GUS VAN SANT'S LAST DAYS OPENS PROVINCETOWN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL JUNE 15

The Provincetown International Film Festival, scheduled for June 15-19, enters into its seventh year with another stellar line-up of films and highlights.

This year's program includes fifty-five new features (28 narratives and 27 documentaries), with 10 countries represented. Opening Selection is the East Coast premiere of director Gus Van Sant's newest release Last Days unveiled at Cannes (slated for theatrical release this summer by the newly-formed Picturehouse). The film, inspired by the final days of Kurt Cobain (played by Michael Pitt), is a meditation on the inner turmoil that engulfs a brilliant, but troubled, musician in the final hours of his life. The Closing Night Selection is Heights, directed by Chris Terrio and produced by Ismail Merchant. That film, starring Glenn Close, chronicles a whirlwind day of chance encounters that profoundly alter the complicated lives of a worldly mother and daughter. Both Van Sant and Terrio are scheduled to attend the festival with their films.

The annual "Filmmaker On The Edge" award, honoring innovation in filmmaking, will go to director/writer Mary Harron whose 1996 debut feature I Shot Andy Warhol immediately launched her into the spotlight as a maverick filmmaker to watch. Her second feature, the equally provocative American Psycho, met with international success and won numerous awards. Harron's forthcoming The Notorious Bettie Page (slated for release by Picturehouse in 2006) stars Gretchen Mol , Lili Taylor and Jared Harris and is produced by Christine Vachon. She is currently in pre-production for her next film Please Kill Me, based on Legs McNeil's best-selling book.

Previous recipients of the "Filmmaker on the Edge" award at the Provincetown International Film Festival are director Jim Jarmusch (2004), director Todd Haynes (2003), director Gus Van Sant (2002), producers Ted Hope and James Schamus (2001), producer Christine Vachon (2000), and filmmaker John Waters (1999).

Five additional festival spotlights are announced:

The Friday Night Spotlight is Loggerheads, directed by Tim Kirkman and starring Tess Harper and Bonnie Hunt. Inspired by a true story, Loggerheads skillfully interweaves three stories, each in a different year on Mother's Day weekend in North Carolina. As the film unfolds layers of repressed emotions are peeled back, examining what it means to need a family. Kirkman will be on hand to introduce his work.

The Saturday Night Spotlight is Junebug directed by Phil Morrison and featuring music from Yo La Tengo (who will be in attendance with the director). The story follows a go-getting art gallery owner from Chicago who travels south with her near-perfect Southern beau husband coinciding with her trip to close a deal with a reclusive North Carolina artist. When she is introduced to her new husband's Southern family, her presence exposes the fragile family dynamics as hidden resentments and anxieties surface.

On Thursday evening, June 16, the festival presents A Night at the Wellfleet Drive-In, this year featuring Miramax Film's soon-to-be-released Deep Blue in a double feature with the original 1975 summer classic Jaws (celebrating its 30th anniversary this year). From directors Andy Byatt and Alastair Fothergill, Deep Blue boasts exquisite underwater camerawork from the dark, uncharted waters of Antarctica to the natural reefs of Australia. This breathtaking documentary examines the many varieties of aquatic wildlife across the globe, intermittently narrated by Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), and shot in more than 200 locations. Following in the tradition of films like Microcosmos and Winged Migration, this masterwork allows the wondrous visuals to speak for themselves without imposing the monotonous narration of most nature documentaries. An epic soundtrack recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra ably supports the astounding images of an ocean odyssey providing perfect drive-in entertainment that will awe and delight all ages and should not be missed on the big screen!

This year the festival also includes two Centerpiece Selections: Werner Herzog's astounding new documentary Grizzly Man and director Michael Hoffman's dramatic Game 6. In Grizzly Man the famed German director documents the real-life story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who presumed he could live safely among the grizzly bears of the Alaskan wilderness to whom he had devoted years of study. He was eventually killed by one. Herzog relies considerably on Treadwell's own video footage, shot during his time in the wild. But, in typical Herzog fashion, the director takes Treadwell's story into unexpected emotional frontiers and startling landscapes of the mind.

Game 6 stars Michael Keaton as a writer whose new play is opening on Broadway, the same night that his beloved Boston Red Sox face the New York Mets for the fateful sixth game of baseball's 1986 World Series. With an original screenplay written by the acclaimed novelist Don DeLillo, the film features impressive performances from the ensemble cast also including Robert Downey, Jr., Griffin Dunne, Bebe Neuwirth, and Catherine O'Hara. It is a moving portrait of a man who finds himself at the crossroads in his life -- struggling at an intersection of hope and total despair.

Continuing in the Festival is the Breakfast with... series, which provides additional opportunities for festival-goers to dine with industry professionals who will discuss aspects of their craft. There will be four "Breakfast with..." programs, one each on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The price of admission will include a continental breakfast, and special guests and topics discussed will be announced shortly.

Special receptions and parties are scheduled throughout the five day event. The Opening Night Party offers the first opportunity to meet and greet visiting filmmakers and will be hosted at the historic waterfront Crown & Anchor. Sponsored by Bacardi Big Apple, the festival kick-off features drinks, delicacies and dancing. The second annual Clambake and Pool Party (also hosted at the Crown & Anchor) gives festival-goers a taste of New England and will feature live music performed by the band Preacher. Fresh lobster, clams, beach volleyball and swimming all make it a perfect Cape Cod festivity.

On Friday, June 18 a special Patron/Filmmaker Reception will be hosted at The School House Center and features photographs by the acclaimed Michael Childers. Childers' legendary photography has presented the world with the black and white glamour of Hollywood's smoke and mirrors through an exquisite eye that understands our ideals and fantasies of these celluloid icons. His portraits of celebrities include stills of Mae West, Al Pacino, David Hockney, Tennessee Williams and Natalie Wood. This year the festival will honor Childers for his "Outstanding Hollywood Portraiture." Later that evening original programming screens at the HBO Video Party held at Crown and Anchor's Wave Video Lounge. The Festival closes with a Closing Night Party hosted by the Boatslip with cuisine by Bayside Betsy's, where the HBO Audience Choice Awards will be presented.

The complete line-up of films will be announced on May 23 on the Festival website, when advance tickets officially go on sale. Special events, ticket information, venues, travel and accommodation suggestions are currently available on the Festival website at www.ptownfilmfest.org. The seventh annual Provincetown International Film Festival is made possible by the generous support of the Festival's Presenting Sponsors including HBO, Bacardi Big Apple, Premiere Magazine, The Advocate, The New Art Cinemas, The Provincetown Banner, The Boston Phoenix and The Provincetown Visitors Service Board. The Youth and Diversity Film Program receives support from the Gay and Lesbian Equity (GALE) Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation. Additional growing support comes from numerous community-based businesses. For more information on the Festival visit www.ptownfilmfest.org or call 508-487-FILM.

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COMPLETE FILM LINE-UP
(Listed alphabetically and genre)

DRAMATIC FEATURES


5 X 2
Thur., June 16 at 7:30pm, Town Hall
Sat., June 18, 7:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Thirty-somethings Gilles and Marion are a loving married couple, and we meet them on the occasion of their divorce. Their story is told backward in five different segments, allowing us to examine how the marriage slowly unraveled, leading to their initial meeting-a happy "ending." From the director of Swimming Pool and Under the Sand. Directed by Francois Ozon (France, 2004, 90 min.)


ADAM AND STEVE
Sat., June 18 at 4:30pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Sun., June 19 at 1:30pm, Town Hall
In this over-the-top comedy, a 30-something gay man becomes involved with one of his most unsuccessful one-night stands-without either of them realizing they have met before. This at times raunchy romantic adventure features standout performances by Craig Chester, Malcolm Gets, Parker Posey, and Chris Kattan, and a living, breathing hoedown. Directed by Craig Chester (US, 2005, 100 min.)


THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED
Fri., June 17 at 10:00pm, Town Hall
Sun., June 19 at 6:45pm at New Art Cinemas 1
A cocky, gutsy take on the anguishing contradictions of polar opposite worlds, this remake of the James Toback 1978 cult classic Fingers tells the story of Tom, a French urbanite caught between the crime underworld of his father and his late mother's wish for him to become a concert pianist. From the maker of Read My Lips. Directed by Jacques Audiard (France, 2005, 107 min.)


CHILDSTAR
Fri., June 17 at 2:45pm, Town Hall
Sun., June 19 at 1:15pm, New Art Cinemas 2
A spoiled and conflicted 12-year-old American TV star runs away from the set of his latest film production, only to be pursued by his reluctant limo driver. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the stage mom extraordinaire. Directed by Don McKellar (Canada, 2004, 98 min.)


CLEAN
Wed., June 15 at 8:45pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sat., June 18 at 9:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Maggie Cheung won a Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her portrayal of Emily, a rock-star widow, who is trying to rebuild her life. When she gets out of prison where she was being held on drugs charges, she is determined to get her son back from her parents-in-law. Co-starring Nick Nolte. Directed by Olivier Assayas (France/UK/Canada, 2004, 110 min.)

COTE D'AZUR
Wed., June 16 at 8:45pm, Town Hall
Sat., June 18 at 11:15am, New Art Cinemas 1
Cote d'Azur is the Mediterranean paradise where Marc and his wife Beatrix vacation with their adult children. But over the course of this hilarious, sexy romp, the couple suspects their straight son is gay and the perfect marriage is tested by the chance meetings. Directed by Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau (France, 2005, 90 min.)

THE D WORD/WHO'S THE TOP?
Wed., June 15 at 8:30pm, NA Whalers Wharf
Sun., June 19 at 11:00am, New Art Cinemas 2
A NYC parody of that "other" Sapphic series, THE D WORD follows a group of young queer friends and family as they stumble through work and sex lives with tongue placed firmly in cheek and other interesting bodily orifices. Directed by Cherien Dabis, Maggie Burkle, Noelle Brower (US, 2005, 56 min.) WHO'S THE TOP is the newest film from the director of Paris is Burning. Alixe is in love with her girlfriend Gwen, but often has heated fantasies of scary, yet hot, gangs of women in leather. What's more real, our fantasies, or what we actually do? In this winning film there are no right answers, just musical numbers. Directed by Jennie Livingston (US, 2005, 22 min.)

THE EDUKATORS
Thur., June 16 at 10:00pm, Town Hall
Sun., June 19 at 9:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Jan, Peter and Jule form "The Edukators," a group that warns the rich and disturbs their material comfort with non-violent actions. When a careless moment forces them to carry out a kidnapping, it forces the three young idealists confront the values of the ruling generation. Directed by director Hans Weingartner (Germany/Austria, 2004, 126 min.)


EL FAVOR
Thur., June 16 at 7:00pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Sun., June 19 at 9:15pm, New Art Cinemas 1
The story of Mora and Roberta, two lesbians who are desperate to
have a child. Their unscrupulous plan is to trick Roberta's brother in agreeing to be the father. Directed by Pablo Sofovich (Argentina, 2003, 85 min.)

Centerpiece Selection!
GAME 6
Fri., June 17 at 5:15pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sun., June 19 at 4:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
With his new play opening on Broadway the same night that his beloved Boston Red Sox face the New York Mets for the fateful sixth game of baseball's 1986 World Series, writer Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton) finds himself at a crossroads in his life -- the intersection of hope and total despair. Original screenplay written by acclaimed novelist Don DeLillo. Starring Michael Keaton, Robert Downey, Jr., Griffin Dunne, Bebe Neuwirth, Catherine O'Hara. Directed by Michael Hoffman; Music by Yo La Tengo (US, 2005, 87 min.)

Closing Night!
HEIGHTS
Sun., June 19 at 6:30pm, Town Hall
HEIGHTS transplants the trademark sophistication and elegant, character-driven sensibility of a Merchant/Ivory film to the Big Apple, chronicling a whirlwind day of chance encounters that profoundly alter the complicated lives of a worldly mother and daughter. Starring Glenn Close. Directed by Chris Terrio; Produced By Ishmail Merchant (US, 2004, 93 min.)


THE JOURNEY
Fri., June 17 at 11:30am, New Art Cinemas 1
Sun., June 19 at 2:15pm, NA Whalers Wharf
Lesbian love burgeons in an idyllic South Indian village where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling. Award winner at Chicago and Palm Springs International Film Festivals. Directed by Ligy J. Pullappally (India, 2004, 107 min.)


THE JOY OF LIFE
Fri., June 17 at 10:15pm, Schoolhouse
Sun., June 19 at 6:00pm, Schoolhouse
A sublime hybrid of experimental, documentary and narrative filmmaking styles, this unique film charts the life and loves of a sensitive butch dyke, lyrically narrated by Los Angeles artist, actor and director, Harriet "Harry" Dodge. Directed by Jenni Olson (US, 2004, 65 min.) Short film "Let The Good Times Roll " by Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, plays first. Lost on their way to a desert rock concert, two loners remember the good times. (US, 2004, 15 min.)

Saturday Spotlight!
JUNEBUG
Sat., June 18 at 5:00pm, Town Hall
Sun., June 19 at 11:15am, New Art Cinemas 1
A go-getting art gallery owner from Chicago travels south with her near-perfect Southern beau husband when she needs to close a deal with a reclusive North Carolina artist. When she is introduced as well to her new husband's Southern family, her presence exposes the fragile family dynamics as hidden resentments and anxieties surface. Directed by Phil Morrison (US, 2004, 102 min.) New Shorts by Emily Hubley precede Sunday show.

Opening Night!
LAST DAYS
Wed., June 15 at 6:00pm, Town Hall
Sat., June 18 at 1:450pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Inspired by the last days of Kurt Cobain, LAST DAYS is filmmaker Gus Van Sant's meditation on the inner turmoil that engulfs a brilliant, but troubled, musician in the final hours of his life. Expanding on the elliptical style forged in his two previous films, Gerry and the Palme d'Or-winning Elephant Van Sant layers images and sounds to articulate an emotional landscape, creating a dynamic work about a soul in transition. Directed by Gus Van Sant (US, 2005, 97 min.)

Friday Spotlight!
LOGGERHEADS
Fri., June 17 at 7:30pm, Town Hall
Sat., June 18 at 1:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Inspired by a true story, LOGGERHEADS skillfully interweaves three stories--each in a different year on Mother's Day weekend in North Carolina--and peels back the layers of repressed emotions and examines what it means to need family. From the director of Dear Jesse and The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. Directed by Tim Kirkman (US, 2004, 101 min.)


ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW
Thur., June 16 at 9:15pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Fri., June 17 at 8:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Performance artist Miranda July makes her feature debut with this whimsical, Magnolia-like look at the difficulty of finding and keeping love. In July's modern world, everyday people speak innermost thoughts, act on secret impulses and yield moments that are sad, hilarious and often surreal. Directed by Miranda July (US, 2005, 95 min.)

MITCHELLVILLE
Thur., June 16 at 5:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sat., June 18 at 9:45pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Gabriel Williamson is a 32-year-old Wall Street lawyer with a secret past that he hides behind a mythical personal history. Every night, he dreams of a place called Mitchellville, a town in South Carolina that has suffered a horrible wrong. Now up for partner, Gabriel is asked to undergo a routine psychiatric evaluation, during which he describes Mitchellville and, in doing so, reveals the truth about his own past. Directed by John Harkrider (US, 2004, 84 min.) Short film "Forgetting Jonathan Brandis " by Cam Archer, plays first. A look at the life and death of former child star Jonathan Brandis. (US. 2004, 15 min.)

THE MOSTLY UNFABULOUS SOCIAL LIFE OF ETHAN GREEN
Fri., June 17 at 2:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sun., June 19 at 4:00pm, Crown & Anchor
Based on the hit underground comic strip, this hilarious, gay romantic comedy follows the story of Ethan Green, an adorable 26 year-old professional 'assistant' looking for love in all the wrong places. Kitchy and fun, sexy and outrageous, Ethan Green is a sure bet for a good time that might just make your love life look downright easy. Directed by George Bamber (US, 2005, 88 min.)

MY SUMMER OF LOVE
Wed., June 15 at 6:15pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Fri., June 17 at 5:1500pm, Town Hall
A long, hot English summer creeps up on the emotions of two 16-year-old girls, who live in the same Yorkshire village but are really a world apart. Their new friendship becomes all consuming and they plan to run away, but as the summer draws to a close it becomes clear that their passion will take a different and darker path. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski (UK, 2004, 86 min.)


MYSTERIOUS SKIN
Fri., June 17 at 10:15pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Araki's (The Living End, Splendor) first release in five years is a stunning, uncompromising film about two Kansas teenagers coming to terms with their molestation by their Little League coach. Stars Joseph Gorden-Levitt, Elizabeth Shue, and Michelle Trachtenberg. Directed by Gregg Araki (US, 2004, 99 min.)


PROM QUEEN: THE MARC HALL STORY
Fri., June 17 at 1:15pm, Schoolhouse
Based on the true story of Ontario gay teen rebel Marc Hall who made headlines in Spring 2002 when he challenged the ruling of his Catholic school board for the right to bring his boyfriend Jason as his date to the school Prom. Directed by John L'Ecuyer (Canada, 2004, 88 min.)


THE RECEPTION
Thur., June 16 at noon, New Art Cinemas 1
Sat., June 18 at 7:15pm, New Art Cinemas 1
After a long time apart, a daughter travels with her new husband to meet her mother and her mother's gay companion at their house in upstate New York. Through a series of drunken evenings and daytime squabbles it becomes apparent that no one involved is what they seem. Directed by John G. Young (US, 2005, 80 min.)

SOMERSAULT
Thur., June 16 at 2:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sat., June 18 at 8:00pm, NA Whalers Wharf
Heidi is a sixteen-year-old Australian girl whose reckless sexuality gets her into trouble at home. Caught in a compromising situation by her mother, she takes to the road and meets Joe - a handsome farm owner's son. As their tenuous relationship deepens, it grows more conflicted, exposing their mutual insecurities and leading to near-disaster for both. Directed by Cate Shortland (Australia, 2004, 106 min.)

THE TALENT GIVEN US
Thur., June 16 at 11:30am, NA Whalers Wharf
Sun., June 19 at 4:00pm, Schoolhouse
A humorous and original take on the American road movie. Casting his own Brooklyn-based mom and dad to play "Mom" and "Dad," and siblings and friends to play themselves, the director forces his real-life family into painful quasi-real situations and reveals both a painful and funny portrait of family function and dysfunction. Directed by Andrew Wagner (US, 2004, 98 min.)

TONY TAKITANI
Thur., June 16 at 2:00pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Fri., June 17 at 5:00pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Tony, a stoic technical illustrator, is content with his solitary life, until he meets and marries Eiko. Tony's life is enriched by his newfound happiness and longing, although Eiko buys an alarming number of clothes. When she dies in a road accident, Tony is left with a roomful of near-new designer outfits... "One of the films of the year, and Ryuichi Sakamoto's piano score is just perfect." Tony Rayns, London Film Festival Directed by Jun Ichikawa (Japan, 2004, 75 min.)

THE WARRIOR
Thurs., June 16 at 5:00pm, Town Hall
Fri., June 17 at 7:30pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Set in feudal India, THE WARRIOR is a sweeping mythical adventure story about a lone warrior who renounces his violent role as the longtime enforcer to a local lord - only to be murderously pursued in the Himalayan mountains by the lord, who refused to accept his departure. Winner of the Jury Prize Winner at Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Asif Kapadia (UK, 2004, 86 min.)

A YEAR WITHOUT LOVE
Thur., June 16 at 10:00pm, New Art Cinemas 2
The film follows the inner quest (a confessional diary) and the outer journey (repeated night sallies in search of sadomasochistic experiences) of Pablo Pérez, a young HIV- positive French teacher, harassed by the kind of loneliness which finds no relief in medication; the malady can only be treated with love. Winner of the Teddy Bear for best Gay Film at this Year's Berlin Film Festival. Directed by Anahi Berneri (Argentina, 2005, 95 min.)


DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

BE HERE TO LOVE ME: A FILM ABOUT TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Thur., June 16 at 4:45pm, Schoolhouse
Sat., June 18 at 5:00pm, Schoolhouse
The bittersweet, tragic and destructive life of one of the most respected songwriters in the history of country music. Featuring Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle Directed by Margaret Brown (US, 2004, 99 min.)

THE BOYS OF BARAKA
Thur., June 16 at 4:30pm, NA Whalers Wharf
Sat., June 18 at 10:30am, Schoolhouse
Twenty 12-year-old African American boys are plucked, kicking and screaming, from the roughest ghettos of inner-city Baltimore, to attend an experimental boarding school in the wilds of Kenya, East Africa. This exhilarating film documents first their rebellion, and their transformation. Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (US, 2005, xx min.)

DAVID HOCKNEY: THE COLORS OF MUSIC
Thur., June 16 at 7:30pm, Schoolhouse
Fri., June 17 at 5:45pm, Schoolhouse
Known as a brilliant colorist, British-born David Hockney has produced stage designs and costumes for 11 operas. THE COLORS OF MUSIC follows the artist's creative process and includes sequences from The Rake's Progress, The Magic Flute, Parade, Le Sacre Du Printemps, Tristan and Isolde, Turandot and Die Frau Ohne Schatten. Directed by Maryte Kavaliauskas and Seth Schneidman (US/France, 2003, 85 min.)

DEEP BLUE
Thur. June 16 at 8:00pm, Wellfleet Drive-In
Sun., June 19 at 6:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
In this film that goes under the sea with the same groundbreaking results that Winged Migration captured from the air, the camera is immersed in a world so breathtaking that viewers will want to dive in and join the expedition - but beware the sharks and killer whales! Directed by Andy Byatt and Alastair Fothergill (Germany/U.K, 2003, 83 min.)


THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX
Fri., June 17 at 5:30pm, NA Whalers Wharf
Sat., June 18 at 12:15pm, Schoolhouse
This film follows the political transformation of Shelby Knox, a 15-year-old high school sophomore and conservative Southern Baptist in Lubbock, Texas. She starts by campaigning for sex education in schools, and eventually takes on the gay student union's right to exist. Directed by Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt (US, 2004, 74 min.)

FOLLOWING SEAN
Thur., June 16 at 7:45pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sun., June 19 at noon, NA Whalers Wharf
Revisiting the San Francisco hippie kid he famously filmed in the late 1960s, documentarian Ralph Arlyck fast-forwards from Summer of Love idealism to present-day reality, finding family dysfunction and a counterculture in crisis. Directed by Ralph Arlyck (US, 2004, 87 min.)


Centerpiece Selection!
GRIZZLY MAN
Sat., June 18 at 4:15pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sun., June 19 at 11:00am, Town Hall
Timothy Treadwell, who presumed he could live safely among the grizzly bears of the Alaskan wilderness to whom he had devoted years of study, was eventually killed by one of them. In telling this story, Werner Herzog relies considerably on Treadwell's own video footage, shot during his time in the wild. But the famed German director takes Treadwell's story into unexpected emotional frontiers and startling landscapes of the mind. Directed by Werner Herzog (US/Canada, 2005, 100 min.)



IN GOOD CONSCIENCE:
SISTER JEANNINE GRAMICK'S JOURNEY OF FAITH
Thur., June 16 at 4:30pm, Crown & Anchor
Sun., June 19 at 11:30am, Schoolhouse
In 1971, an American nun founded a compassionate ministry to gay and lesbian Catholics. In 1999, Pope John Paul II issued an ultimatum: denounce homosexuality or lose everything. This is the story of a gentle revolutionary - one of the few women to take on the Vatican Šand win. Directed by Barbara Rick; Cinematography by Albert Maysles (US, 2005, 82 min.)


THE LADY IN QUESTION IS CHARLES BUSCH
Wed., June 15 at 8:30pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Fri., June 17 at 4:30pm, Crown & Anchor
A fascinating portrait of drag artist Charles Busch from his humble beginnings performing in an East village storefront to his Broadway and film accomplishments. Interlaced with archival footage, interviews, and clips from a-never-before seen short directed by Busch himself. A must-see for any Charles Busch fan. Directed by John Catania and Charles Ignacio (US, 2005, 90 min.)


LITTLE MAN
Sat., June 18 at 2:00pm, Cape Inn
The second child of filmmaker Nicole Conn (Claire of the Moon) and Gwen Baba of Los Angeles, Nicolas James was delivered from a surrogate mother 100 days early, weighed one pound, and had a survival chance of .0004. LITTLE MAN documents a most incredible family under severe stress, and takes a camera into a world most people never see: the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit). Directed by Nicole Conn (US, 2005, 119 min).


MAD HOT BALLROOM
Fri., June 17 at noon, Town Hall
Foxtrots collide with rambunctious New York City schoolkids in this exuberant documentary about a ballroom dancing competition for ten-year-olds. A cross between Spellbound and Strictly Ballroom, it's filled with the energy of youth learning how to move and how to take pride in their lives. Directed by Marilyn Agrelo (US, 2004, 104 min.)

THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
Sat., June 18 at 11:00am, Town Hall
This film has all the classic elements of an epic--insurmountable odds, conquering heroes, loving couples, and radiant beauty. It introduces some of the bravest and most memorable characters to ever grace the silver screen...they just happen to be penguins. Directed by Luc Jacquet (France, 2004, 84 min.)

MONUMENTAL
Thur., June 16 at 2:45pm, Schoolhouse
MONUMENTAL explores the beautiful, dramatic, and lyrical story of David Brower -- founding executive director of the Sierra Club. At the center of the film are the themes that absorbed Brower throughout his life: the threatened beauty of the American earth, the spiritual connection between humans and the great outdoors, and the moral obligation to preserve what is left of the world's natural wonders. Directed by Kelly Duane (US, 2004, 77 min.)


MURDERBALL
Fri., June 17 at 2:15pm, New Art Cinemas 1
Sat., June 18 at 2:00pm, Town Hall
Murderball, now called "quad rugby," is a highly competitive, physically violent game played in armored wheelchairs worthy of Mad Max. Following the quadriplegic players, this is a film that will shatter every stereotype you have ever had about what it means to have a disability. Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro (US, 2004, 85 min.) Short film "Crutchmaster" by Nicolas Jenkins, plays first. Bill Shannon is renowned in the underground club-dance scene for his unique version of skateboarding and hip-hop. (US, 2005, 9 min.)



PLAGUES AND PLEASURES OF THE SALTON SEA
Fri., June 17 at 2:00pm, Crown & Anchor
Sat., June 18 at 9:45pm, Schoolhouse
This charming and strange documentary details the meteoric rise and ensuing destruction of Southern California's Salton Sea: once a vision of paradise, now one of the country's worst ecological disasters. Directed by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer; Narrated by John Waters (US, 2004, 86 min.)


RHYTHM IS IT!
Wed., June 15 at 6:30pm, New Art Cinemas 2
Sat., June 18 at 7:45pm, NA Whalers Wharf
A dance company made up of 250 no-experience, at-risk youths set out to perform Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with the Berlin Philharmonic in just six short weeks. Featuring Sir Simon Rattle. Directed by Thomas Grube and Enrique Sanchez Lansch (Germany, 2005, 100 min.)


ROCK SCHOOL
Thur., June 16 at 2:45pm, Town Hall
Everyone at some point in their life dreams of being a rock star - to feel the roar of the crowd, the adoration of the fans, and the trials of life on the road. One can only imagine fulfilling this fantasy as a kid. Directed by Don Argott (US, 2003, 93 min.)


SAME SEX AMERICA
Sat., June 18 at 4:30pm, Crown & Anchor
Sun., June 19 at 3:30pm, Cape Inn
SAME SEX AMERICA personifies the ramifications of Massachusetts' decision to sanction gay marriage by following seven gay and lesbian couples through their painstaking journey to the altar, which ends dramatically at that state's constitutional convention. Directed by Henry Corra (US, 2005, 90 min.)

SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS
Fri., June 17 at 8:00pm, Schoolhouse
Sun., June 19 at 5:00pm, NA Whalers Wharf
A group of Kentucky felons explore the nature of redemption during a jailhouse staging of Shakepeare's The Tempest. The result is an extraordinary story about the power of art to heal and redeem, as the inmates delve deeply into the characters they portray while confronting their personal demons. Directed by Hank Rogers (US, 2005, 92 min.)

STOLEN
Thur., June 16 at 12:30pm, Schoolhouse
Fri., June 17 at 3:30pm, Schoolhouse
In March of 1990, two thieves imitating Boston police officers gained entrance to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Mass., and successfully walked off with Vermeer's "The Concert" and 13 other priceless works. STOLEN is a thorough and fascinating exploration of the Gardner theft. Directed by Rebecca Dreyfus; Cinematography by Albert Maysles (US, 2005, 85 min.)

TAMMY FAYE: DEATH DEFYING
Thur., June 16 at 2:15pm, Crown & Anchor
Sat., June 18 at noon, Crown & Anchor
Few Americans have had lives as intense and publicized, or been as adored and sometimes reviled, as Tammy Faye Messner. Four years after the award-winning documentary THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, we catch up with Tammy Faye as she fights the biggest battle of her tumultuous life -- against inoperable stage IV colon cancer. Directed by Chris McKim (US, 2005, 65 min.) Short film "Irene Williams: Queen of Lincoln Road" by Eric Smith, plays first. A gay man forges a strong friendship with a colorful octogenarian in South Beach.

THAT MAN: PETER BERLIN
Thur., June 16 at 9:45pm, Schoolhouse
Sat., June 18 at 7:30pm, Schoolhouse
About the life and times of photographer, filmmaker, model, and gay male sex icon Peter Berlin. THAT MAN: PETER BERLIN is also a portrait of Armin, th