I talked with Andrew Peterson, director of programming for the Provincetown International Film Festival that takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts June 13th through June 17th. This year there will be over 60 films presented at the 14th annual PIFF. The opening night film will be the East Coast premiere of Bachelorette, directed by Leslye Headland and starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan. The Festival will close with Fairhaven, directed by Tom O'Brien and starring O'Brien, Chris Messina and Rich Sommer. The Friday Spotlight Film is Gayby, directed by Jonathan Lisecki and the Saturday Spotlight Selection is Vito, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. The 2012 Filmmaker on the Edge Award sponsored by the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation will be awarded to Iconic producer/director Roger Corman. Pit and the Pendulum, The Trip and The Little Shop of Horrors are just a few of his cult-classics and will be presented by director John Waters. Actor Parker Posey, Price Check, Party Girl, Best in Show will receive the Excellence in Acting Award. The Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award sponsored by the MALLRD Foundation will be given to documentary director Kirby Dick, The Invisible War, This Film Is Not Yet Rated and Outrage. I talked to Andrew about the Provincetown International Film Festival and issues facing our LGBT community.
When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Peterson stated:
Part of it at the festival is showing films and having conversations and trying to inspire people and remind people of their roots and recharge that sense of community that I think is increasingly hard to have. I think that festivals are rare that do that. I don't even know if people go to see movies much anymore in their own cities other than blockbusters. It use to be when a gay film opened in the '90s the theater would be packed in Minneapolis where I live. Now I think a lot of people experience things at home and I think there's such a power of seeing things together and having conversations and talking to the creators and particularly documentaries. These filmmakers are so steeped in their subject and have so much knowledge to impart and advance the dialogue and give a positive message.