The Key Biscayne Film Festival, slated for February 2nd to February 3rd, 2024, is proud to announce its final selection of films honoring the theme of Island Cultures & our World Ocean and panelists such as Billy Corben, Nicole Pritchett, Billy Kimball, David Frankel, and more. A showcase of Key Biscayne Youth Filmmakers will kick off the films on Saturday, February 3rd. The 2024 line-up, spread across the two-day event, include but are not limited to:
All That is Sacred
A 34-minute short film focused around the literacy scene of 1970s Key West, harkening to one of the last great counterculture arts scenes. It also features the late Jimmy Buffet and was one of his last collaborative projects.
Música!
A short film about The Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Cuba and Horns for Havana, a New York-based initiative that brings parts and instrument-repair expertise to the island.
Fontaine
A story about the lives of a drifter, a raver, and a heartbroken bachelor intertwine as they seek to reclaim their youth and find redemption in the neon haze of Miami.
Save The Bay
A local film about Miami’s dying Biscayne Bay and the people in South Florida leading a wave of change to save it.
Uncle Bully’s Surf School
A film about “Uncle Bully,” a surf instructor in Hawaii who turns to his community to teach the local kids, or “keiki,” how to surf while the tourism sector has been frozen by the pandemic. “Uncle Bully’s Surf Skool” not only imparts surf culture and ocean respect but also sheds light on Maui’s homeless epidemic, offering a seldom-seen glimpse into the lives of those “living it really tough.”
WANTOKS
A film about how residents in all Melanesian countries face the common challenge of climate change and are trying to draw international attention to their islands’ plight.
How To Grow An Island
A group of scientists try to solve the mystery behind how a Caribbean island is growing out of the ocean, beating out modern sea level rise.
There will also be a series of local filmmakers discussing their experiences in the film industry. Some panelists include:
Nicole Pritchett
Nicole is an activist and award winning filmmaker with an emphasis on documentaries. Her first feature documentary, I AM (2010) won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and was featured on the OPRAH Winfrey Show. Nicole is also known for her work on the award winning documentary, HAPPY that takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. For five years, Nicole co-headed Shady Acres Entertainment led by Comedy Director Tom Shadyac best known for Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Nutty Professor, etc. In 2019 Nicole co-produced the feature documentary, Magic City Hustle, which premiered at the Miami Film Festival winning the Knights Foundation Award. She was the story producer on the A&E documentary, SAVAGE (May 2021) and worked on the HBO doc #537 Votes (Oct 2020), a political heist documentary aimed at inspiring people to vote. Nicole was one of the producers on the Original Netflix Series, Cocaine Cowboys (Aug 2021) and the PM on Hulu’s most watched documentary, God Forbid (Nov 2022). Nicole was also the producer on the controversial film, UNPRECEDENTED (July 2022) which featured exclusive interviews with former President Donald Trump and his family during the Capitol Riots. In 2023 Nicole produced two episodes of the NBC Emmy nominated show Leguizamo Does America (March 2023) and most recently was the showrunner (EP) for John Leguizamo’s new 3-part documentary series premiering in 2024. She is currently directing a film about Psychedelics with her producing and working with Miami Based Production company Rakontur to cook up some Miami magic.
Billy Corben
Billy Corben is the Emmy, Peabody, and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning co-founder of Miami Beach-based production company rakontur, and director of such documentaries as Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami on Netflix (2021), God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty (2022), the most watched doc in Hulu history, 537 Votes (2020) on HBO, Screwball (2019) Dawg Fight (2015), Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja (2011), and the ESPN 30 for 30s The U (2009), The U Part 2 (2014) and Broke (2012). He is host of the podcast #BecauseMiami produced by Dan LeBatard’s Meadowlark Media.
Billy Kimball
Billy Kimball is a writer, producer, and executive with 35 years of experience in television, film, and digital media. He received two Emmy Awards, a WGA Award, a Peabody Award, and an AFI Award for his work as a writer and co-executive producer on “Veep.” Other credits include nine episodes of “The Simpsons,” “Saturday Night Live,” and the 88th and 89th Academy Awards. His short humorous fiction appears occasionally in the New Yorker. He is an adjunct professor at the USC Film School teaching comedy writing. He currently lives in Hollywood with his wife and their two children after moving from Key Biscayne where he spent five glorious years.
David Frankel
David Frankel’s work as a director includes The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci; Marley & Me, starring Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin; The Big Year, starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Wilson; Collateral Beauty, starring Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, and Michael Pena; Jerry and Marge Go Large, starring Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening; One Chance, starring James Corden, Alexandra Roach, Colm Meaney and Julie Walters; Miami Rhapsody, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Antonio Banderas and Mia Farrow; and Hope Springs, starring Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell. He won an Academy Award for Best Short for his film, Dear Diary, and an Emmy for his direction of HBO’s Band of Brothers. His other work for HBO includes the pilot for Entourage, several episodes of Sex and the City, and From the Earth to the Moon. His other television work includes episodes of The Morning Show starring Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Carell for AppleTV+; the pilots for Manifest (on NBC & Netflix) and The Irrational (on NBC); and the Netflix pilot for Inventing Anna starring Julia Garner. He lives in Miami with his wife, Jennifer Beber, and their two children.
There are $30 tickets available for those under 21 and $100 to $180 tickets for the full festival experience. Tickets are limited and interested film lovers are encouraged to purchase passes at kbfilmfestival.org.
About Key Biscayne Film Festival:
Maite Garrido Thornton and Isabel Custer founded the Key Biscayne Film Festival in 2023 to honor the diverse backgrounds that a coastal city and island community bring to the film world. The Festival’s mission is to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for our delicate ecosystem through the medium of arts. By curating a diverse selection of works that address local and global topics, the festival endeavors to raise awareness and inspire positive action.