The Key West Film Festival announced today the recipients of its annual Golden Key Awards will be presented to screen legend Chris Cooper and Elegance Bratton, director of the upcoming release The Inspection.

This year’s Golden Key Award for Career Excellence goes to Chris Cooper, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the seminal Florida film, Adaptation. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the release of the film, Cooper will attend in person and participate in a conversation with David Fear, Senior Editor of Rolling Stone. Prior to the film, the festival will also present the World Premiere of the short film Nuts, directed by Cooper and starring both he and his wife, Marianne Leone.

The Golden Key for Breakthrough Filmmaker, recognizing a director whose films will be seen widely in the future – will be given to Elegance Bratton, whose film The Inspection will be screened at the festival. The Inspection, which will be the Closing Night film at the New York Film Festival, will be released by A24 later this year. Last year’s inaugural recipient of this award was Clint Bentley, director of Jockey.

Following the screening, Bratton will join Eugene Hernandez, the newly appointed director of the Sundance Film Festival, for a pre-recorded conversation and award presentation.

Michael Tuckman, Director of Programming of the
Key West Film Festival commented:

“Chris Cooper’s resume over the last five decades is itself a chapter in film history. To be able to honor him, in conjunction with a screening of perhaps the most definitive Florida film ever made, is an honor beyond words, and we are thrilled that he and Marianne will be able to join us. The Inspection is a true showcase of cinema both breaking boundaries and claiming one’s voice, and the work behind the camera from Mr. Bratton establishes an artist who will drive cinema for years to come.”

Read the full announcement on AwardsDaily!