed by Jenny Alexander
AMERICAN SANTA – directed by Avi Zev Weider
DAUGHTER OF RUBENS – directed by Sarah Hachey
EMPRESS NICOLE THE GREAT – directed by Dara Bratt
FOOT PRINT SHOP – directed by Gina Kamentsky
GRASS-FED CAPITALISM – DEF-SSARG MSILATIPAC – directed by Jay Critchley
GUERRILLA HABEAS – directed by Betsy Hershey, Emma Wall
HELEN PASHGIAN : VISIBLE INVISIBLE – directed by Anika Kan Grevstad
I (HEART) JACK LALANNE: A CARTOON MEMOIR – directed by LeAnn Erickson
JACK AND SAM – directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
LESBIANS ON THE LOOSE – directed by Steph Jowett, Tilly Robba
MNM – directed by Twiggy Pucci Garçon
PAINTING TIME … AND THE TOWN – directed by Lise Balk King
PARKER – directed by Catherine Hoffman, Sharon Liese
PROJECTIONIST – directed by Deniz Akyurek, Noah Matalon
RESTORING AN ICON: TOM TOWNSEND AND CIRRUS – directed by Durier Ryan
THE SCRIPT – directed by Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus
ANIMATED SHORTS
AIKĀNE – directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
BLUEBERRY – directed by Stephanie Glover
BREATHE – directed by Loi Huynh, Jordan Waterworth
MY DEAR MR. WHITMAN – directed by Jeremiah Dickey
REGULAR RABBIT – directed by Eoin Duffy
Y – directed by Matea Kovač