
The Key West Film Festival—where passion meets paradise—is an annual celebration of contemporary cinema in a historically rich, artistically vibrant, and culturally diverse island community.
KWFF strives to showcase the best of Florida filmmaking talent, while highlighting visiting filmmakers and industry leaders through discussions and workshops, with access to some of the biggest names in the film business. The festival also looks to support the next generation of local student filmmakers with scholarships and other key awards.
The Festival’s Critics’ Focus program, enhanced with the juried Critics’ Prize, together with the Costume Design Focus, marks the Key West Film Festival as a vital stop on the awards season’s fall festival circuit, with programs designed to support film criticism and craft while giving audiences greater context and perspective through public conversations guided by expert voices. Key publications represented in KWFF CriticsS Focus program and Critics’ Prize at the festival include: Los Angeles Times, Vulture.com, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, TimeOut NY, Roger Ebert, and more.
Past guests have included: Burt Reynolds, John Waters, Mariel Hemingway, Harmony Korine, Marisa Tomei, Paul Haggis, Alan Cumming, Sebastian Junger, Tom Berenger, Paul Verhoeven, Billy Corben, Terry George, Corey Glover, Steven Bauer, Anson Mount, Celia Weston, Angus MacLachlan, Judy Blume, Ondi Timoner, Bob Wisdom, Val Lauren, Anne O’Shea, Lois Smith, Mark Bridges and many more.
Founding Board
- BROOKE CHRISTIAN
- STEPHEN ANANICZ
- ETHAN CROOKS
- MAXINE MAKOVER
- GEORGE FERNANDEZ
Leadership
- Director of Communications : JULIA PACETTI
- Creative Director: CHRISTOPHER MORYL
Programming
- Director of Programming: Michael Tuckman
- Director of Local Programming: Quincy Perkins
- LGBTQ Programming Guest Curators: Brian Brooks, Eugene Hernandez
- V/R Programming Guest Curators: Eric Kohn, Mark Sternberg, Howard Olah-Reiken
- Director of Student Program & Hospitality Manager: Ruth Reitan
- Associate Programmers: April Wright, Ashlyn Williams, Colleen Randolph, Debbi Arseneaux, Doug Bradshaw, Esther Lawrence, Greg Martin, Guy Reese, Jores Philippe, Julissa Scopino, Justin Smith, Matt Walker, Matt Witbeck, Mike Ward, Neicia Sensing, Rebecca Miller, Rose Schimm, Sara Oliva, Shannon Ryan, Ziggy Zhang
Board of Advisors
- GILES ANDREWS
- STEPHEN BELBER
- LIZ BLOOMFIELD
- BRIAN BROOKS
- SHANE CARRUTH
- STEVE DOLLAR
- AMANDA HARVEY
- EUGENE HERNANDEZ
- SEBASTIAN JUNGER
- ERIC KOHN
- ANNE O’SHEA
- ANGUS MACLACHLAN
- ANSON MOUNT
- DEBORAH NADOOLMAN LANDIS
- KIMBERLY PEIRCE
- AMY SEIMETZ
- LORI SINGER
- PAUL VERHOEVEN
- BOB YARI
- CELIA WESTON
- BOB YARI
- BILLY CORBEN