Key West Film Festival Unveils 15th Annual Lineup Packed With Oscar Contenders, Florida Stories and a Jimmy Buffett Send-Off
The 15th Annual Key West Film Festival kicks off on November 18, 2026, and this year’s slate is one of its most star-studded yet. Opening night belongs to PAPER TIGER, the thriller starring Miles Teller, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, which also opened the New York Film Festival.
Closing out the festival is THE DEBUT, one of the frontrunners for Best Picture, starring Academy Award winner Julianne Moore and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti. The Centerpiece Films are ELSINORE, which has been building momentum for a Best Actor nomination for Andrew Scott, and CLUB KID starring Jordan Firstman, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
In keeping with festival tradition, leading critics from across the country will be in town to present and discuss films in the lineup. This year’s visiting critics include Alison Willmore of Vulture.com, Esther Zuckerman of The Wall Street Journal, and David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter.
Golden Key Award Honorees
This year’s Golden Key Award honorees include comedy, film and television star David Cross, who will be honored alongside a screening of BOB AND DAVID CLIMB MACHU PICCHU; award-winning writer, director and actor Edward Burns, appearing with his film BENEATH THE BLUE SUBURBAN SKIES; and celebrated costume designer Amy Roth, recognized for her latest work in PAPER TIGER. This marks the 11th annual award for Costume Design, the only annual award of its kind in the world, with past honorees including multiple Academy Award winners and nominees.
International Oscar Contenders
The foreign language lineup features many of the top contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature. Highlights include Pedro Almodóvar’s BITTER CHRISTMAS, which premiered at Cannes; Chuko and Arie Esiri’s CLARISSA, starring Sophie Okonedo in a re-imagining of the Virginia Woolf novel “Mrs. Dalloway”; Markus Schleinzer’s ROSE, Austria’s official Oscar selection starring Sandra Hüller; and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ALL OF A SUDDEN from Japan, which is also being mentioned as a Best Picture contender. Key West Film Festival has featured the last four Almodóvar films to be released.
Documentaries
Leading the documentary section is GIVE ME THE BALL!, from Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff, about the extraordinary life of Billie Jean King. Also screening: SARA BAREILLES: GOOD GRIEF, featuring a recorded intro by the artist; BLEEDING HEARTS, following rising alternative country band Chaparelle; the visually stunning PHENOMENA, which captures light, sound and energy on screen; ODYSSEY, a timeline of U.S. space exploration; and BURGUNDY, Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s heartfelt journey through the famed wine region. It’s Dweck’s third film at the festival, following THE LAST RACE and GAUCHO, GAUCHO, also co-directed with Kershaw.
LGBTQIA+ Programming
Honoring the community that helped build Key West, the festival places a special focus on LGBTQIA+ programming, with David Rooney serving as lead programming consultant. Leading the section is Academy Award nominee Jennifer Kroot’s HUNKY JESUS, about the San Francisco festival of the same name and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Also on the slate: TEST, a thriller from Sam McConnell; FLESH AND FUEL, a steamy European trucker romance; and TIME WARP, which follows a small-town production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in a conservative corner of Wyoming.
New This Year: Florida and Friends
A brand-new section, FLORIDA AND FRIENDS, spotlights Florida-based films, filmmakers and stories, selected from hundreds of submissions. Making its World Premiere is THE FARMER AND THE SHARK, about the real-life man who inspired Robert Shaw’s character in JAWS. Florida filmmaker Billy Corben returns for a 20th Anniversary screening of COCAINE COWBOYS.
Producer Tony Armer presents THE FISH DON’T CARE WHEN IT RAINS, about Jen Msumba, an autistic filmmaker and artist from Florida. UNSPOKEN BOND, about the special bond between pets and their owners, makes its official Key West premiere following a sneak preview earlier this year. Academy Award-shortlisted director Dana Reilly brings OUR BODY ELECTRIC, featuring Miami-based bodybuilder and former Ms. Olympia Ariel Khadr, who will attend the festival. And Patrick Bresnan presents the Florida Keys premiere of FIRST THEY CAME FOR MY COLLEGE, which follows efforts to dismantle New College, the public liberal arts school in Sarasota. Two students will join the festival for a Q&A.
Special Events
Special events include the 12th Annual KWFF Critics Panel and a screening of the 1953 classic ROMAN HOLIDAY, followed by a conversation between Zuckerman and Willmore about one of their favorite classic romantic comedies.
As per annual tradition, the final screening is a music-themed film. This year, it celebrates the recent release of OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: THE FIRST CORAL REEFERS. Director John H. Cunningham and Producer Ted E. Haynes will be on hand to receive the inaugural “Spirit of the Keys” award. After the film, some members of the original Coral Reefer Band will perform at The Smokin’ Tuna.
Short Films
The short film lineup was selected from a record pool of more than 1,000 submissions from over 50 countries. Notable selections include SXSW Audience Award winner WE WERE HERE, Sundance standout BALLOON ANIMALS, and festival winners MEETING YOUR MAKER, DISC and THE PLATFORM. The program also spotlights local talent with BODY OF WORK, an award-winning documentary short profiling Key West painter Eric Anfinson.
“Audiences are in for one of the most distinguished and engaging slates of shorts we’ve ever assembled,” said Mike McNamara, Director of Short Film Programming. “Expect plenty of laughs, a healthy dose of drama, and, naturally, that unmistakable Florida spirit.”
For full program information, visit the site here.