2014 KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR NOV. 12-16
Focus on Cuban Cinema this year attracts famed director Leon Ichaso and retrospective of his films “El Cantante” with Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony; “Pinero” with Benjamin Bratt

KEY WEST, Fla. – Making a mark on the film festival circuit and growing bigger each year, the Key West Film Festival is set to feature more than 35 films from Nov. 12-16 with a spotlight on Cuban cinema.

Attending this year is famed director Leon Ichaso whose most memorable films include El Cantante starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, married at the time the film was made and portraying salsa singer Hector Lavoe and his wife Puchi and Pinero where Benjamin Bratt portrays poet/playwright/actor Miguel Pinero, a Latino icon whose urban poetry is considered to be the influence behind rap and hip hop music.

“We are planning to further the reach of this year’s festival by putting an emphasis on Cuban Cinema as well as working with festival Executive Director Stephen Ananicz to develop family focused programming,” said Michael Tuckman, director of programming.

The retrospective is being screened at the historic San Carlos Institute, 516 Duval St., and ideal setting as the building was the site of one of the first meeting spot for the planning of the revolts against the colonial government in Cuba in the late 1800s. Films will also be screened at Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St.

The yet to be announced line-up is set to include films featuring America Ferrara from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and television’s Ugly Betty, Patrick Stewart from the Star Trek and X-Men feature films, Oscar nominees Frank Langella and Glenn Close and Sebastian Junger who wrote The Perfect Storm.

This year’s festival will also include several Q&A sessions with actors and directors following film screenings as well as short film festivals featuring debuts by local South Florida filmmakers.

ABOUT KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL
The Key West Film Festival (KWFF), brought to you by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to showcase films that exhibit excellence in storytelling and capture the essence of what Key West is all about: Creativity, Diversity, Sustainability, and Beauty.