Milton actress-comedian Jenny Slate is Provincetown Film Festival's 'Next Wave'

Dana Barbuto, The Patriot Ledger
·3 min read

PROVINCETOWN – Milton actress-writer-comedian Jenny Slate will receive the Next Wave Award at the Provincetown Film Festival, which runs June 15-19.

The award recognizes risk-taking artists who have "exciting and distinctive voices." It will be handed out at a special ceremony on June 16. Bowen Yang of "SNL" fame is also a recipient.

Jenny Slate, an actress, comedian and author who is a Massachusetts native, will receive the Next Wave Award in June at the Provincetown film festival.
Jenny Slate, an actress, comedian and author who is a Massachusetts native, will receive the Next Wave Award in June at the Provincetown film festival.

This year marks the festival’s return from virtual programming after two years of hybrid festivals.

Slate's latest film, "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On," will also screen at the festival. The movie is a feature adaptation of the stop-motion shorts she co-wrote and created with her ex-husband Dean Fleischer-Camp, who directs. The story follows Marcel (Slate), an adorable 1-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. It will be released in theaters on June 24.

Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) is a 1-inch-tall shell with big dreams of finding his family in "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On."
Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) is a 1-inch-tall shell with big dreams of finding his family in "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On."

In a 2013 interview with The Patriot Ledger, Slate said the success of "Marcel" shorts was surprising.

"I just thought it was something we were making for ourselves. It's a good example of if something feels right, it often is."

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Slate is an ubiquitous voice actress. Her voice work includes the part of the bouncy Pomeranian, Gidget, on “The Secret Life of Pets” movies and Harley Quinn on “The Lego Batman Movie.” She also lent her pipes to characters in the hit animated films “Zootopia,” “Despicable Me 3″ and “The Lorax.”

Slate was valedictorian of her Milton Academy class in 2000. She returned to her alma mater to deliver the commencement address in 2013, urging graduates to always be hopeful and search for “a thing of beauty” every day.

A versatile character actress, Slate has appeared in supporting and guest roles on TV in comedies such as “Married,” “Brooklyn Nine Nine,” “Parks and Recreation,” “House of Lies,” “Bored to Death,” “Girls,” “Kroll Show” and “Hello Ladies.” She also appeared on “Saturday Night Live” during the 2009-10 season, drawing laughs for impersonations of Lady Gaga and the Olsen twins.

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Her film roles include "I Want You Back," “Venom,” “Obvious Child,” “Hotel Artemis,” “Landline” and “Gifted.” She has a supporting role in the indie black comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once," which is showing at Patriot Cinemas in the Hingham Shipyard and AMC Braintree.

About 80 feature and short films will screen at the festival. Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me by Your Name") will be honored as the “Filmmaker on the Edge.” Guadagnino is in Boston filming the romantic drama “Challengers,” with Zendaya and Mike Faist ("West Side Story"). Also featured is a a 4K screening of filmmaker John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary. Waters will host a question-and-answer following the showing.

The festival will open with Sophie Hyde’s “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” starring Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack in a story about a post-marital sexual awakening that will be released on Hulu on June 27. Other notable titles include Yang's "Fire Island," Sarah Jones’ “Sell/Buy/Date,” Alli Haapasalo’s “Girl Picture,” Claire Denis' "Both Sides of the Blade" and Guadagnino's documentary "Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams."

The Provincetown International Film Festival runs June 15-19. Tickets go on sale for the general public on May 27 and are available at provincetownfilm.org.

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Milton actress Jenny Slate is Provincetown Film Festival's 'Next Wave'