Provincetown Film Festival Lineup Features Billy Porter, Bruce LaBruce, and More

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