Artis—Naples Announces Official Selections for the 2024
Naples International Film Festival (October 24-27)
NIFF presents a New Perspectives celebration of Short Films on Opening Night and will close with Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) accompanied live by the Naples Philharmonic
Shaun Seneviratne’s Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts, Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl, and Steven Grayhm’s Sheepdog compete for the Narrative Feature Juried Prize
Joe Wein’s 76 Days Adrift, Anthony Wonke’s The Accidental Spy and Jeremy Power Regimbal’s Between the Mountain and the Sky compete for the Documentary Feature Juried Prize
Artis—Naples announced today the film lineup for the 16th annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), to be held October 24-27, 2024.
NIFF 2024’s Opening Night screening features a celebration of short film as an art form, marking the second time the festival showcases specially curated short films. This year’s opening night shorts package is titled Opening Night Shorts: New Perspectives, featuring six creative short films. The festival will close with a presentation of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), featuring a live performance of Danny Elfman’s one-of-a-kind score by the Naples Philharmonic and conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.
This year, NIFF will include 58 films (10 narrative features, 12 documentary features and 36 short films) representing 26 countries, with several of those films including in-person post-screening filmmaker Q&A conversations. Select filmmakers will also participate in panel discussions during the festival. All screenings and associated events will be held in person in Hayes Hall, Daniels Pavilion or Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus or at the festival’s new venue partner, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato.
“We are thrilled to present this year’s selection of films, each offering a unique lens through which audiences can explore the creativity of the human spirit,” said Artis—Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “The Naples International Film Festival is an opportunity to enjoy the power of storytelling reflected across experiences, cultures and artistic expression. This year’s lineup embodies our ongoing commitment to celebrating the diversity of perspectives offered by independent film, inspiring introspection and connection within our community. We look forward to the profound conversations and shared experiences these films will undoubtedly spark.”
“Our team has worked diligently to craft a slate of films that is representative of the diverse landscape of independent cinema,” said David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations. “Whether through emotionally resonant documentaries or engaging narrative features, we’ve designed this year’s festival to provide audiences with an immersive cinema experience. NIFF continues to be a distinctive platform where filmmakers and cinephiles alike can come together, exchange ideas and celebrate the multidisciplinary nature of film as an art form.”
Festival Producer Shannon Franklin emphasized the lasting impact NIFF has on both audiences and filmmakers alike over the years. “Every year, NIFF serves as a dynamic meeting point for filmmakers and audiences, and this year is no exception. The festival has become a cornerstone for both emerging and established filmmakers, and we’re proud of the reputation it has earned as a welcoming, inspiring environment. We can’t wait to share these powerful stories with all the attendees who make NIFF so special.”
On Thursday, October 24, the Opening Night shorts program at Hayes Hall (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd) will feature: Adam J. Graves’ Anuja about a 9-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory who is offered a rare chance to attend boarding school; Nick Russell’s thriller Favourites, in which two young parents deal with an impossible choice during a family camping trip in the Australian Outback; Jumai Yusuf’s Nate and John about a friendship that develops in the 1960s between a young Black barber’s assistant and a surly teenage hippie who’s forced to get a haircut by his father.
Also screening that night will be Ballard C. Boyd’s wry comedy Night Session, during which a burglary quickly morphs into an impromptu therapy session where the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce—all while the resident assists the burglar in robbing his apartment. TJ O’Grady-Peyton’s Irish drama Room Taken follows a homeless man who secretly takes up residence in the home of an elderly blind woman—which results in an unexpected bond forming between the two. Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz’s SXSW special jury prize winner Trapped is centered on a janitor at a prestigious high school as he confronts a group of boys in the middle of a senior prank—putting him between the boys, his boss and his moral compass.
Hayes Hall will also be the location for the special presentation of Tim Burton’s colorfully eccentric superhero classic Batman (1989) on Closing Night, Sunday, October 27. The presentation of a classic or beloved film accompanied by a live performance of the film’s score has become a tradition and one of the celebrated highlights unique to the Naples International Film Festival. Under the baton of Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, the Naples Philharmonic will perform Danny Elfman’s groundbreaking score live as the film screens over the stage.
Freedom Hair, The Opener
NIFF’s popular “Screenings Under the Stars,” shown on a large outdoor screen in beautiful Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples cultural campus on Friday, October 25, will include a special presentation of Dianne Houston’s Freedom Hair, which pits a determined, business-savvy mother starting a natural hair braiding business versus a powerful cosmetology cartel and her home state of Mississippi. On Saturday, October 26, Jeff Toye’s crowd-pleaser The Opener tells the tale of a struggling street musician who gets noticed after one of his songs goes viral and is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as an opening act on tour for one of his musical heroes. Director Jeff Toye and the documentary’s subject, Philip Labes, will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A and a brief performance by Labes.
Films in the Naples International Film Festival’s competition categories will vie for more than $10,000 in cash prizes, including the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short as well as the Focus on the Arts Award, given to a feature-length narrative or documentary film with an emphasis on one or more of the visual or performing arts. For the fifth consecutive year, NIFF will also present juried awards in the Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature categories. Selected award winners will be announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony in Daniels Pavilion.
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts, Fight Like a Girl
The Narrative Feature Juried Competition slate includes Shaun Seneviratne’s romantic comedy-drama Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts about a man who visits Sri Lanka to rekindle his relationship with his girlfriend after a long separation and is thrown for a loop when her boss demands that she works throughout their vacation. Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl follows a young woman, kidnapped from her village in the Congo and forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, who escapes and joins a renowned all-women boxing club. Steven Grayhm’s Sheepdog explores the physical and psychological repercussions of war. The film follows a combat veteran who is ordered into the care of a trauma therapist in training but is soon faced with overcoming a new hurdle, the arrival of his father-in-law, a Vietnam veteran who arrives on his doorstep, fresh out of prison.
76 Days Adrift, The Accidental Spy, Between the Mountain and the Sky
The Documentary Feature Juried Competition includes Joe Wein’s 76 Days Adrift, about Steven Callahan’s harrowing tale of survival alone on an inflatable raft in the Atlantic Ocean. Making its North American Premiere will be Anthony Wonke’s The Accidental Spy, an incredible true story of America’s jihadist spy and how he was thrown to the wolves once he stopped being useful to his CIA spymasters. Jeremy Power Regimbal’s Between the Mountain and the Sky focuses on Maggie Doyne, the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year, a devoted humanitarian who became guardian to over 50 Nepalese children after meeting a six-year-old who survived by breaking stones into gravel.
Additional highlights among the festival’s selected narrative features include H. Nelson Tracey’s award-winning Breakup Season, which stars The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs as a young man, who brings his girlfriend, Cassie, home to meet his family over the Christmas holiday only to have her promptly break up with him and get snowed in together. Tom Waller’s Kiss of the Con Queen focuses on an actor who arrives in Indonesia to play a huge role in a blockbuster film and soon discovers he’s been caught in a global scam. Anthony Lucero’s heartfelt The Paper Bag Plan follows the efforts of a father, just diagnosed with cancer, who must race against time to train his disabled son on how to bag groceries in hopes of landing his first job and a life without his dad.
Additional documentary feature highlights include Sally Aitken’s Every Little Thing which traces Terry Masear’s care for fragile hummingbirds. Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch’s Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager tells the story of trailblazing photographer Bunny Yeager and highlights her influence on pop culture—from the bikini and Playboy magazine to the modern selfie. Making its world premiere is Herbert James Winterstern’s Sanibel. The film began as an exploration of the people and businesses central to seashell culture in Southwest Florida. However, the arrival of Hurricane Ian, one of the most destructive hurricanes in history, changed things radically as the cameras caught the devastating effects on the area.
Themes for the Naples International Film Festival’s curated short film programs include Unexpected Journeys, Made for Each Other, Odds and Ends, Family and Community and the recurring Student Filmmaker Showcase.
Tickets for all screenings and activities at Alamo Drafthouse go on sale September 26. Tickets for the Opening Night Film and Party; the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party; and Batman in Concert are on sale now. For more information, visit artisnaples.org/niff.
NIFF extends deep appreciation to Festival Presenting Sponsors Dr. Richard Lublin and Christine Lublin. Generous support is also provided by the Collier County Tourist Development Council.
Sincere thanks to Opening Night Film and Party Sponsor The Woodruff Institute, an anonymous Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party sponsor, and Theater Sponsors Entech, DeVoe Automotive Group, Bobbi and David Drobis, Debra and Vincent Maffeo and Tes and Brian Manley. NIFF is pleased to partner with Gulfshore Life and The Naples Press as exclusive Media Sponsors.
The 2024 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) Official Selections:
OPENING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATIONS
Anuja
Director: Adam J. Graves
Countries: India/U.S.; Running Time: 22 minutes
When an intelligent 9-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory is offered a rare chance to attend boarding school, she faces a choice that will determine the fate of her future and her family.
Favourites
Director: Nick Russell
Country: Australia; Running Time: 5 minutes
When a family’s camping trip in Australia’s Outback turns deadly, two young parents are tested and soon come to grips with an impossible choice.
Nate and John
Director: Jumai Yusuf
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 8 minutes
John and Nate first meet in the 1960s, when John, a surly teenage hippie, is forced by his father to get a haircut. Nate, a young Black barber's assistant, obliges. From this ordinary beginning, a deep and enduring friendship blossoms between the two men over years of haircuts.
Night Session
Director: Ballard C. Boyd
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 11 minutes
When a burglar runs into the resident of an apartment he just broke into, the burglary quickly morphs into an impromptu therapy session where the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce—all while the resident assists the burglar in robbing his apartment.
Room Taken
Director: TJ O’Grady-Peyton
Country: Ireland; Running Time: 18 minutes
When a man newly arrived in Ireland finds himself experiencing homelessness, he secretly takes up residence in the home of an elderly blind woman. As he tries to remain unnoticed, an unexpected and unique bond forms between them, reshaping their lives in ways neither could have imagined.
Trapped
Directors: Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 15 minutes
A special jury prize winner at SXSW, Trapped follows Joaquin, a janitor at a prestigious high school, as he confronts a group of boys in the middle of a senior prank—putting him between the boys, his boss, and his moral compass.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATION
Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 126 minutes
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION FEATURES
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Director: Shaun Seneviratne
Countries: U.S./Sri Lanka; Running Time: 110 minutes
When Ben Santhanaraj visits Sri Lanka hoping to rekindle his relationship with American NGO worker Suzanne Hopper after a long separation, their second chance at love is thrown for a loop when Suzanne’s boss demands that she work during their vacation, effectively blocking Ben’s attempts at intimacy.
Fight Like a Girl
Director: Matthew Leutwyler
Countries: Rwanda/DR Congo; Running Time: 118 minutes
A young Congolese woman, kidnapped from her village and forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, escapes her captors and makes a new life for herself after joining a renowned all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma.
Sheepdog
Director: Steven Grayhm
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 122 minutes
Decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole is court-ordered into treatment and the care of a V.A. trauma therapist in training. Things become even more complicated when Calvin's father-in-law, a Vietnam veteran, shows up on his doorstep … fresh out of prison.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FEATURES
76 Days Adrift
Director: Joe Wein
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 110 minutes
Alone on an inflatable raft in the Atlantic Ocean without food or water, Steven Callahan gives a gripping first-hand account of finding the strength to survive in this stunning retelling of his New York Times bestselling memoir, Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea.
The Accidental Spy NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director: Anthony Wonke
Country: UK; Running Time: 97 minutes
The Accidental Spy tells the gripping tale of one man’s entanglement in a dangerous complex geopolitical web, his ultimate sacrifice to protect his loved ones … and the crushing betrayal by the nation he risked everything to defend.
Between the Mountain and the Sky
Director: Jeremy Power Regimbal
Country: Canada; Running Time: 93 minutes
After being named CNN 2015 Hero of the Year, Maggie Doyne, guardian to over 50 Nepalese children, faces a devastating loss. Following a chance encounter amidst her grief, Maggie allows a filmmaker into her life to document herself, her family, and soon enough, their love story.
ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES
Breakup Season
Director: H. Nelson Tracey
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 102 minutes
Ben, an ambitious yet unemployed young man, brings his girlfriend, Cassie, home to meet his family over the Christmas holiday. But after a winter storm hits his rural hometown and a late-night conversation fractures their relationship, Cassie becomes stranded with her newly-minted ex and his family.
Days of Happiness
Director: Chloé Robichaud
Country: Canada; Running Time: 118 minutes
In this Canadian drama written and directed by Chloé Robichaud, rising conductor Emma attempts to navigate a toxic relationship with her father/agent, Patrick, and her budding new romantic relationship with a cellist as she considers a new career opportunity with a prestigious orchestra.
Freedom Hair
Director: Dianne Houston
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 99 minutes
When a determined, business-savvy mother decides she no longer wants to live paycheck to paycheck and sets out to achieve financial independence by starting a natural hair braiding business, she is soon faced with overcoming unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and her home state of Mississippi.
Kiss of the Con Queen
Director: Tom Waller
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 116 minutes
An actor thinks he’s hit paydirt after he’s offered a huge role in a blockbuster film. But after arriving for a shoot in Indonesia, nothing goes as planned, and he uncovers a shocking truth: He’s been caught in a global scam.
My Sunshine
Director: Hiroshi Okuyama
Country: Japan; Running Time: 90 minutes
On a Japanese island, Takuya becomes captivated by Sakura, a rising figure skater. Under the guidance of former champion Arakawa, they train as a duo for an upcoming competition. As winter deepens, so does their bond—but like the first snow, even strong connections can melt away.
Never Not Yours
Directors: John Klein, Steve Kniss
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 82 minutes
Chaos ensues when retired parents announce their divorce to their three 30-something children, and the family must grapple with their changing relationships and identities.
The Paper Bag Plan
Director: Anthony Lucero
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 107 minutes
Oscar has dedicated his life to the well-being of his disabled son, Billy. But when Oscar is diagnosed with cancer, he must race against time as he trains his son on how to bag groceries in hopes of landing his first job and preparing for a life of independence.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Every Little Thing
Director: Sally Aitken
Country: Australia; Running Time: 93 minutes
Every Little Thing uncovers profound truths in a simple story. As Terry Masear cares for fragile hummingbirds, their small victories and tragedies reflect Masear’s journey, reminding us that grace and healing can be found in the smallest acts in this beautifully shot film that brings these tiny creatures to life.
Giants Rising
Director: Lisa Landers
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 82 minutes
Giants Rising takes us deep into America’s iconic forests, unveiling the secrets of the towering redwoods—some of the tallest and oldest living beings on Earth. Through the voices of scientists, artists, Indigenous communities, and others, we explore the redwoods’ resilience, connections to humanity and the trees’ roles in shaping our future.
Mad About the Boy
Director: Barnaby Thompson
Country: U.K.; Running Time: 90 minutes
Using his own words, music, and home movies, Mad About the Boy tells the amazing life story of writer, director, actor, singer, songwriter, and poet Noël Coward as he rose from poverty to become one of the greatest multitalented artists the world has ever known.
Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager
Directors: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 73 minutes
You may not know her name, but you’ve probably seen her work. This documentary feature tells the story of trailblazing photographer Bunny Yeager and highlights her influence on pop culture—from the bikini and Playboy magazine to the modern selfie.
The Opener
Director: Jeff Troye
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 72 minutes
After a struggling street musician goes viral playing songs from his bedroom, he’s offered the chance to prove himself on the big stage as the opening act for sing Jason Mraz, one of his musical heroes.
Porcelain War
Directors: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev
Countries: Australia/U.S./Ukraine; Running Time: 87 minutes
Porcelain War is a powerful tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, following three Ukrainian artists as they find beauty amid war’s destruction. Filmed by ordinary civilians, this extraordinary documentary shows that, while fear is easy to create, passion and creativity are indestructible.
Rise Above
Director: Maryilene Blondell
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 53 minutes
Born into a life of poverty and not far from the rolling greens, dramatic slopes, and azaleas of Augusta National, Carl Jackson defied fate to become golf’s greatest caddie.
Sanibel WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Herbert James Winterstern
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 65 minutes
Sanibel started as an exploration of the people and businesses central to seashell culture in Southwest Florida. Six weeks into production, Hurricane Ian, one of the most destructive hurricanes in history, nearly wiped the island off the map.
Shari & Lamb Chop
Director: Lisa D'Apolito
Country: U.S.;..
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