Written by Precious Ringor
On Wednesday the 18th, the Ninth Annual Key West Film Festival was held. The 5-day film fest featured more than sixty movies from a variety of themes including music & arts, women empowerment, and films centered around the LGBTQ community to name a few.
The festival kicked off with a special performance by Key West country artist Nick Norman followed by a 50th Anniversary screening of Gimme Shelter at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater. The festival closed on Sunday, November 22 with the World Premiere of Rock Camp: The Movie directed by Doug Blush. Tickets to the premiere included a seat to the closing ceremony.
All films were shown at local hotspots like the Perry Hotel, the Oldest House Museum, and the Ernest Hemingway House & Museum. Since screenings were conducted outdoors, limited seating capacity and socially distant seating arrangements were being observed in adherence to strict local health guidelines. “Having screenings outside allowed us to create that communal feeling which makes the festival what it is,” explains programming director Michael Tuckman “and being able to show so many Florida premiers was a testament to the faith filmmakers and distributors had placed in us, for which we can’t thank them enough.”
This year’s festival included the presentation of the fifth annual Golden Keys Award and four shorts programs covering Student Filmmakers, Florida, World Comedy, and World Dramatic. Student filmmakers were awarded cash prizes of up to $3000 as part of the inaugural Kimberly Peirce Scholarship for Student Filmmakers. The award was handed out by Pierce herself, best known for her Oscar-winning feature Boys Don’t Cry. Pierce also granted scholarship winners one-on-one sessions to provide mentorship for future projects.
Besides in-person screenings, the festival held its first ever Boat-In showcase on Saturday, November 21 at the Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina. Similar to a drive-in, audiences were able to watch films from boats or on the lawn. That night, John Biffar’s documentary Cuba, Reframed and the 45th Anniversary screening of Arthur Penn’s thriller/drama Night Moves (1975) premiered. An in-person Q&A with the film’s director and cast members was also available after the double feature. All special events were free with RSVP.
In the past, KWFF has promoted the work of Florida’s filmmaking talent, providing a platform for local student filmmakers through scholarships and key awards. Furthermore, the film festival has hosted numerous discussions and workshops with some of the biggest names in the industry. Among previous celebrity guests were Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan), Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny), Paul Verhoeven (Elle) and many more.
For more information about the festival, visit their website or follow @keywestfilmfestival
#KWFF2020
Pictured above is a past KWFF’s critics chat lineup.