Key West Film Festival for the newbie: 5 things to know before you go

If you think you should have taken and aced every film course offered in college and must know that Cannes, Toronto, and Sundance are cities synonymous with film festivals to attend the annual Key West Film Festival, think again. The 8-year-old festival, which runs November 20-24 at the Tropic Cinema, has offerings for everyone from the cinephile to the, well, 8-year-old. With more than 115 films to be screened, including documentaries, foreign, LGBT, Florida films, shorts, and major Hollywood and Oscar contenders, and its fun, laid-back vibe, there are lots of reasons to go.  Here are just five:

  1. Bag your bragging rights. Festivals offer highly-anticipated films before they hit the cinemas and that means you can say you saw Martin Scorsese’s critically-acclaimed “The Irishman”— an epic saga about organized crime in post-war America starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci— on the big screen before it hit Netflix. And “Waves”— the story of a high-school wrestler pushing life to the limits and the turmoil that will soon swamp his south-Florida family— a Florida Festival Premier sure to be destined for acclaim.
  2. It’s now or never. Key West Film Festival’s programmers Michael Tuckman and Ruth Reitan travel to festivals in Sundance, Tribeca, and Toronto with close tabs on Cannes and others to score the very best films available, and their Florida and Short Films program attract global submissions to present an extensive new program, every year. But don’t save your Snowcaps for second viewings. See them now, as there may not be future Key West screenings.
  3. Ask them (almost) anything. Hang with directors like Trey Edward Shults (“Waves”) and Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry,” 20th anniversary screening), and actors like Tom Skerritt (“Alien,” 40th anniversary screening) for some Q & A traction before the action starts.
  4. Get clear with the critics. Key West Film Festival’s “Critic’s Focus” program (the only one in the States) gathers the industry’s best critics to curate, present, and discuss films in the lineup (this year: “Waves,” “The Irishman,” “American Factory,” and “The Farewell”) to give you a framework and deeper insight into what you’re watching,
  5. Parties! A favorite island pastime, the Key West Film Festival has them, including a Wednesday night opening reception on the grounds of the Audubon House, a Friday night soiree at Key West Rum Distillery, a Saturday evening Awards Celebration & Ceremony at The Studios of Key West, and a Saturday night After-Party at Mangoes on Duval Street for pass-holders as well as free outdoor community screenings at  Lagerheads Beach Bar bookending the Festival: “Crawl” on Tuesday, November 19 and a 20thanniversary showing of Buena Vista Social Club on Sunday, November 24.

With all that and dozens of viewing options, how do you choose which films to see?

“I’d say pick one spotlight, one foreign, one doc, one LGBT, and one Florida film,” says Festival Producer Michael Tuckman. “This will give you a sample of all that the festival has to offer, and only comes out to one or two films per day. Get a taste, then go for a full pass the next year to really dive in!”

So, you see? A passion for movies is all you need.  And tickets, of course. Better get yours, now. Stay abreast of Key West Film Festival announcements by signing up for their e-blasts at kwfilmfest.com, where VIP, All-Access, and Auteur passes are now available. VIP Premium Pass holders enjoy unlimited screenings, are first in line, and get guaranteed access to all events, parties and meet & greets with film talent and critics; All-Access Pass holders are next in line for seats for all VIP events and films after VIP Pass holders; Auteur Pass holders enjoy unlimited screenings except for those in the Carper theater after 5:00pm. Limited one-day passes and individual tickets are pending seat availability for all films and events. For more information, visit kwfilmfest.com or contact Carla Turner, Tropic Cinema Marketing Director at [email protected].

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