The Key West Film Festival will take place November 16th-20th. The festival will honor actor Chris Cooper and director Elegance Bratton with the annual Golden Key Awards.
Cooper was recognized and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Florida film, Adaptation. The festival will screen and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film Adaptation. Susan Orlean, author of the novel The Wild Orchid on which the film was based, will present the award to Mr. Cooper via a pre-recorded speech at the Saturday night Awards Ceremony.
The Golden Key Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker, recognizing a director whose films will be seen widely in the future, will be given to Elegance Bratton. Bratton's new film The Inspection opened the Toronto International Film Festival Discovery section and closed the New York Film Festival 2022. Following the screening of his film, 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."
Venues for this year's festival include the San Carlos Institute, The Studios of Key West, Williams Hall and The Lawn at The Perry Hotel.