A documentary featuring Brooksville residents premiered at the Angelika Film Center in New York City on Broadway on May 8, following an exclusive preview screening on February 28 at the Brooksville Beacon Theaters. The Python Hunt, which earned a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, prominently features local guide and Hernando Sun writer Toby Benoit and fellow python hunter Jimbo McCartney.
The February 28 Brooksville screening was hosted by the Hernando Sun and included a Q&A session with Benoit, McCartney, and the film’s director and producer Xander Robin. The documentary’s Broadway premiere featured a large theater column wrapped with a painted python to mark the occasion. Multiple reviews have highlighted Benoit’s prominent role, with The New York Times noting him as “an eighth-generation Floridian and writer who has volunteered to act as a guide.”
The film has earned significant recognition on the festival circuit, starting with its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin on March 8, 2025, where it received the Special Jury Award in the Documentary Feature Competition. Additional honors include the Made in MIA Feature Film Award at the Miami Film Festival, the Golden Conch for Best Florida Feature at the Key West Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the Nashville Film Festival.
In her New York Times review titled “In ‘The Python Hunt,’ a Real Competition as Riveting as Fiction,” critic Alissa Wilkinson offered positive commentary on the documentary. The film’s 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating places it well above the 75% threshold typically associated with high critical acclaim. Roger Ebert’s website referred to Benoit as “Toby the newspaperman” and quoted his memorable line: “Humans,we’re good at destroying things, and hopefully we can destroy these pythons.”
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
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