The behavior of thin layers of viscous fluids coating solid surfaces is of importance in many industrial and natural applications. Interfacial instabilities and pattern formation can occur in films on water-repellent (also called hydrophobic or partially wetting) surfaces. Lubrication models asymptotically reduce the governing equations for the free-surface flow to a fourth-order nonlinear parabolic partial differential
equation for the evolution of the film height. Extensive studies have examined dynamics over a range of time-scales including finite-time rupture singularities and long-time droplet coarsening cascades when the fluid mass is conserved.  We show that for volatile fluids, where the mass can change due to evaporation or condensation, the behaviors observed and the analysis needed yield new challenges and important differences from the non-volatile case. This is joint work with Hangjie Ji (UCLA).