Bob Yari’s Hemingway Biopic “Papa” to screen at Key West Film Festival as Centerpiece Film
Partnership with The Studios of Key West Announced
September 24, New York, NY — Bob Yari’s (The Illusionist) Ernest Hemingway biopic Papa shot on location in Cuba, will screen at the upcoming Key West Film Festival as the Centerpiece film followed by a Gala event at the historic Hemingway House, it was announced today. The festival runs in Key West, Florida from November 18 to 22.
Set and shot on location in Havana, Papa is the autobiographical story of the friendship between journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc, played by Giovanni Ribisi (Selma, Avatar), and Ernest Hemingway, played by Adrian Sparks, during the great author’s years living in Cuba. The production received special permission from the U.S. Treasury Department exempting Papa from the restrictions of the outgoing embargo of Cuba, allowing Director Bob Yari to shoot in Havana. Yari will attend the festival, with other talent to be announced. The film also stars Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly. The Key West Film Festival will present the Florida premiere of the film.
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman states, “Key West and Cuba are iconic locales in the life and work of Ernest Hemmingway and this epic film presents a rare and perfect opportunity for our festival to both honor the cultural heritage of Key West while heralding in a new era of artistic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. We’re honored to present Papa and to have Bob Yari attending.”
Also announced today is a new partnership with The Studios of Key West, a non-profit multi-disciplinary cultural organization. Key West Film Festival screenings will be hosted in conjunction with other artistic collaborations with the Festival at The Studios of Key West facilities, located on Eaton Street in Old Town.
Festival Founder and Chairman Brook Christian adds, “We’re overjoyed to have The Studios of Key West onboard as a new partner venue. Their commitment to the arts and the community of Key West is unmatched, and we’re certain that festival-goers will benefit from this addition.”
“We’re very excited to be a part of Key West Film Festival,” said Erin Stover-Sickmen of The Studios of Key West. “The Key West Film Festival is a growing and vibrant event, and one that represents a tremendous benefit to the community.”
Celebrated filmmakers and actors will attend the festival this year, including returning guests Sebastian Junger, Anson Mount, as well as director Neil Labute, actress Lori Singer and others.
Key West Film Festival also announced the Sunday Local Spotlight films, Writers on Bicycles: Literary Key West by Carey Winfrey and Quincy Perkins’ documentary Little Firemen. Winfrey’s film presents a vision of Key West that emerges through interviews with more than 30 writers who have lived and worked there.
Perkins, just back from the world premiere of a short film in Cannes, presents his film about young boys who work 18,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains, saving stranded truckers on some of the world’s most dangerous roads.
Last month, the Key West Film Festival announced a new annual Critics Focus program in which the nation’s top film critics will be invited to curate spotlight selections. This year, Ann Hornaday, Chief Film Critic of The Washington Post, and Eric Kohn, Chief Film Critic of Indiewire, will attend and host audience Q&As with the talent from the films they have selected, which will be announced at a later date. Also recently announced was the new annual Brett Ratner Florida Student Filmmaker Scholarship.
Visit kwfilmfest.com for full program information, a schedule of events, and travel and lodging details.
About the Key West Film Festival
Creativity, diversity, sustainability and beauty. The Key West Film Festival is an annual celebration of film and filmmakers, set to take place November 18-22, 2015.
A diverse, entertaining and artistically rigorous selection of films will be represented through a broad array of categories that offer opportunities for filmmakers, both aspiring and established, to commune and exchange ideas with each other while showing their work to audiences in an historic and artistically vibrant tropical paradise.
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