SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    Form 8-K

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 20, 1997
                                                  ---------------

               FIRST FEDERAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY
           -----------------------------------------------------
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Kentucky                   0-18832            61-1168311
 ---------------------------       -----------      ------------------
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission       (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)             File Number)     Identification No.)


2323 Ring Road, Elizabethtown, Kentucky                   42701
---------------------------------------                 ---------
(Address of principal executive office)                 (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (502)765-2131
                                                     -------------

                               Not Applicable
           ----------------------------------------------------------

          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)





<PAGE>



Item 5.  Other Events
---------------------

        On  July  22,  1997  the  registrant's  Board  of  Directors  authorized
establishment of a stock repurchase program pursuant to which the registrant may
repurchase  up  to  208,500  shares  of  its  common  stock,   which  represents
approximately 5% of its outstanding stock, from time to time in the open market.
Such  stock  purchases  are  expected  to be  completed  within 18  months.  For
information  regarding  the  repurchase  program,   reference  is  made  to  the
registrant's  press  release  dated  August 5, 1997 which is attached  hereto as
Exhibit 28.1 and incorporated herein by reference.


Item 7.        Financial Statements, Pro Forms Financial Information
-------        and Exhibits
               -----------------------------------------------------

        Exhibit 28.1 - Press Release dated August 5, 1997.




<PAGE>



                                  EXHIBIT 28.1









<PAGE>



                                                           NEWS RELEASE

                                        For Immediate Release - August 5, 1997

                                        Contact:     B. Keith Johnson
                                                     Acting President & C.E.O.

                       FIRST FEDERAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY
                       ANNOUNCES STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM


ELIZABETHTOWN, Kentucky (July 30, 1997) - First Federal Financial Corporation of
Kentucky  (NASDAQ symbol "FFKY")  announced  today that it is commencing a stock
repurchase  program  to  acquire  up  to  5%  of  the  corporation's   currently
outstanding  shares of common stock.  The program will be dependent  upon market
conditions  and S.E.C.  regulations,  and there is no  guarantee as to the exact
number of shares to be repurchased by the corporation.

B. Keith Johnson, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer,  stated, "Due to
the success of the previous stock repurchase program which expired in July 1997,
the Board of  Directors  decided to  implement a new 18 month  stock  repurchase
program. Among other benefits of the previous program, the repurchase of 104,000
shares resulted in an enhancement of earnings per share."

According to Mr. Johnson,  the repurchase  generally  would be effected  through
open  market  purchases,  although  he did  not  rule  out  the  possibility  of
unsolicited negotiated transactions or other types of repurchases.

First  Federal  Financial  Corporation  of  Kentucky  is a $377  million  family
financial services holding company serving central Kentucky and is the parent of
First Federal  Savings Bank of  Elizabethtown  which operates eight full service
offices in the central  Kentucky towns of  Elizabethtown,  Radcliff,  Bardstown,
Munfordville, Shepherdsville, and Mt. Washington.

The common stock of First Federal Financial  Corporation is traded on the NASDAQ
system under the symbol "FFKY." Market makers for the stock are J.J.B. Hilliard,
W.L. Lyons, Inc., and Capital Resources, Inc.




<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES


        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                            FIRST FEDERAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                                            OF KENTUCKY



                                           BY: B. Keith Johnson
                                               -----------------
                                               B. Keith Johnson
                                               Acting Chief Executive Officer/
                                               Executive Vice President


Date:  August 20, 1997