Provincetown International Film Festival 2009

With recent box office hits like Slumdog Millionaire and Pan's Labyrinth, are U.S. audiences more amenable to subtitles and foreign-language films at their local cinema? Sebastian Silva (director of The Maid), Steven Raphael (President, Required Viewing, exhibition consultant for The Maid and Patrik, Age 1.5) and Marcus Hu (Co-President, Strand Releasing, distributor of The Headless Woman), among others, discuss the current climate for finding audiences for foreign-language films in the U.S. today.

-Sponsored by Provincetown.com CHICA BUSCA CHICA is Spain's answer to "The L Word." In this sexy and cute show we are introduced to a group of ladies looking for love in all the right and sometimes wrong places as they play musical beds to their hearts' desire. This episodic series has been packaged into a feature length presentation to make its North American debut. Nines wakes up from a one-night stand with Monica but soon discovers she is far more interested in pursuing Monica's bi-curious roommate Carmen. Things get complicated because Monica was expecting more than a one-night tryst from her efforts with Nines. Employing the complexities at which Spanish film- and television-makers excel, we next learn that Carmen has a boyfriend, albeit a lying, cheating boyfriend. But who doesn't love a challenge? These girls sure have their work cut out for them as they navigate life, love and the pursuit of sexual satisfaction in fast-paced Madrid. CHICA BUSCA CHICA may be low on budget but it is big on appeal. Made by and for women, this series is what Latinas, and the women who love them, have always wanted... a lesbian novella with sexy Spanish girls. CHICA BUSCA CHICA is a guilty pleasure that will have you yearning for more. - Kareem Tabsch, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival In Spanish with English subtitles Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

Just work hard, and you'll get ahead--that's the American Dream. But what happens when the bank forecloses on your house, your ex won't send the child support, and you're an immigrant with limited connections? When Elaine Cheng, a hardworking mother, finds that her real estate job simply isn't paying the bills, she can't resist the lure of quick money from pyramid schemes. As Elaine rushes from work appointments to sales meetings, ten-year-old Raymond and eight-year-old Tina become accustomed to making their own dinners and entertaining themselves by building fantastical inventions. But when one pyramid scheme takes a frightening turn, Raymond and Tina must navigate an adult world beyond their wildest imagination. In this enthralling drama, writer/director Tze Chun - named one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film" - shows us a view of Boston rarely seen on film. As the family takes Route 93 from Quincy, rides the red line, and roams the streets of Downtown Crossing, locals will recognize familiar sights - but Chun's story sparkles with fresh insight. Gripping and always utterly natural, CHILDREN OF INVENTION deftly explores both the big dreams and the material realities of real economic hardship. - Kristina Aikens, Independent Film Festival of Boston Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Independent Film Festival of Boston. Print Source: Filmmaker

The largest supplier of dolphins in the world is located in the picturesque town of Taiji, Japan. But the town has a dark, horrifying secret that it doesn't want the rest of the world to know. There are guards patrolling the cove where the dolphin capturing takes place who prevent any photography. The only way to stop the evil acts is to expose it... and that's exactly what the brave group of activists in THE COVE intend to do. Armed with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, the members of the small group, led by the most famous dolphin trainer in the world, devise a covert plan to infiltrate the cove to document the horrifying events that happen there. Along the way, they uncover what may be the largest health crisis facing our planet - the poisoning of our seas. Part environmental documentary, part horror film, part spy thriller, THE COVE is as suspenseful as it is enlightening. The final result is a heart-wrenching, but inspirational story that shows the true power of film in the hands of people who aren't afraid to risk everything for a vital cause. - Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Winner of the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Print Source: Roadside Attractions

New England Premiere Writer David Brind and actor Ashley Springer will be in attendance. DARE follows three very-different teenagers through the last semester of high school. There are Alexa (Emmy Rossum), the overachieving good girl; Ben (Ashley Springer), the melancholy outsider; and Johnny (Zach Gilford), the rich kid who has everything. This unlikely trio fall into each other's lives and each other's arms, making a last-ditch effort to shake things up before they actually have to start living as adults. Director Adam Salky and writer David Brind take us into some uncharted territory with fresh eyes and matter-of-fact authority. Sweet and sexy don't always go together, but they work beautifully in this instance because the sexuality of the film is cleverly woven into the fabric of the story. You can ask why the kids are in such a hurry to experience adult feelings, especially when their parents, comically enough, are afraid to get in the way. All is answered in the nuanced performances of this exceptional cast. They capture perfectly a generation with nothing to rebel against except their self-imposed inhibitions. Director Salky stacks up countless priceless moments in crafting teen romance with a decidedly modern spin. In DARE, the kids do what they need to do to become the adults they should. With Alan Cumming and Sandra Bernhard. - John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival Print Source: Filmmaker

Producer Claire Lewis will be in attendance. In the 1990s, uncontrolled fishing caused the seemingly endless stock of cod in Nova Scotia to run dry. Now nearly two decades later, overfishing is causing a global ecological disaster. Director Rupert Murray travels the world to discover who is responsible for the overfishing and what can be done to correct the problem before it's too late. Enlisting the help of Charles Clover, author of the book of the same name, THE END OF THE LINE tackles the complexities of overfishing head on and from all angles. From rural fishing villages where fisherman must now migrate with the fish to survive, to the large corporate fleets fishing beyond accepted quotas, to the rapidly growing, but ecologically unsustainable fish farms, Murray expertly captures the chaotic battle for the future of the world's oceans. A vibrant examination of the state of rapidly declining fish stocks with a powerful message to act now, THE END OF THE LINE will forever change the way you think about your next seafood dinner. Print Source: New American Vision

"Be yourself no matter what they say," said Quentin Crisp, the English writer and raconteur who rose to iconic stardom after the publication of his 1968 memoir, "The Naked Civil Servant." Crisp's celebration of queer sexuality, defiant exhibitionism, and eyebrow-raising gender-bending drew admiration and curiosity alongside hostility and violence. The 1975 film that followed only increased Crisp's celebrity and made a star out of the actor who portrayed him, John Hurt. Now, more than 30 years later, Hurt revisits the role as director Richard Laxton constructs a portrait of Crisp's later life in New York, where he moved in 1981 at the age of 72. In this smart, sensitive drama, Laxton traverses the East Village and the legendary corners of gay culture, eliciting nostalgia while capturing the shifting sensibilities within New York's gay and lesbian community during that pivotal era. After initial outpouring of adulation from celebrities and artists, Crisp's insightful, witty and sharp comments begin to cut against him as fears heighten in response to the first outbreak of AIDS. Hurt's heartfelt and deeply embodied reprisal of the role is astonishing throughout, and Cynthia Nixon (as Penny Arcade), Swoosie Kurtz, Jonathan Tucker and Denis O'Hare colorfully round out the excellent supporting cast. - Roya Rastegar, Tribeca Film Festival Print Source: Logo/MTV

Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones took home an Emmy for his starring turn in this film, adapted by acclaimed author-journalist Norman Mailer from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Based on a true story, the compelling drama follows the troubled last days of Gary Gilmore, a career criminal on death row who became the first prisoner executed in the United States after the government's death penalty reinstatement in 1976. Also starring Rosanna Arquette, Christine Lahti and Eli Wallach. Ms. Arquette and Mr. Schiller will introduce the film with a Q&A to follow. Then, join Ms. Arquette and Mr. Schiller at the Norman Mailer home for a reception to benefit the Norman Mailer Writers Colony (special ticket required). Print Source: Filmmaker

FADOS completes the musical trilogy of award-winning Carlos Saura, which was set into motion with FLAMENCO (1995) and TANGO (1998). Using Lisbon as a backdrop, he explores Portugal's most emblematic musical genre (fado) and its haunting spirit of saudade (melancholy). Tracing its African and Brazilian origins up to the new wave of modern faudistas, he ingeniously deploys mirrors, back projections, lighting effects and lush colors to frame each song, ranging from a campfire ringed by sinuous dancers, to a balletic catfight between two jealous women, to a thrilling desgarrada (musical duel) in a fado café. The result is a ravishing fusion of cinema, song, dance and instrumental numbers. FADOS contains homages to such legends as Maria Severa and Amália Rodrigues, as well as stunning turns by modern stars like Mariza and Camané; but Saura also expands the songs (which traditionally involve just a singer and a guitarist) with dance, and encompasses other nationalities (with a special emphasis on performers of color from Portugal's former colonies) and idioms (such as hip hop, flamenco and reggae). This inclusive, non-purist approach conveys a grand vision of music's power to break down boundaries: between Iberian neighbors Spain and Portugal, Old World and New, white and black, young and old, rich and poor - a celebration of fado as World Music in the fullest sense of the term. In Portuguese with English subtitles Print Source: Zeitgeist Films