By Brian D’Antoni
Most film festivals ask a town to come to them. Subtropic does the opposite, scattering itself across three rooms in Palm Beach County and daring people to follow. From Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, the festival returns to West Palm Beach with a red carpet night at the Norton Museum of Art, a first ever stop at the Lake Worth Playhouse, and two days of shorts and workshops at Afflux Studios in Palm Springs.
The organizers describe it on subtropic.org as something closer to a big creative hangout than a formal premiere circuit. One night is a museum opening, the next morning is a lesson in shooting and processing real film stock, and by Sunday afternoon the room belongs to high school filmmakers. For owners who sell to the creative crowd, or simply want a weekend that feels local, the schedule is unusually easy to plan around.
The Weekend at a Glance
| Item | What the festival lists |
|---|---|
| Dates | Fri. Nov. 6 to Sun. Nov. 8, 2026 |
| Opening Night | Fri. Nov. 6, 7 p.m., Norton Museum of Art, Stiller Auditorium (205 seats); separate ticket, includes museum access and after party |
| Day Pass | $20, one full day of screenings, workshops, panels and parties; excludes Opening Night |
| Weekend Pass | $30, Saturday and Sunday; excludes Opening Night |
| Single tickets | $12 shorts blocks and Lake Worth features; $18 Norton features |
| Venues | Norton Museum (WPB), Lake Worth Playhouse (Lake Worth Beach), Afflux Studios at G-Star (Palm Springs) |
Prices above were listed on the festival’s Zeffy ticket page on Oct. 16, 2026. Both passes carry the same warning: the price will increase closer to the festival.
Friday Night at the Norton
Opening Night is built around five Florida shorts, programmed as a single statement about the land and water underneath the state. The lineup lists Alligator Altar from Leslie Ramos, Same Water from Martine Granby, [Water] Acknowledgement from Josh Corson, The Flowerkeeper from Nora Long and Harajuku, FL from Andres Gimenez. The screening starts at 7 p.m. in the Norton’s Stiller Auditorium, which the festival says seats 205.
That seat count is the practical detail. Opening Night is not part of the Day or Weekend Pass, so anyone who wants the red carpet room should buy that ticket on its own and buy it early. The ticket also covers Norton access and the after party, and the festival says Art After Dark will run around the weekend with open studios and live music.
Saturday and Sunday: Where the Locals Are
The weekend is where South Florida filmmakers take the screen. Two Norton features carry the most weight. Frogtown, from Clearwater raised director Costa Karalis, plays Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.; the festival notes it won Best Florida Feature and the Audience Award at the Florida Film Festival. Honeyjoon, the debut feature from Miami native Lilian T. Mehrel, plays Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. The festival says it was funded through Tribeca’s $1 million Untold Stories Award.
Over at Afflux Studios, the documentary The Moths and the Flame, from Plantation born director Kevin Contento, screens at 1 p.m.; the ticket page lists it under both Saturday and Sunday, so confirm the day on the listing before you go. It follows young fathers in Pahokee over a year and premiered at the Berlinale Forum. On Sunday at 3 p.m., Hansel Porras Garcia’s Tropical Park, an 85 minute film shot in one take in a car winding through Miami, pairs with Pangea from Miami raised Mimi Davila.
The shorts blocks are $12 each and run from noon into the evening. Jit Life, Saturday at 1 p.m., gathers stories about growing up in South Florida. Touch Soil, Sunday at 1 p.m., is billed as locally made in Florida by Floridians, and Subtropic Kids, Sunday at 2 p.m., showcases high school and college filmmakers.
What Owners Should Know Before Buying
The math favors the pass. Two Afflux blocks and a Lake Worth feature on Saturday already cost $36 at single ticket prices, against a $20 Day Pass. The festival says Weekend Pass holders do not need separate tickets for the Afflux and Lake Worth screenings, and its ticket page notes the Norton features and Opening Night sit apart, so check each listing before assuming coverage.
Plan for arrival time, too. Every listing asks guests to arrive at least 15 minutes early. Seats are guaranteed only until five minutes after showtime, after which empty seats may be released to a rush line. For a business owner bringing clients or staff, that means one coordinated arrival, not a scattered one.
Film submissions for 2026 are closed, so the opportunity this year is attendance, networking and the workshops. Owners in hospitality near the Norton, downtown Lake Worth Beach and South Congress Avenue should expect a busier weekend and may want to plan staffing accordingly.
How to Get Tickets
Passes and single tickets are sold through the festival’s Zeffy ticket page, which subtropic.org links from its homepage. The ticket page is run by Subtropic Film Festival Inc and lists the Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, as the event address. Buy Opening Night separately, decide between a Day and Weekend Pass, and then add any Norton feature you want.
Sources
- Subtropic Film Festival, official site (dates, venues, Stiller Auditorium capacity)
- Subtropic Film Festival 2026 ticket page on Zeffy (passes, prices, schedule, film notes), viewed Oct. 16, 2026
Related Reading
- Film Festival Deadlines in South Florida
- Miami Short Film Festival 2026: Owner Guide
- Palm Beach County Film Permits Guide 2026
Key Facts for Owners and Search
When is the Subtropic Film Festival 2026?
The Subtropic Film Festival 2026 runs Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, in West Palm Beach and nearby towns. Opening Night starts at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 at the Norton Museum of Art. Saturday and Sunday screenings, shorts blocks and workshops run at the Lake Worth Playhouse and Afflux Studios.
How much are Subtropic Film Festival passes?
The festival’s Zeffy page listed a Day Pass at $20 and a Weekend Pass at $30 on Oct. 16, 2026. Both passes include screenings, workshops, panels and parties, but neither covers Opening Night at the Norton. The festival says pass prices will increase closer to the festival, so buying early saves money.
Is Opening Night included in a Subtropic pass?
No. Opening Night on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. is a separate ticket. It includes access to the Norton Museum of Art and the after party, and features five Florida short films. The Stiller Auditorium seats 205 people, according to the festival, so buyers who want a seat should purchase early.
Where are the Subtropic Film Festival venues?
The festival uses three venues. The Norton Museum of Art is at 1450 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach. The Lake Worth Playhouse is at 713 Lake Ave, Lake Worth Beach. Afflux Studios at G-Star is at 2060 S Congress Ave, Palm Springs, and hosts workshops, shorts blocks and the awards ceremony.
Which South Florida filmmakers screen at Subtropic 2026?
Miami native Lilian T. Mehrel screens her debut feature Honeyjoon at the Norton on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. Plantation born Kevin Contento shows his Pahokee documentary The Moths and the Flame at Afflux at 1 p.m.; the ticket page lists it under both Saturday and Sunday. Hansel Porras Garcia’s Tropical Park, set in Miami, plays Afflux on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Brian D’Antoni writes The Sundaze Gazette from Palm Beach County. He reports on business, film and technology for South Florida owners.
