Cinephiles won’t want to miss out on the 2017 Provincetown Film Festival. From June 14 to 18, a host of Hollywood stars and acclaimed independent flicks will take over the small Cape Cod town for this year’s festivities.
Sofia Coppola, who recently received the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, will be honored as the Filmmaker on the Edge for her latest work, “The Beguiled.” The award focuses on filmmakers who aim to craft movies with a distinct style and vision.
According to executive director Christine Kunewa Walker, the fest’s signature award best represents the event’s goal of highlighting movies that are “edgy, diverse and important in many different ways.” She also explains that the lineup is curated to match the many interests of their New England audience, including works that focus on LGBTQ and women’s cinema.
Festivalgoers interested in queer film should check out “Beach Rats” by Eliza Hittman, a personal recommendation by Kunewa Walker. The movie explores the life of Frankie, a teenager in Brooklyn trying to escape his bleak home life by getting into trouble and flirting with older gentlemen online. Two other notable films directed by women include “32 Pills,” in which director Hope Litoff closely studies her late sister’s artwork and comes to terms with her suicide, as well as the comedy “Mr. Roosevelt,” directed by “Master of None” cast member Noël Wells.
On top of the abundance of films, many events and panels will be hosted throughout the festival. John Waters, an integral supporter of the event, will appear at a book signing for his latest, “Make Trouble,” inspired by his 2015 Rhode Island School of Design graduation speech.
“It’s never just a book signing with John Waters though,” says Kunewa Walker. “People get to talk and engage with him, which everyone loves.”
Actress Chloë Sevigny will receive the Excellence in Acting Title Award, while former “Parks and Recreation” star Aubrey Plaza will take home the newly-minted Next Wave Award, which is for “people who make really strong choices in their work and are very committed to independent film,” according to Kunewa Walker.
Despite the deluge of famous faces and the intense artistry of the films, Kunewa Walker assures that the Provincetown Film Festival is a very comfortable and inviting environment.
“Film festivals can seem intimidating,” she says. “But then people decide to come for a few films and they become lifers.”
If you go:
June 14-18, various locations, Provincetown, provincetownfilm.org
