“Passion Meets Paradise” when the 10th Annual Key West Film Festival rolls out the red carpet on Wednesday, November 17 though Sunday, November 21. Focusing on Florida’s own homegrown talent has always been a hallmark of the Festival and this year is no exception. The 10th anniversary will not only feature a terrific Florida lineup, but will also showcase many of the year’s most acclaimed documentaries, LGBTQ selections and feature films.
Film buffs can celebrate cinema through nearly 120 contemporary cinematic offerings, including about 100 short films and 20 features. With documentaries taking center stage, director Penny Lane will appear with her film “Listening to Kenny G” about saxophonist Kenny G.
Other documentaries include “Bernstein’s Wall” about composer Leonard Bernstein and “Blind Ambition” which tells the story of Zimbabwe’s first Wine Tasting Olympics team. The Festival also features the Florida premiere of “C’Mon, C’Mon” starring Joaquin Phoenix who portrays a radio journalist embarking on a cross-country trip with his young nephew. Other notable films include “The Power of the Dog,” starring actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Kristen Dunst, which explores sexuality, repression and cowboy “toxic masculinity.” Sean Baker, director of “Red Rocket,” a comedy-drama about a washed-up porn star returning to his small Texas hometown, will also be on hand for a discussion with Los Angeles Times film critic, Carlos Aguilar.
LGBTQ films include the award-winning “Great Freedom,” about a homosexual in postwar Germany; and “Boulevard! A Hollywood Story,” an exploration of Gloria Swanson’s attempts to adapt “Sunset Boulevard” into a musical.
International films include Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” about heartbreak and liberation; and “Final Set,” about an aging tennis prodigy starring Kristin Scott Thomas.The Festival kicks off on Wednesday, November 17, with a big Welcome Party at the Audubon House, 205 Whitehead Street. Highlighting that night will be the screening of “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road,” a documentary that follows the life of the Beach Boys co-founder. A filmmakers’ party is planned for Thursday, November 18, at Sloppy Joe’s Dockside at The Perry Hotel Key West, 7001 Shrimp Road on Stock Island. Screening that night is an anniversary singalong of “Moulin Rouge,” hosted by local drag celebrity Epiphany.
All-day Florida Focus activities are slated for Sunday, November 21, with showings of shorts from Key West High School’s Conch 5 Studios and “Cocaine Cowboys” by director Billy Corben. Guitarist-singer Eric Clapton’s latest concert film, “Eric Clapton: The Lady in the Balcony,” will also be screened outdoors Sunday in a complimentary showing at The Perry. Other venues include Truman Waterfront Park’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater, 35 E. Quay Road, for outdoor screenings; Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St, for Florida focus and feature films; and Williams Hall, 729 Fleming St, for shorts and features.
For details of all-access and VIP passes and a film lineup, hit up kwfilmfest.com.
