This Week's Hot Ticket - The 15th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival

PTown's 15th PIFF begins today and runs thru Sunday.

Hold onto your hats... Provincetown's film fest looks even bigger and better than ever before, packing 132 films and events into these next five days. If you count all the shorts (and I certainly do; I'll be seeing at least 20 of them) there are well over 100 films to be seen before the end of the festival on Sunday night. There are panels and seminars, awards events, parties, and a number of opportunities to meet actors, producers and directors of films large and small. Many of the films will be followed by a Q & A session where the audience can ask questions of the filmmakers, producers, actors and directors.
The festival gets underway tonight with food, music, filmmakers and a fun evening at the opening party, at the Crown & Anchor at 9PM. Tonight's movies begin at 7 PM and include 16 short films, three narrative features and a documentary. Tomorrow will bring 48 films and events including a book reading and signing, breakfast with filmmakers, and special screenings of notable films returning to the screen for this occasion, such as Drugstore Cowboy, starring Matt Dillon, playing at Waters Edge Cinema inside the Whalers Wharf at 4:30 PM. Dillon will be in Provincetown to receive this year's Excellence in Acting Award at Town Hall on Saturday at 5 PM.

Call for tickets or go to box office at 247 Commercial Street.

Tomorrow's films include a tremendous variety of short films, many narrative features and documentaries, including Whoopi Goldberg's directorial debut which chronicles the racial and gender breakthroughs of legendary comic pioneer Moms Mabley, playing at Town Hall at 2 PM. Get tickets for any and all of these films and events by calling 866 811-4111, or visit the PIFF box office, located at the Crown & Anchor, at 247 Commercial Street. Festival passes are also available, providing admission to films, parties and events. Become a member of the Provincetown Film Society and get a discount on festival passes, and many other benefits. Get tickets as soon as you know what films you'd like to see because many will sell out. Be sure to be in your seat at least 5 minutes before the scheduled screening time to assure that you get a seat. Since ticket holders don't always make it to the theater, any empty seat will be sold to someone in the wait-list line, so arriving late with a ticket in hand does not guarantee you a seat. Conversely, you can sometimes get tickets to sold-out films by standing in the wait-list lines, which form at each venue 30 minutes before the film's scheduled starting time.
Every day of the festival is jam-packed with so many wonderful films and events that I couldn't possibly begin to list them all. Get the catalog and schedule at the box office, or at the old fire station just west of Town Hall, where you can also buy festival T-shirts and hats. You can also get information online, at http://www.ptownfilmfest.org. Be sure to check this website periodically to keep up with last-minute schedule changes that commonly occur during events like this. Times or venues sometimes have to be adjusted when film prints are delayed in shipping, or other mishaps occur.
Film is a vital part of the character of PTown. See some terrific films during the festival and help to support year-round independent film at the tip of Cape Cod. Click to see John Waters talk about film in Provincetown over the last 47 years or so.
Volunteers are still needed to help us pull off this colossal 5-day event. Send an E-mail to kaledoux@yahoo.com or go to the PIFF volunteer page of the festival website if you can help, and get a free T-shirt and some great perks for volunteering.
This year's closing event will be a block party Sunday night held on Commercial Street, between Bubala's and Enzo/ Local 186, promising sights, sounds, entertainment, special guests and the very popular HBO Audience Awards. See you there!