The Provincetown International Film
Festival is set to feature a new documentary on the military's ban on
gays serving openly. The policy, titled 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', was
conceived as a compromise by the Clinton administration in 1993.
Since then, 12,000 GLBT soldiers have been discharged under the
policy. The issue is currently a hot topic as a recent federal court
ruled the Armed Forces could only discharge soldiers determined to be
detrimental to the group's mission. That is, a blanket statement
that homosexuality is inconsistent with military cohesion and
therefore a gay soldier must be detrimental to the group's mission
and troop morale is unacceptable. This decision could mark the
beginning of the end of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.
The film, Ask Not, by director
Johnny Symons focuses its lens on the true national and human costs
of the military's ban on gays & lesbians.
Ask Not delivers compelling
reasons on the failure of the policy – a group of young gays
attempt to enlist openly, interviews with veterans expose hidden
flaws, and a video diary from a closeted soldier as he heads off to
Iraq vividly unmasks the pain of the policy – making it a must see
film.
Ask Not screens on Friday, June
20th and Sunday, June 22nd.
Also in Provincetown, don't miss
director Tom Gustafson's spellbinding gay musical fantasy Were The
World Mine – a feature length
follow-up to his award-winning short film Fairies.
Timothy is elated when his eccentric
teacher casts him as mischievous Puck in a school production of A
Midsummer Night's Dream. Timothy, a social outcast in a
homophobic community, loves Jonathon. Soon he discovers a potion
that allows him to turn his town gay and make Jonathon love him. What
happens when he reluctantly gives up his control over the town?
The Advocate said of the film, “Hedwig
And The Angry Inch had better move over.”
Were The World Mine screens on
Friday, June 20th and Sunday, June 22nd.
The festival opens with the North
American premiere of Madonna's directorial debut in the film Filth
And Wisdom. The New York Times said of the comedy, it has “a
surprising sweetness, and, a charismatic lead performance by Eugene
Hutz, frontman of the Gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello.”
The Provincetown International Film
Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary starting June
18th. The festival plans to honor Quentin Tarantino with
the Filmmaker On The Edge Award.
Gay Entertainment Report is a feature
of On Top Magazine and can reached at ontopmag@ontopmag.com.