Cape Cod Crusaders: Notes & Pics from the Provincetown Film Festival
Ahoy from the P'town Ferry! "Gay movies dead ahead!"
Greetings from P'town! Actually, I just got back to NYC from this past weekend's Provincetown Film Festival, a five-day combo platter of movies, celebs, shellfish, gayness and Bloody Marys.
Madonna's Filth & Wisdom film (her directorial debut) opened the festival this past Wednesday night, and reports reveal it's not bad. It's not great apparently, but it's not heinous and given Madge's film career, that's a rave review! John Waters was seen cycling all over town (as he does here every summer) and on Wednesday night he hosted a double-bill of the camp horror treasures The Tingler and Rosemary's Baby down the Cape at the Wellfleet Drive-In. Basically, Waters is the patron saint of the Ptown Film Fest, hosting events and just lending his good spirits and twisted humor to all of the activities.
I interviewed Waters this weekend. And I also chatted with studly Mexican actor/hottie Gael Garcia Bernal, mad movie mogul Quentin Tarantino (who loves lesbian vampire movies and the old-school gay thriller Cruising), Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, queer filmmakers Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin) and Tom Kalin (Swoon, Savage Grace) and more for video chats that you'll see soon on this site and AfterElton.com. My colleague Liz Dahmen from AfterEllen.com quizzed indie film mogul (Christine Vachon (Boys Don't Cry, Go Fish, Swoon, Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, Hedwig) and out actress and comedy superhero Jane Lynch, too. Those are coming your way, too.
For now, check this slew of photos (below & after the jump) of the queery filmy shenanigans!
Gael Garcia Bernal-icious!!! He rocked Ptown this past weekend with his directorial debut, "Deficit," and he snagged a special award for his acting career thus far. Woo-hoo!
A funny note: When Gael Garcia Bernal took the stage to accept his acting award during the Ptown Film Fest awards ceremony, he gushed, "I feel like Miss Mexico!!!!" And then he even got teary-eyed. Awwww... The gays in the audiences swooned, naturally.
All in all, the Ptown Film Festival is one of the country's best. It's small and manageable, and the stars and directors who attend are totally accessible and willing to chat up their fans. Plus, you get to be in Ptown, so when you're not movie-watching you can gay it up, eat fudge, cycle around the breezy tip of Cape Cod or hit the beach.
Some buzz-worthy films to watch out for include the Swedish, queerish vampire flick Let the Right One In, and Alan Ball's riveting Towelhead, which is powerful in its depiction of a young mixed-race Lebanese/American 13-year-old girl who's dealing with crazy parents, her burgeoning sexuality, horny older men and life in 1991 Gulf-War era Houston. It's American Beauty meets Mysterious Skin meets something from Todd Solondz (and it features Toni Collette, Aaron Eckhart, Six Feet Under's Peter MacDissi).
A full list of what movies won awards at the film fest is listed at the end of this post. But first... PHOTOS!
When the store displays look like this, you know you're not in Cannes or Park City. Welcome to the Ptown Film Fest!
The sweet, queer-youth-centric film "Tru Loved" screened, and its director Stewart Wade and producer Antonio Brown bonded with actress Jane Lynch (who's in the film) at the Filmmaker's Welcome Reception in P'town.
Celeb photographer Henny Garfunkel (left) noshed with director Gregg Araki (right) and his bf Stephen David.
NYC-based filmmakers Greg Ivan Smith and Dustin Schell screened their short, "The Back Room," and gabbed with homo journalist Lawrence Ferber and his partner, Matt Dalton.
Filmmaker Josephine Decker (left) screened her doc "Bi the Way" which examines how today's youth apporach sexuality; and actor/comedian Liz Dahmen (right) interviewed talent for AfterEllen and NewNowNext. See her interviews here soon!
Er... That's me. Taking a quick break. Sip!
Out actor and "Dante's Cove" star Charlie David locks up his bike; he hit Ptown screening his gay coming-out/romance "Mulligans." He's flanked by his producer Linda Carter.
Since Quentin Tarantino was in town for the film fest, the gays celebrated by having a Pulp Fiction-themed dance party. OK... Who gets to be Uma??!
"Towelhead," the new film from Alan Ball got screened. Ball (center) attended and answered questions. Here, he's flanked by the film's star, Summer Bishil and its producer, Ted Hope.
At Saturday's press & filmmaker luncheon, John Waters greets Quentin Tarantino with a big hug. These two are total best film-buff buds.
...And I interviewed Gael Garcia Bernal (among others). He was super-fun and chatty and sweet! And yes, this is not the best photo. Oy.
Here's another pic of Gael, with producer Ted Hope, at that night's big gala party. He's sporting glasses -- and a similar whacked-out stare. What's up with that?
And here's filmmaking legend and icon of all things twisted, John Waters (right), hanging at the party with Paper magazine film scribe Dennis Dermody.
Finally, we'll leave you with some Ptown icons that are always in season, whether there's a film fest raging or not...
Boozing it up at the A-House is a Ptown tradition. (Who knew they had their own cheap house-brand of rot-gut vodka?) As is appreciating the tall, stony Pilgrim Monument. Schwing!
And yes... Loony drag queens never go out of style in Ptown. This beauty was scraping the floor of the Waves Video Bar late Saturday night. God Bless America! God Bless Ptown!
And as promised, below are the list of the films that scored prizes at the 10th Annual Ptown Film Fest. Come next year! It'll be equally as gorgeous!
Ahem...
The Audience Award for Best Feature Film was given to FROZEN RIVER, directed by Courtney Hunt
The Audience Award for Best Documentary was given to FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER , directed by Irena Salina
The Audience Award for Best Short Film was given to WHO I AM, directed by Whitney Peters
The John Schlesinger Award (awarded to a first time filmmaker) was given to Lance Hammer, director of BALLAST
The Student Film Competition Grand Jury Award was given to RABIA, directed by Muhammad Ali Hasan
The Student Film Competition Special Jury Prize was given to THE SHERIFF, directed by Jeff M. Giordano
For more on the 10th Annual Provincetown Film Festival, check out their site.
How could you resist grabbing Gael Gacia Bernal, stuffing him in a sack and taking him home with you?
He's so adorable it hurts.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | June 23, 2008 at 06:21 PM
John, it was great meeting you in PTown and what a blast the entire weekend was.
PS - Gael was hot business.
Posted by: Dan McCallum | June 24, 2008 at 11:54 AM
OMG Gregg Araki is really looking old!! or maybe its just the photo...
Posted by: chad | June 24, 2008 at 04:35 PM