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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Murray Bartlett Thought Leaving NYC Could Hurt His Career — Then Landed The White Lotus
When Murray Bartlett moved to the Provincetown, Massachusetts area a few years ago, he feared that it could cost him acting roles. He'd moved from his native Australia to New York City, after all, to be available for as many opportunities as possible. But he was drawn to the Provincetown region — an idyllic LGBTQ+ and arts mecca at the tip of Cape Cod — because of the chance to be close to nature, to enjoy woods and beaches away from the tumult of a big city. It felt like the right thing to do at that stage in his life, even if it diminished his professional opportunities. Then he got his best role to date — playing a pushed-to-the-limit resort employee on the first season of Mike White's The White Lotus. His career exploded just after he turned 50, and The White Lotus led to opportunities on shows like The Last of Us and Nine Perfect Strangers, and in new films like Opus, released earlier this year, and Ponyboi, out later this month. He's been nominated for two Emmys, and is incredibly in-demand. "I knew I wanted to live here," he told producer Christine Vachon during a Q&A this past weekend at the Provincetown International Film Festival, where he received PIFF's award for Excellence in Acting. "I was nervous at leaving the city but it felt like a thing that was important to me for my life. ... I feel like I followed the things that felt good for me in my life." That meant he was "happy and grounded," he said, when the opportunity arose, soon after he left New York, to star on The White Lotus. He also started to hone in on the question, "What are the stories that I really want to tell? And so that's sort of been my guiding principle from from then on." Vachon, known for such acclaimed films as Far from Heaven, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Carol, May December and the brand-new The Materialists, noted that Murray Bartlett is such a chameleon that the first time they met for a meeting, she passed by without recognizing him. He recounted for the Provincetown audience on Saturday evening that he got his start as an actor when his brother accidentally knocked out his two front teeth with a hammer, while trying to kill a spider back home in Australia. Bartlett had to go to speech therapy to learn to enunciate after his injury. That involved delivering lots of monologues — and he found that he loved it. Also Read: Plainclothes Wins Best Narrative Feature at Provincetown International Film Festival When he started acting professionally, he scored big roles on the Australian shows headLand and Neighbours. When he moved to New York City in 2000, his first big role was on Sex and the City. It made him realize he could make it as an actor in the United States. Moving to Provincetown wasn't the first time he left New York City, certain that it would hurt his career — and then had the opposite happen. He recounted that he moved to Egypt during the Arab Spring to pursue a relationship with an Egyptian man, and ended up growing a mustache to try to fit in better with the locals. "A lot of people had facial hair, so I grew a mustache to try and fit in," he told Vachon. "Then I got a call to audition for Looking, and so I just I did my first audition from Cairo, and I'm pretty sure the mustache had quite a lot to do with me getting the role." His work on White Lotus included a hilariously explicit sex scene that many in the largely gay audience clearly remembered. Bartlett recalled that before appearing on the show, he spoke only briefly with White, mostly about how explicit he was willing to be. 'When I met with Mike, we only had a 45-minute meeting before we started shooting, and that was to talk about — rimming, really," he said. The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. "This is a man who knows his audience," noted Vachon. Main image: Murray Bartlett at the Provincetown International Film Festival. MovieMaker. Related Headlines 13 Awesome '90s Movies Only Cool Kids Remember Plainclothes Wins Best Narrative Feature at Provincetown International Film Festival 5 Ugly Abraham Lincoln Facts No One Likes to Talk About
Broadcast Pro
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Palestinian documentary ‘LYD' to screen in Cyprus and Greece
The documentary follows the rise and fall of Lyd, a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered by the State of Israel, which was established in 1948. The Palestinian documentary LYD, directed by Rami Younis, a Palestinian filmmaker, writer and journalist, and Sarah Ema Friedland, a New York-based documentary filmmaker, will be showcased across three cities during the Palestinian Independent Film Festival (PIFF), taking place from June 13 to 15. Audiences in Limassol, Cyprus, as well as Chania and Agios Nikolaos in Crete, Greece, will have the opportunity to experience this film. LYD presents a sci-fi documentary narrative, tracing the trajectory of Lyd, a 5,000-year-old metropolis that transformed from a vibrant Palestinian town to a conquered entity following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Through an array of characters, the film weaves a tapestry of the Palestinian experience in this city, highlighting the enduring impact of the massacre and expulsion. MAD Solutions is the worldwide distributor and sales agent for the film. The film recently received the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Houston Palestine Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award for Feature Films at the San Diego Arab Film Festival. LYD also received the Best Asian Feature Award at the Pramana Asian Film Festival, earned two mentions at the Sguardi Altrove International Women's Film Festival, and won both a Jury Award for Best Documentary and the inaugural FIPRESCI Award at the fourth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film. The film has garnered attention at festivals, including Pune, Middle East Now, Al Ard, Reel Palestine, Palestinian, and Melbourne Science Fiction. Moreover, it has had multiple screenings worldwide, including extensive showings across the US, Jordan, Italy and Australia. Roger Waters, the movie's executive producer, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and composer known for co-founding the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965, where he served as its bassist.
Boston Globe
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
PIFF brings the silver screen back to the Cape
'What's so special about it to me is that, even though decades have passed, it feels just as relevant today,' Viola said. 'That, to me, makes it a perfect example of a film that we want to kick off the festival with and really set the tone for the week.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The tone isn't only upheld by the festival's films, though. She said it's also an energy exuded throughout Provincetown. Advertisement 'It's really a place where tolerance is promoted and accepted,' Viola said. 'Everyone can be who they are in Provincetown and feel safe and feel comfortable.' She said it's a 'wonderful' location to host a film festival because many of the films PIFF showcases tackle difficult subjects that deserve a receptive audience. 'Provincetown is the perfect place to have these films be cherished and supported,' Viola said. This year's festival includes films like ' Advertisement For those interested in films with a hometown feel, Viola highlighted ' Still of Spiritus Pizza, a family-run pizza and coffee bar in Provincetown, from "Spiritus: No Business Like Dough Business." Provincetown Film Society Viola said PIFF tries to give people a wide variety of options because they know many of these films aren't always available outside of the film festival circuit. She encouraged those in attendance to step out of their comfort zones and watch films they wouldn't usually go to their local theater to see. Throughout the festival there are also opportunities to attend parties and panels, including a special event with ' Festivalgoers can also hear from actors including 'The White Lotus' and 'The Last of Us' star Advertisement Murray Bartlett and River Gallo in "Ponyboi." Provincetown Film Society Eva Victor, the other Next Wave Award honoree, will make their directorial debut at the festival with ' At the end of the festival, Viola said the organizers of PIFF hope people not only have an incredible experience in Provincetown, but leave full of ideas. 'We hope they take that back to their communities and share what they've seen and what they've heard and what they've talked about with their friends and family and colleagues and discuss beyond just what happens for those five days,' she said. 'We hope it really carries on throughout the year.' Provincetown International Film Festival, June 11-15. Single screening tickets start at $20. For more information, including films, locations, and screening times, visit .
