2018 Naples International Film Festival
Opening Night Film & Party
Walk the Red Carpet and Meet the Filmmakers
The Drummer and the Keeper
2017, NR, Ireland, Drama, English, 94 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Nick Kelly
Producer: Kate McColgan
Writer: Nick Kelly
Cast: Dermot Murphy, Jacob McCarthy, Peter Coonan, Charlie Kelly, Adrian Hudson, Jane Herbert, Aoibhinn McGinnity, Annie Ryan
Gabriel, a chaotic young rock drummer, is desperate to hide his recent bipolar diagnosis from his increasingly exasperated band mates. Through a series of unexpected events, he is forced to bond with Christopher, an institutionalized 17-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome, resulting in an unlikely friendship.
Thursday, October 25
6pm Red Carpet Walk, 7pm Film Presentation
List of Festival Films
In Alphabetical Order
The 5 Browns:
Digging Through the Darkness
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 99 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Ben Niles
Producers: Ben Niles, Executive Producer, Geralyn White Dreyfous
Cast: Deondra Brown, Desirae Brown, Gregory Brown, Melody Brown, Ryan Brown
Siblings and Juilliard-trained pianists The 5 Browns were on top of the world — but not all was as it seemed. Digging Through the Darkness follows the siblings’ journey from a triumphant musical career to the disclosure of sexual abuse at the hands of their father, and their search for healing in the aftermath.
Friday, October 26, 3:15pm
Saturday, October 27, 11am
Are You Glad I'm Here
2018, PG-13, USA, Drama, English and Arabic, 84 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Noor Gharzeddine
Producers: Noor Gharzeddine, Elie Deek
Writer: Samuel Anderson
Cast: Marwa Khalil, Tess Harrison
Are You Glad I'm Here is bilingual drama-comedy that follows Nadine, a resilient Lebanese housewife, and Kirsten, a quirky American girl. In a story of self-discovery and loyalty, the two women’s influence on one another as their friendship deepens — until, one night, they find themselves accidental partners-in-crime.
Friday, October 26, 8:30pm
Saturday, October 27, 5:45pm
Bathtubs Over Broadway
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 87 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Dava Whisenant
Producers: Amanda Spain, Dava Whisenant, Susan Littenberg, Ozzy Inguanzo
Writers: Ozzy Inguanzo, Dava Whisenant
Cast: Martin Short, David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Jello Biafra, Susan Stroman, Sheldon Harnick, Florence Henderson
Comedy writer Steve Young’s assignment to scour bargain-bin vinyl for a Late Night segment becomes an unexpected, decades-spanning obsession when he stumbles upon the strange and hilarious world of industrial musicals in this comedic music documentary. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Susan Stroman, Sheldon Harnick, Jello Biafra and more.
Friday, October 26, 6pm
Sunday, October 28, 1:35pm
Bias
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 88 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Robin Hauser
Producers: Robin Hauser; Christie Herring
Bias challenges us to confront our hidden biases and understand what we risk when we follow our gut. By exposing her own biases, award-winning documentary filmmaker Robin Hauser highlights the nature of implicit bias, the grip it holds on our social and professional lives, and what it will take to induce change.
Saturday, October 27, 3:30pm
Sunday, October 28, 11:05am
Chef Flynn
2018, NR, United States, Documentary, English, 83 minutes
Director: Cameron Yates
Producers: Laura Coxson, Philipp Engelhorn
Cast: Flynn McGarry, Meg McGarry
After transforming his living room into a supper club, “Teen Chef” Flynn McGarry lands on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. Every step of his journey is documented by his artist mother as Flynn sets out to challenge the hierarchy of the culinary world.
Friday, October 26, 1:15pm
Sunday, October 28, 4:15pm
The Children Act
2018, R, UK, USA, Drama, English, 105 minutes
Director: : Richard Eyre
Producer: Duncan Kenworthy
Writer: Ian McEwan
Cast: Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Fionn Whitehead
Fiona, a British High Court judge must rule on a life-changing legal case concerning the survival of a teenage boy. The boy, just shy of his 18th birthday, is refusing a life-saving blood transfusion — and she must decide whether to order the procedure.
Saturday, October 27, 1:45pm
Sunday, October 28, 6:20pm
Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back)
2018, NR, UK, Black Comedy, English, 90 minutes
U.S. Premiere
Director: Tom Edmunds
Producers: Nick Clark Windo, Daniel-Konrad Cooper
Writer: Tom Edmunds
Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Gethin Anthony, Christopher Eccleston, Aneurin Barnard, Freya Mavor, Nigel Lindsay
After his ninth unsuccessful suicide attempt, down-on-his-luck William outsources his suicide to Leslie, an aging assassin with a good heart but a shaky hand. After hiring Leslie for a guaranteed death within a week, William begins to reconsider … but Leslie has a quota to meet, and William isn’t getting off that easily.
Friday, October 26, 8:15pm
Saturday, October 27, 1:15pm
Dumped
2018, NR, France, Comedy, French, 95 minutes
U.S. Premiere
French with English Subtitles
Director: Éloïse Lang
Producers: Stéphanie Carreras, Philippe Pujo
Writer: Éloïse Lang
Cast: Miou-Miou, Camille Cottin, Camille Chamoux, Johan Heldenbergh
Free-spirited Rose and her uptight sister Alice agree on just one thing: they urgently need to cheer up their mother, who was recently left by their father. They take her to a resort for one week but, with a sexy bartender and cheap margaritas added to the mix, the fun starts to get out of hand.
Friday, October 26, 1:30pm
Saturday, October 27, 3:15pm
The Elephant and the Butterfly
2018, NR, USA, Drama, French, 86 minutes
Florida Premiere
French with English Subtitles
Director: Amélie Van Elmbt
Producers: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson
Writers: Amélie Van Elmbt, Matthieu de Braconier
Cast: Lina Doillon, Thomas Blanchard
Antoine has just returned to his hometown and arrives at the door of his former lover and mother of his little girl, only to find that she is leaving on a business trip. But the babysitter is running late, and it suddenly falls to Antoine to take care of his daughter.
Saturday, October 27, 6:30pm
The Etruscan Smile
2018, NR, Switzerland, USA, UK, Drama, English and Gaelic, 107 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmaker in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun
Producer: Arthur Cohn
Writers: Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan, Sarah Bellwood
Cast: Brian Cox, JJ Feild, Thora Birch, Rosanna Arquette
A rugged old Scotsman reluctantly leaves the isolation of his beloved Hebridean island to seek medical treatment in San Francisco. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newfound bond with his baby grandson.
Saturday, October 27, 7:45pm
Sunday, October 28, 11am
Funny Story
2018, NR, USA, Comedy, English, 85 minutes
Director: Michael Gallagher
Producers: Michael Gallagher, Jana Winternitz, Michael Wormser
Writers: Michael Gallagher, Steve Greene
Cast: Matthew Glave, Emily Bett Rickards, Jana Winternitz, Nikki Limo, Lily Holleman, Jessica Diggins, Aschleigh Jensen, Daisye Tutor, Pete Gardner, Reginald VelJohnson
After years of being a neglectful father, a womanizing TV star decides to crash his estranged daughter’s vacation in California. When a young woman hitches a ride with him, the two bond in ways that set off a chain of events sure to ruin everyone in their path.
Friday, October 26, 8pm
Sunday, October 28, 2pm
The Guilty
2018, NR, Denmark, Drama, Danish, 85 minutes
Danish with English Subtitles
Director: Gustav Möller
Producer: Lina Flint
Writers: Gustav Möller, Emil Nygaard Albertsen
Cast: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage Omar Shargawi, Johan Olsen
Emergency dispatcher and former police officer Asger Holm answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman. When the call is suddenly disconnected, the search for the caller begins. Confined to the police station, Asger is forced to use others as his eyes and ears in the hunt for the missing woman.
Friday, October 26, 4:15pm
Saturday, October 27, 8:30pm
The Independents
2018, NR, USA, Dramedy, English, 97 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Greg Naughton
Producers: Greg Naughton, Dorrotya Mathe, Jonathan Burkhart
Writer: Greg Naughton
Cast: Rich Price, Brian Chartrand, Greg Naughton, Richard Kind
When three struggling solo artists collide at the same crossroads, they discover harmony for the first time. The three form a band tentatively named “RGB” and embark on a challenging journey across America for one last high-stakes shot at musical glory.
Friday, October 26, 6:05pm
Sunday, October 28, 11:15am
The Interpreter
2018, NR, Slovakia, Drama, Slovakian, 114 minutes
Florida Premiere
German and Slovakian with English Subtitles
Director: Martin Šulík
Producers: Martin Šulík, Rudolf Biermann, Bruno Wagner
Writers: Marek Lescák, Martin Šulík
Cast: Peter Simonischek, Jiří Menzel, Zuzana Mauréry, Anna Rakovska, Eva Kramerová
80-year-old translator Ali Ungár sets out to Slovakia for revenge after coming across a former SS officer’s written account of what may have been his parents’ execution. Instead, he only meets the officer’s estranged son, Georg, who invites him on a trip through the country.
Friday, October 26, 1:45pm
Sunday, October 28, 3:50pm
Miss Arizona
2018, NR, USA, Comedy, English, 94 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Autumn McAlpin
Producers: DeAnna Cooper, Autumn McAlpin
Writer: Autumn McAlpin
Cast: Johanna Braddy, Robyn Lively, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Shoniqua Shandai, Otmara Marrero, Missi Pyle, Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Heffernan, Willam, Ginger Minj
A former pageant queen embarks on an all-night adventure with four friends she meets at a women's shelter. The five women make their way through L.A.’s darkest streets and wildest drag club as they fight to survive, and in so doing, discover what they need most.
Saturday, October 27, 6:15pm
Sunday, October 28, 11:30am
Old Boys
2018, NR, UK, Comedy, English, 95 minutes
U.S. Premiere
Director: Toby MacDonald
Producer: Luke Morris
Writers: Freddy Syborn, Luke Ponte
Cast: Alex Lawther, Jonah Hauer-King, Pauline Etienne, Joshua McGuire, Denis Ménochet
In this school-set reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac, an awkward but imaginative student helps the handsome but spectacularly dim school hero pursue the fiery daughter of a visiting French teacher.
Friday, October 26, 3:45pm
Saturday, October 27, 11:05am
The Push
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 90 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Grant Korgan, Brian Niles
Producers: Jeff Allard, Grant Korgan, Shawna Korgan, Tal Fletcher, Geoff Callan
Writers: Grant Korgan, Brian Niles, Lisa Bernard
Cast: Grant Korgan, Shawna Korgan, Tal Fletcher
Adventure athlete and paraplegic Grant Korgan embarks on a formidable expedition across the final degree of latitude on earth to the South Pole. With his custom sit-ski, Korgan propels himself using only his arms to make the perilous trek through the most inhospitable place on earth.
Friday, October 26, 6:15pm
Saturday, October 27, 11:15am
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 100 minutes
Director: Sam Pollard
Producers: Sally Rosenthal, Michael Kantor
Writer: Laurence Maslon
Cast: Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Quincy Jones, Billy Crystal, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me is the first major film documentary to examine Davis’ vast talent and his journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America.
Friday, October 26, 11am
Sunday, October 28, 6:15pm
Sashinka
2018, NR, Canada, Drama, French, 77 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
French with English Subtitles
Director: Kristina Wagenbauer
Producer: Nellie Carrier
Writer: Kristina Wagenbauer
Cast: Carla Turcotte, Natalia Dontcheva, David Giguère, Emmanuel Schwartz, Eliane Préfontaine
Sasha's mother arrives on the young musician’s doorstep in a whirlwind, asking to sleep on her couch — the night before the most important concert of Sasha’s career. Sasha must find a way to survive the remaining hours before her big show, confronting both the volatile woman and a past she wanted to forget.
Friday, October 26, 11:30am
Sunday, October 28, 1:45pm
Science Fair
2018, PG, USA, Documentary, English, 90 minutes
Director: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster
Producers: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster, Jeffrey Plunkett
Writers: Jeffrey Plunkett, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini
Science Fair follows nine high school students as they navigate through challenges on their journey to the International Science and Engineering Fair, where brilliant teens from 78 countries compete for the Best in Fair title. The film offers a front seat to the lives of incredible group of teenagers on their path to change the world.
Friday, October 26, 4pm
Saturday, October 27, 1:30pm
Studio 54
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 98 minutes
Director: Matt Tyrnauer
Producers: John Battsek, Cory Reeser, Matt Tynauer
Cast: Steve Rubell, Ian Schrager
Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, two college friends from Brooklyn, dreamed of creating an escapist fantasy in the heart of Manhattan’s theater district. They built Studio 54 in 1978, offering an exclusive haven of hedonism, tolerance, glitz and glamour… until the fallout of a financial scandal brought the dream to an end.
Saturday, October 27, 5:30pm
Sunday, October 28, 4pm
Tucked
2018, NR, UK, Drama, English, 80 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Jamie Patterson
Producer: Finn Bruce
Writer: Jamie Patterson
Cast: Jordan Stephens, Derren Nesbitt, Steve Oram, April Pearson
When veteran drag queen Jackie Collins receives a cancer diagnosis with six weeks to live, all he wants to do is behave as if all is normal. But between a new friendship with a young queen and unfinished business with his estranged daughter, these may be the most eventful six weeks of his life.
Saturday, October 27, 8pm
Sunday, October 28, 1:40pm
White Tide: The Legend of Culebra
2018, NR, USA, Documentary, English, 85 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Florida Film
Director: Theo Love
Producers: Bryan Storkel, Theo Love
Cast: Rodney Hyden, Jamie Hyden, Emily Hyden
Rodney Hyden is a dreamer: a small business owner and family man from Central Florida. But in the Great Recession’s wake, he hatches a plan to retrieve a stash of cocaine worth $2 million from a secret location in the Caribbean. Rodney sets out in pursuit of his own American dream with surprising results.
Friday, October 26, 8:35pm
Saturday, October 27, 4pm
Yellow is Forbidden
2018, NR, New Zealand, Documentary, Chinese, English, French
Florida Premiere
Chinese with English Subtitles
Director: Pietra Brettkelly
Producers: Pietra Brettkelly, Richard Fletcher, Naomi Wallwork
Writers: Pietra Brettkelly
Cast: Guo Pei, Philip Treacy, Wendi Murdoch, Godfrey Deeny
Haute couture from China is surely just a fantasy for the historically drably-dressed masses. But a brave, daring and diminutive artist has entered the world stage chasing the dream every designer has — to join the exclusive, savage world of Haute Couture… and Guo Pei’s Cinderella story doesn’t end at the ball.
Friday, October 26, 11:45am
Sunday, October 28, 5:45pm
You & Me
2018, NR, USA, Romantic Comedy, English, 86 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Alexander Baack
Producers: Alexander Baack, Hillary Baack, Peter Sestina
Writers: Hillary Baack, Alexander Baack
Cast: Hillary Baack, Paul Guyet, Brendan O'Malley, Sally Struthers
A funny and moving love story about a deaf woman who meets a recently-blinded man. You & Me is one of the first movies to feature disabled actors in both leading roles.
Friday, October 26, 5:45pm
Saturday, October 27, 8:25pm
Collections of Short Films
Seventeen Short Films Packaged by Theme
Package 1:
Consequences
84 minutes
A selection of short films from around the world. Shorts in this package are:
Fauve
Weekends
The Lightkeeper
Hula Girl
Fern
Laboratory Conditions
Friday, October 26, 11:15am
Sunday, October 28, 6:30pm
Package 2:
Determination
79 minutes
A selection of short films from around the world. Shorts in this package are:
How Tommy Lemenchick Became a Grade 7 Legend
The Driver Is Red
Ian
About the Birds and the Bees
Fire in Cardboard City
Geoff
Friday, October 26, 2pm
Saturday, October 27, 3:35pm
Package 3:
Life Lessons
73 minutes
A selection of short films from around the world. Shorts in this package are:
Caroline
Two Balloons
Gringa
One Small Step
Mick
Saturday, October 27, 11:30am
Sunday, October 28, 3:45pm
Panel Discussions
Conversations on Film
From Page to Screen
Featuring Filmmakers from the Naples International Film Festival
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists: Autumn McAlpin (Miss Arizona), Greg Naughton (The Independents), Jamie Patterson (Tucked), Kristina Wagenbauer (Sashinka)
Moderator: Elaine Newton, PhD, Artis—Naples resident film critic
What does it take to write and direct? In this panel discussion, Elaine Newton speaks with our visiting writer-directors as they share their experiences and approach to writing and directing their own films, how the two roles inform each other and what they’ve learned from the process. Filmmakers scheduled to attend include: Autumn McAlpin (Miss Arizona), Greg Naughton (The Independents), Jamie Patterson (Tucked), and Kristina Wagenbauer (Sashinka). Admission is free. Reserved ticket required.
Friday, October 26, 10:00am
The Art of the Doc
Featuring Filmmakers from the Naples International Film Festival
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists: Robin Hauser (Bias), Theo Love (White Tide: The Legend of Culebra), Ben Niles (The 5 Browns: Digging Through the Darkness), Dava Whisenant (Bathtubs Over Broadway)
Moderator: Elaine Newton, PhD, Artis—Naples resident film critic
Documentary films provide unique insight into the world we live in. They can tell the stories of people and events we are unfamiliar with or provide in-depth information about things we think we already know. In this panel discussion, Elaine Newton will explore the inspirations, challenges and discoveries throughout the often years-long process of making documentary films. Filmmakers scheduled to attend include: Robin Hauser (Bias), Theo Love (White Tide: The Legend of Culebra), Ben Niles (The 5 Browns: Digging Through the Darkness), and Dava Whisenant (Bathtubs Over Broadway). Admission is free. Reserved ticket required.
Saturday, October 27, 10:00am
Student Filmmaker Showcase
A Film Package
Student Filmmaker Showcase
75 minutes
A package of five films from the industry's newest filmmakers: screened together as part of a special look at up-and-coming talent.
I Don’t Know
Akeda
Peacekeeper
93 Miles
Night Light
Saturday, October 27, 1:35pm
Closing Night Awards Ceremony
Food, Fun and Awards
2018 Naples International Film Festival Awards
Artis—Naples, Daniels Pavilion
There’s no better way to cap your Naples International Film Festival experience than by attending the Closing Night Awards Ceremony. Enjoy food, fun and a chance to celebrate the very best work NIFF brought to Naples this year.
Sunday, October 28, 5:30pm
Films are not rated except where noted. These films are not intended for children unless indicated as Family Friendly.
All programming and dates are subject to change.