This week sees the 26th Edition of the annual PROVINCETOWN FILM FESTIVAL with five days of “unflinching cinema”. This 5-day festival showcases American and international independent narrative, documentary, and animated features and shorts as well as panel discussions and special events. Like the Cape Cod town it is situated in this is one of the most diverse film festivals ever in the US, and like its population, has a very significant queer presence.
We are particularly thrilled that all 4 of this years Honorees are from the LGBTQ+ community : The acclaimed English writer/director the multi-award winning ANDREW HAIGH Is being homored as Filmmaker On The Edge. Haigh is best known for WEEKEND, 45 YEARS, LEAN ON PETE and most recently ALL OF US STRANGERS, starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal .He also wrote and produced the HBO series LOOKING and its film sequel LOOKING: THE MOVIE. Haigh will be in Provincetown to receive the award in conversation with resident artist John Waters on Saturday, June 15.
Colman Domingo (Rustin) will be honored with this year’s Excellence in Acting Award Plus Joel Kim Booster and Mae Martin (OUTSTANDING A Comedy Revolution) will be honored with NEXT WAVE Awards
As usual, the whole QUEERGURU Team has scrutinized all the movie for the
BEST QUEER PICKS of MUST SEE MOVIES.
“Can a vagina be masculine?” This, and many more thought-provoking questions, are posed by interviewer/director Jules Rosskam, in his innovative new documentary Desire Lines, which examines the lives of trans men who also became gay men after transitioning. Rosskam’s film, which premiered at Sundance, combines drama with documentary. The combination works well – the purpose of the film is to break down pre-conceived ideas on trans male and trans-masculine gender, identity and sexuality, and this unusual programming format helps break down established thought processes. The focus is on individuality and a broadening of the spectrum of trans visibility. The resulting film is an inclusive celebration of gay trans men and gay trans-masculine lives.
HIGH TIDE, is the debut feature film of award- winning filmmaker Marco Calvani who wrote, directed and produced this compelling romance here in Provincetown. Filmed in a mere 17 days its the tale of undocumented Brazilian immigrant who fails to meet up with his lover, but by the summer season comes to end, he has an unexpected romance with Maurice as the two of them om several different levels. Hearing Calvani talk about the film you immediately sense how passionate he is abouut the movie ….. which we think you will be too
MAD ABOUT THE BOY : Barnaby Thompson‘s compelling and affectionate portrait of one of the greatest quintessential English man of the first half of the last century is such a sheer joy to view. Noel Coward, later to be Sir Noel, and universally known as The Master was famous as a playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, and one of the wittiest flamboyant men of his generation.
Coward had been closeted publicly and even in the 1960s refused to acknowledge his sexual orientation publicly, wryly observing, “There are still a few old ladies in Worthing who don’t know.” Despite this reticence, he encouraged his secretary Cole Lesley to write a frank biography once he was safely dead.
But now there is this joyous tribute detailing an extraordinary life of a extraordinary men which needs to be viewed more than once.
Stephen Soucy’s new documentary MERCHANT IVORY is one of those rare films that actually surpasses all the hype and the anticipation that preceded it. This affectionate profile on the legendary queer film pioneers makes for such joyous viewing. Especially if you are of a certain age (!) and grew up on the splendor of such films as Room With a View. Even more so if you are a gay history buff, as you will want to pay respect to this fearless couple and their impact on gay cinema.
In 2005 Merchant suddenly died aged just 66, but the story doesnt end there. In 2017, Ivory wrote and co-produced the film adaptation of Call Me by Your Name, a 2007 coming-of-age novel directed by Luca Guadagnino At the age of 89, Ivory became the oldest-ever Academy Award winner in any category.
PS You may also like to see QUEERGURU;s exclusive interview with filmmaker Stephen Soucy HERE
OUTSTANDING: A COMEDY REVOLUTION is probably the most joyous celebration of the queer community we will see on our screens this Pride Month. Directed by filmaker/comedian Page Hurwitz, the producing partner of queer comic Wanda Sykes, this Netflix documentary very incisively explores the contributions that stand up comics have made to the growth and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community over the years.
With the help of an unprecedented array of some extraordinary talented queer comedians, Hurwitz allows her cast to share their stories about how their personal and professional ‘coming outs’ shaped their work. Which in turn shaped how our community evolved.
SEBASTIAN. Writers are always advised to ‘Write about what you know.’ Aspiring twenty-five-year-old Scottish writer Max, (the handsome Ruaridh Mollica), is living in London and working on his first novel, a story about a sex-worker, Sebastian. He’s good-looking and ambitious, energetically forging his career and soul. To improve the authenticity of his work he creates an online escort profile and starts seeing clients himself, as his alter-ego Sebastian, and writes about each gig afterward. His potential publisher is impressed with his work, which he credits to interviews with sex workers. This third feature from Finnish Mikko Måkelå, confirms him as one of the most exciting queer filmmakers today
A stunning debut film by Fawzia Mirza The Queen of My Dreams whose human insights are entertainingly luminous. For a film that is set around the death of a father and husband and the funeral that follows it, The Queen of My Dreams is so fresh, and super saturated in color that its vim, sparkle, and humor cannot help but shine through. The conflict between a mother and a daughter is shown, but rather than trudge predictably towards reconciliation the more interesting story of the parallels between their lives is shown.
The Summer With Carmen : two friends on a beach plan a movie about their lives. Bright and sunny Greece, summertime and Demosthenes, a good-looking man that captures the eye from beginning to end of the film, an educational one (instructions included) on how to write a script, develop characters, and write about fiction based on facts. A comedy that embraces us, viewers into a platonic friendship.
We follow the hero (Yorgos Tsiantoulas) and the hero´s friend Nikitas (Andreas Labopoulos) with a distinctive hairstyle, while they take sun baths and relax at a rocky gay beach by the sea, and talk about “Sissies” an audiovisual project that may refer to their experiences two summers ago, the screenplay will be Nikitas´ feature debut
YOUNG HEARTS a tender story of young queer love that premiered at Berlinale. Fourteen-year-old Eli as (Lou Goossens) is growing up in a nice European family and has the loving care of his grandfather who owns a farm somewhere in the Netherlands. One day, he is aware they have new neighbors, afterwards at school he meets Alexander (Marius De Saeger) and learns he and his immediate family come from Brussels. ….. and life is never the same.
PROVINCETOWN FILM FESTIVAL will begin on 6/12 and end on 6/15. To see the whole program and book tickets check out https://www.provincetownfilm.org/
for full reviews on over 2000 queer films check out www.queerguru.com and whilst you are there be sure to subscribe to get all the latest raves and rants on queer cinema ...best of all its FREE
ROGER WALKER-DACK Creator, Editor-in-Chief Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA IG @QUEERGURU Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of Roger Dack Ltd in the UK
