Roll out the red carpet. Get your popcorn. The 17th Annual Naples International Film Festival kicks off Thursday, Oct. 23 with “Opening Night Shorts: Unexpected Outcomes,” a tribute to the art of the short film.
During the festival’s four-day run, it will screen 60 films and host more than 25 filmmakers from around the world for Q&As and panel discussions. The festival wraps on Oct. 26 with “The Princess Bride” in concert, featuring a live performance of Mark Knopfler’s beloved score by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic.
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The opening night films are part of NIFF’s inaugural Short Film Juried Competition. It’s a celebration of the short film genre. The marriage of imaginative power and condensed storytelling makes shorts a cornerstone of cinema.
The lineup includes Kathy Meng’s “Willow and Wu,” a lyrical story of friendship between two outsiders navigating shifting cultural identities; John Kelly’s “Retirement Plan,” a darkly comic take on aging and unexpected second acts; Tyler Cunningham’s “Learning How to Drive,” a coming-of-age tale that blends humor and poignancy as a young woman wrestles with newfound independence; Herman Karlsson’s “Xmas Tree,” a darkly comedic meditation on family holiday traditions; Ric Serena’s “Drop Off,” a tightly drawn comedy about family; and Lee Knight’s “A Friend of Dorothy,” an affectionate look at loneliness in old age and intergenerational friendship. The evening concludes with “The Singers,” directed by Sam Davis, a musical narrative capturing the joy and vulnerability of live performance.
This year, the Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) screening committee reviewed nearly 1,000 films.
This year’s festival will showcase 10 narrative features, 12 documentary features and 38 short films, representing 17 countries and including 47 premieres (five world, one U.S., five east coast and 36 Florida premieres).
“Each year, the Naples International Film Festival affirms the role of film as a vital art form within our multidisciplinary mission,” said Artis—Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “This year’s lineup offers stories and perspectives that cross cultures and experiences, reminding us of the many ways the arts can deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other. NIFF continues to be a place for filmmakers and film lovers to come together in meaningful dialogue, sparking conversations that continue long after the festival ends.”
Screenings and other film festival events will take place across the Artis—Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus- Hayes Hall, Daniels Pavilion and Norris Garden – as well as at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato.
Audiences will also enjoy NIFF’s signature “Cinema Under the Stars” in Norris Garden, located on the Artis—Naples cultural campus. On Friday, Oct. 24, the festival will present director Patrick Creadon’s “The Pantone Guy,” a colorful documentary about Lawrence Herbert, the visionary behind the Pantone Matching System, whose obsession with standardizing color transformed the way the world communicates and creates.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, audiences will experience Isabel Hagen’s “On a String,” a narrative feature following a gifted violist torn between artistic ambition and the often-depressing life of a professional musician.
The festival closes on Oct. 26, with a special presentation of “The Princess Bride” in concert, featuring a live performance of Mark Knopfler’s beloved score by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic.
Knopfler was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995. He pursued a solo career after the band dissolved and is ranked 27 on “Rolling Stone’s” list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
A four-time Grammy Award winner, Knopfler is the recipient of the Edison Award, the Steiger Award and the Ivor Novello Award, as well as holding three honorary doctorate degrees in music from universities in the United Kingdom.
Knopfler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits in 2018.
“Our team has spent the past several months shaping a lineup that reflects the rich and varied spirit of independent cinema,” said David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations. “From powerful documentaries to inventive narrative features and short films, these selections invite audiences into an experience that is as engaging as it is diverse. NIFF remains a space where filmmakers and film lovers share in the discovery and excitement that only cinema can inspire.”
More than $15,000 in cash prizes will be awarded at this year’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony in Daniels Pavilion on Sunday, Oct. 26. NIFF will once again present the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short Film, as well as the Focus on the Arts Awards, the impact Award, the Indie Spirit Award, the Programmers’ Choice Awards, Best First Feature, the Rising Star Award and the Florida Film Award. Additionally, 2025 marks the sixth consecutive year NIFF presents juried awards in Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature categories, and it is the first year the festival will present a juried award in the Short Films category.
The Narrative Feature juried competition slate includes Hugo André’s “Happy as Larry,” a heartfelt drama about an unlikely friendship that blossoms into something deeper as two men walk the tightrope between despair and delight; Ricardo de Montreuil’s “Mistura,” which intertwines food, memory and tradition in a cross-cultural tale of identity and transformation; and Isabel Hagen’s “On a String.”
The Documentary Feature juried competition includes Mark Craig’s Apollo 1,” a riveting exploration of NASA’s early tragedy that reshaped the space program and the lives of the astronauts’ families; Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno’s “Coroner to the Stars,” an insider’s look at the work and life of a medical examiner in Los Angeles whose high-profile cases helped shape headlines and cultural conversation; and Cindy Meehl’s “Jimmy & The Demons,” which follows 79-year-old sculptor Jimmy Grashow over four years as he devotes himself to a towering magnum opus.
Beyond the juried slate, NIFF audiences will discover a range of compelling narrative features that bring humor and heart to the screen. Reed Arnold’s “Do Us Part” spins a witty tale of wedding-day chaos when long-buried secrets resurface between three college friends, testing loyalty and love in equal measure. In Katy Chevigny’s “The Easy Kind,” acclaimed country singer Elizabeth Cook plays a fictionalized version of herself in a genre-bending story that blurs documentary and drama, tracing one woman’s fight to define her own artistic identity in the Nashville spotlight. Meanwhile, Amy Landecker’s “For Worse” follows a newly divorced, sober mother who stumbles through the highs and lows of midlife reinvention, delivering a heartfelt romantic comedy headlined by real-life couple Amy Landecker and Bradley Whitford.
The festival’s nonfiction highlights extend beyond the juried competition as well, showcasing portraits of resilience and discovery. Wendy Lobel’s “Anxiety Club” uses humor and candor to examine mental health through the lens of today’s most self-aware comedians, including Marc Maron and Aparna Nancherla. Jenna Naranjo Winters’ “Dream Touch Believe” profiles blind, Indigenous sculptor Michael Naranjo, whose extraordinary artistry and perseverance have inspired collectors and admirers worldwide. And returning NIFF alum Sean Cisterna’s Silver Screamers presents a joyous chronicle of senior citizens who defy stereotypes by creating their own horror film—finding camaraderie, empowerment and a few jump scares along the way.
“NIFF is more than a festival,” added Festival Producer Shannon Franklin. “It has earned a reputation as a welcoming destination for both emerging and established filmmakers who know their work will be embraced and celebrated here. The warmth of the Southwest Florida community makes the experience truly special for everyone, and we look forward to the energy and sense of celebration this year’s festival will bring.”
Themes for the Naples International Film Festival’s curated short film programs include A Family Affair, Twists and Turns, The International Art of Animation, Florida Stories and the recurring Student Filmmaker Showcase.
Tickets for all screenings and activities at Alamo Drafthouse went on sale Sept. 26. Tickets for the Opening Night Film and Party; the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party; and The Princess Bride in Concert are on sale now.
For more information, visit artisnaples.org/niff and go here for more information on each of the films in this year’s Naples International Film Festival.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
