Italian Film Series at Tropic Cinema Raises Scholarships for Key West Students
A $20 ticket to the Sons and Daughters of Italy's monthly film night at Tropic Cinema puts college scholarship money in the hands of Key West's Italian-heritage seniors. Next screening: May 6.
The Sons and Daughters of Italy Key West Lodge 2436 screened Billy Wilder's "Avanti!" at Tropic Cinema on April 1, the latest installment of a monthly film series turning $20 movie tickets into college scholarship funds for Monroe County high school seniors of Italian descent.
"Italian Night at the Movies" runs on the first Wednesday of each month through May 2026, giving the lodge one remaining fundraising night before scholarship awards are made. Proceeds from ticket sales flow directly into the lodge's 2026 scholarship fund, supporting local seniors who meet the organization's eligibility criteria. Tickets are available at tropiccinema.com or at the Tropic Cinema box office, 416 Eaton St. in Key West, the day of each screening.
The April 1 evening at Tropic Cinema delivered more than just a film. Doors opened at 5:30 p.m. and attendees received complimentary Zingara di Ischia, a traditional Ischian panini, before the 6:15 p.m. showing. The evening also featured a 50/50 chance drawing and a raffle for seats at the next screening. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts provided partial sponsorship; earlier in the run, Vespa Key West and Keys Auto Group backed a screening of "Roman Holiday."
The April film was well worth the spotlight on its own. Nominated for six Golden Globe awards, "Avanti!" won Jack Lemmon the Best Actor prize for his role as an American businessman who falls for a fellow traveler while retrieving his late father's remains in Italy. Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum once called it "the most underrated of all Billy Wilder comedies."
The lodge's partnership with Tropic Cinema has built a recurring, volunteer-driven fundraising structure that sidesteps the need for major donors or institutional grants. In Monroe County, where housing costs rank among the highest in Florida, local scholarships offer a practical cushion for students heading to in-state universities or vocational programs on the mainland.
The final screening of the 2025-2026 season is Wednesday, May 6. Tickets remain $20 per person.
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