The Provincetown International Film Festival
Event Preview - Provincetown, Massachusetts
By Peter F. Demers | June 13, 2011
Film festivals are increasingly becoming an important part of many towns effort to draw attention, tourists and money to their communities.
The Provincetown International Film Festival is embarking on a major effort to build upon the phenomenal success of its film festival to make Provincetown a year round center for film making. This year’s festival, running from June 15-19, is another giant step in cementing Provincetown as a major player in the worldwide film industry.
One of the fastest growing festivals in terms of number of attendees, celebrity attendance and prominence in the international film festival circuit, the Provincetown International Film Festival has become a magnet for the most respected filmmakers.
This year’s attendees will include such luminaries as Darren Aronofsky, acclaimed Oscar nominated director of the Oscar nominated film for best picture, Black Swan, who will be awarded the prestigious “Film Maker on the Edge Award.” Previous winners have included John Waters (a long time Provincetown summer resident), Gus Van Sant, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith.
Albert Maysles, Oscar nominated cinematographer known for Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter and Salesmen will receive the coveted “Career Achievement Award”.
This year’s award for Excellence in Acting goes to Oscar nominated actress Vera Farmiga, best known for her work in films such as The Departed, The Manchurian Candidate and Up in the Air. Her work is represented in the festival in the film Higher Ground. Past recipients include Tilda Swinton, Allen Cumming, Lili Taylor and Marcia Gay Harden.
The festival will screen twenty-five narrative features, twenty-one full length documentaries and fifty-six shorts and nine retrospective titles which include Drive In and John Waters Presents.
ONE’s former editor and current contributor, Steve Lyons has his first directorial effort, The Hunted entered in the short film category.
Founded in 1999 by Pamela (PJ) Lang, the festival’s prominence has been achieved through the tireless efforts of its very capable Executive Director, Gabby Hanna and her equally competent assistant, Deborah Magee.
Their drive and vision built upon the early success of the festival and integrated it into the wider goal of bringing filmmakers to the town. The newly formed non-profit Provincetown Film Society, recently completed the purchase of a seventy seat theater at the Whaler’s Wharf complex. Hanna is now embarking on another fund raising effort to renovate the aging theater which will become the home of the festival and provide a facility to screen independent films year round.
The new film society’s goals are ambitious. In addition to year-round screenings and discussions, the society’s board wants to establish a film laboratory, where novice filmmakers have access to cameras and editing equipment. Hanna also envisions offering classes and seminars taught by experienced directors, cinematographers and editors.
With a focus on independent film, Hanna plans to bring filmmakers to Provincetown to provide support and guidance that will enable them to develop and shoot in the coastal resort. In addition to working closely with prominent film schools (such as Boston University, Emerson and Yale), she is also planning to work with other organizations to reach out to high schools to encourage students to learn more about film and filmmaking.
While these efforts may take several years to complete, the success of the Provincetown International Film Festival provides a worthy foundation on which to build.
Details:
Provincetown International Film Festival
PO Box 605
Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-3456
June 15-19, 2011
All photographs that accompany this article were graciously supplied by The Provincetown International Film Festival and remain the copyright of their respective owners.
