2019 Naples International Film Festival
Opening Night Film & Party
Walk the Red Carpet and Meet the Filmmakers
Princess of the Row
2019, NR, USA, Drama, 85 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Van Maximilian Carlson
Producers: Shawn Austin, Edi Gathegi
Writers: Shawn Austin, Van Maximilian Carlson
Cast: Martin Sheen, Edi Gathegi, Tayler Buck, Ana Ortiz, Jacob Vargas
Bouncing around the foster care system for most of her life, 12-year-old Alicia Willis ditches school to visit her mentally ill veteran father, Sgt. Beaumont “Bo” Willis, who lives on the streets of L.A.’s Skid Row. When the perfect home is found for Alicia, she decides to escape the city with her father to live with him as a family.
Thursday, October 24
6pm Red Carpet Walk, 7pm Film Presentation
List of Festival Films
In Alphabetical Order
Above the Clouds
2018, NR, UK, Dramedy, 87 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Leon Chambers
Producer: Leon Chambers
Writer: Simon Lord
Cast: Naomi Morris, Andrew Murton, Philip Jackson
When headstrong Charlie discovers her parents have been keeping her biological father secret from her, she does what any 18-year-old would do — she recruits a rough sleeper to be her “responsible adult” and sets off for Scotland with her provisional driver’s license to go and find him.
Saturday, October 26, 8:20pm
Sunday, October 27, 1:45pm
Alice
2019, NR, Australia/France, Drama, 105 minutes
Florida Premiere
French with English Subtitles
Director: Josephine Mackerras
Producer: Josephine Mackerras
Writer: Josephine Mackerras
Cast: Emilie Piponnier, Martin Swabey, Chloe Boreham, Christophe Favre, David Coburn, Philippe de Monts, Rebecca Finet
Alice is the perfect wife and mother, living happily with her husband, Francois, and their son. But when her credit cards are declined one day while shopping, Alice discovers that Francois has spent all their money at an escort service and abandoned them. With the bank threatening to foreclose on her apartment, Alice approaches the escort service Francois was addicted to, desperate to make some quick cash. Alice is the winner of the Narrative Feature Competition in the Grand Jury Awards at South by Southwest Film Festival.
Friday, October 25, 5:45pm
Saturday, October 26, 1:45pm
Daffodils
2018, NR, New Zealand, Romance/Musical, 93 minutes
North American Premiere
Director: David Stubbs
Producer: Richard Fletcher, David Stubbs
Writer: Rochelle Bright
Cast: Rose McIver, George Mason, Kimbra, Mark Mitchinson, Tandi Wright, Katie Wolge
Leaving her dying father’s bedside, Maisie rushes to perform at an indie music gig in town. But as she sings the opening song, it’s hard for her to ignore the heartfelt story she’s just been told — the tale of how her father met and fell in love with her mother… and how it all devastatingly fell apart.
Friday, October 25, 1:45pm
Sunday, October 27, 4:55pm
The Dog Doc
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 101 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Cindy Meehl
Producer: Alice Henty
Cast: Dr. Marty Goldstein, Dr. Randie Shane, Dr. Jenna Lenarz-Salcedo, Dr. Jacqueline Ruskin, Leigh Hardisty, Helen Gemignani, Joni Evans
Called a maverick, a miracle-worker and a quack, Dr. Marty Goldstein is a pioneer of integrative veterinary medicine. By holistically treating animals after other vets have given up, Dr. Goldstein provides a last hope for pet owners with nothing left to lose.
Friday, October 25, 6pm
Saturday, October 26, 10:45am
Dolce Fine Giornata
2019, NR, Poland, Drama, 96 minutes
Florida Premiere
Italian, Polish and French with English Subtitles
Director: Jacek Borcuch
Producer: Marta Habior
Writer: Jacek Borcuch, Szczepan Twardoch
Cast: Krystyna Janda, Kasia Smutniak, Vincent Riotta, Antonio Catania, Robin Renucci, Lorenzo de Moor
Nobel Prize winner Maria Linde’s life follows the quiet rhythms of the Italian countryside, until her world and relationships with her husband and daughter begin to erode as she grows fond of a young immigrant she has met. When a terrorist attack takes place in Rome, Maria shares a controversial opinion in an impassioned acceptance speech, igniting controversy in her village and across Europe.
Friday, October 25, 4pm
Sunday, October 27, 6:30pm
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 95 minutes
Florida Premiere
Juried Film
Director: Jenifer McShane
Producer: Andrea Meditch
Cast: Ernie Stevens, Joe Smarro
Ernie & Joe is an intimate portrait of two Texas police officers helping change the way police respond to mental health calls. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together the duo’s experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis.
Saturday, October 26, 3:45pm
Sunday, October 27, 11:05am
For Sama
2019, NR, Syria/UK, Documentary, 96 minutes
Florida Premiere
Arabic with English Subtitles
Directors: Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Producer: Waad al-Kateab
Writer: Waad al-Kateab
Cast: Waad al-Kateab
Winner of the Documentary Feature Competition in the Grand Jury Awards at South by Southwest Film Festival, For Sama is a love letter from a young mother to her daughter, telling the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria, as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama — all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her.
Friday, October 25, 10:45am
Sunday, October 27, 4:15pm
From the Vine
2019, NR, Canada, Drama, 94 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Sean Cisterna
Producers: Kyle Bornais, Paula Brancati, Ken Cancellara, Francesco Papa, Sean Cisterna
Writer: Willem Wennekers
Cast: Joe Pantoliano, Wendy Crewson, Marco Leonardi, Paula Brancati
From the Vine tells the story of a downtrodden CEO experiencing a moral crisis who returns to his hometown in rural Italy to recalibrate his moral compass. He discovers new life by reviving his grandfather’s old vineyard, offering the small town of Acerenza a sustainable future and reconnecting with his family in the process.
Saturday, October 26, 8:15pm
Sunday, October 27, 11am
Go Back to China
2019, NR, USA/China, Dramedy, 96 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Emily Ting
Producer: Emily Ting, Sophia Shek, Frederick Thornton
Writer: Emily Ting
Cast: Anna Akana, Richard Ng, Lynn Chen, Kelly Hu
When spoiled rich girl Sasha Li blows through half of her trust fund, she is cut off by her father and forced to go back to China and work for the family toy business. What begins simply as a way to regain financial support soon develops into a life-altering journey of self-discovery. Sasha not only learns the business from the ground up, but she also learns to reconnect with her estranged family.
Friday, October 25, 5:15pm
Saturday, October 26, 8:45pm
The Heart Dances
2018, NR, New Zealand, Documentary, 98 minutes
U.S. Premiere
Filmmaker in Attendance
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Producer: Robin Laing
Cast: Jiří Bubeniček, Otto Bubeniček
An iconic film is reimagined by celebrated Czech dancers Jiří and Otto Bubeniček for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, setting the stage for a voyage into uncharted territory for everyone involved.
Friday, October 25, 12:50pm
Saturday, October 26, 1:15pm
International Falls
2019, NR, USA, Dramedy, 96 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Amber McGinnis
Producer: Amber McGinnis, Nicholas Dunlevy
Writer: Thomas Ward
Cast: Rachael Harris, Rob Huebel, Matthew Glave, Jessie Sherman, Erik Griffin, Mindy Sterling, Kevin Nealon
Dee is stuck in a boring job and a broken marriage in Minnesota’s International Falls, a small, snowbound border town. Harboring a secret dream of a stand-up career, Dee encounters Tim, a burned-out touring comedian who feels trapped by the very life Dee desires for herself. As these two lost souls form an unlikely friendship, they’ll be forced to face the harsh but funny truths of their lives.
Friday, October 25, 1:30pm
Saturday, October 26, 3:40am
The Keeper
2019, NR, UK, Drama, 119 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Marcus H. Rosenmüller
Producers: Chris Curling, Robert Marciniak, Steve Milne
Writers: Marcus H. Rosenmüller, Nicholas J. Schofield
Cast: David Kross, Freya Mavor, John Henshaw, Dervla Kirwan, Gary Lewis, Dave Johns
The Keeper tells the incredible true story of Bert Trautmann, a former German soldier and prisoner of war who becomes a football icon in postwar England as the goalkeeper for Manchester City F.C. With the support of the woman he loves and a rabbi, Bert overcomes all odds to win the 1956 FA Cup Final.
Friday, October 25, 11am
Sunday, October 27, 4pm
The Kill Team
2019, NR, USA, Drama, 87 minutes
Director: Dan Krauss
Producers: Adrián Guerra, Isaac Klausner, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
Writer: Dan Krauss
Cast: Nat Wolff, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Long, Jonathan Whitesell, Brian “Sene” Marc, Rob Morrow
When Andrew Briggman, a young U.S. soldier deployed in Afghanistan, witnesses members of his unit killing innocent civilians at the direction of their sadistic commanding officer, he considers reporting them to higher-ups — but the heavily-armed, increasingly violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear that he will be their next target.
Friday, October 25, 9pm
Sunday, October 27, 6pm
Metal Heart
2018, NR, Ireland, Comedy, 90 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Hugh O’Conor
Producer: Robert Walpole, Rebecca O’Flanagan, Claire McCaughley
Writer: Paul Murray
Cast: Jordanne Jones, Leah McNamara, Moe Dunford, Seán Doyle, Alan Heffernan
Fraternal twin sisters Emma and Chantal are worlds apart. Emma is self-conscious, and unsure of which path to take in life, while Chantal is beautiful, confident and knows exactly where her life is headed. When their parents go away for the summer, their simmering sibling rivalry threatens to boil over… especially when the mysterious boy next door moves back in.
Friday, October 25, 12:30pm
Saturday, October 26, 3:15pm
Miss Virginia
2019, PG-13, USA, Drama, 106 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: R. J. Daniel Hanna
Producers: M. Elizabeth Hughes, Stacey Parks, Maurice Black, Erin O'Connor, Rob Pfaltzgraff
Writer: Erin O'Connor
Cast: Uzo Aduba, Matthew Modine, Niles Fitch, Aunjanue Ellis, Vanessa Williams, Adina Porter, Amirah Van
A struggling single mother places her teenage son in a private school after nearly losing him to the rough streets of Washington, D.C. But when she can’t afford tuition, she launches a movement to change the system that is destroying her son and thousands like him.
Friday, October 25, 8:30pm
Saturday, October 26, 1:10pm
Mr. Jimmy
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 112 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Japanese and English with English Subtitles
Director: Peter Michael Dowd
Producer: Peter Michael Dowd
Cast: Akio “Jimmy” Sakurai, Rie Nakahara, Toshio Suzuki, Kiyomi Osawa, Junko Sakurai, Shinji Kishimoto, Atsushi Iwasaki, Naoki Washida, Makoto Fukano, Kiyotaka Yokoseki
Akio Sakurai has dedicated his life to honoring Jimmy Page. For 35 years, he recreated vintage Led Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue his tribute dream, cultures clash and Akio’s idyllic vision meets reality.
Friday, October 25, 7:45pm
Saturday, October 26, 6:05pm
Museum Town
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 75 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Jennifer Trainer
Producers: Jennifer Trainer, Noah Bashevkin, Ivy Meeropol
Writers: Jennifer Trainer, Noah Bashevkin, Pola Rapaport
Cast: Nick Cave, David Byrne, Meryl Streep, Richard Criddle, Denise Markonish
Museum Town tells the unique story of the power of art to transform a desolate post-industrial city. In 2017, MASS MoCA became the largest museum for contemporary art in the world—but just three decades before, its vast brick buildings were the abandoned relics of a massive shuttered factory.
Friday, October 25, 5pm
Sunday, October 27, 2pm
Pahokee
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 112 minutes
Florida Film
Filmmakers in Attendance
Directors: Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan
Producers: Maida Lynn, Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan
Four high school students embark on their senior year in Pahokee, a small Florida town on the shores of Lake Okeechobee. The teens navigate all the sometimes exciting, sometimes heartbreaking rites of passage as they make profound decisions about the future. As they do, the pressures of Pahokee’s economic hardships weigh heavily on their shoulders.
Saturday, October 26, 10:30am
Sunday, October 27, 1:35pm
Runner
2019, NR, USA, Documentary, 88 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Bill Gallagher
Producer: Bill Gallagher
At 8 years old, Guor Mading Maker fled war-torn Sudan to take refuge in the U.S. In his new life, Maker began participating in track and field, eventually qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. Runner depicts Maker’s challenging and triumphant journey from refugee to world-renowned athlete.
Saturday, October 26, 5:30pm
Sunday, October 27, 11:30am
Show Me The Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall
2019, NR, UK/USA, Documentary, 92 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Alfred George Bailey
Producer: Tatiana Kennedy
Cast: Michael Douglas, Graham Nash, Jorma Kaukonen, Peter Frampton
Jim Marshall was a maverick with a camera. An outsider who captured the heights of rock ‘n’ roll music and the seismic changes of an era, from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to the civil rights movement, Marshall’s wild side — mixed with a compassionate eye — led him to immortalize some of the most iconic moments of the 1960s.
Friday, October 25, 3:15pm
Sunday, October 27, 6:20pm
South Mountain
2019, NR, USA, Drama, 85 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Hilary Brougher
Producer: Susan A. Stover, Maria Rosenblum, Kristin M. Frost
Writer: Hilary Brougher
Cast: Talia Balsam, Scott Cohen, Andrus Nichols, Michael Oberholtzer, Naian González Norvind, Macaulee Rusnak Cassaday, Midori Francis, Isis Masoud
Lila is an artist who teaches at a community college and has built a modest rural paradise in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her husband, Edgar. But when Edgar reveals that he has started a new family with another woman, Lila is left on her own for a season of explosive grief and self-rediscovery.
Saturday, October 26, 6:00pm
Sunday, October 27, 11:15am
Standing Up, Falling Down
2018, NR, USA, Drama, 91 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Matt Ratner
Producers: Chris Mangano, Matt Ratner, Rick Rosenthal, John Hermann, Gabrielle Nadig
Writer: Peter Hoare
Cast: Billy Crystal, Ben Schwartz, Eloise Mumford, Grace Gummer, Kevin Dunn, Debra Monk, Nate Corddry, Jill Hennessy, Leonard Ouzts, John Behlmann
After begrudgingly returning to Long Island after striking out on the Los Angeles comedy scene, stand-up comedian Scott is humiliated to move back in with his parents. Wracked with doubt and facing the prospect of a soul-crushing “real” job, Scott finds an unexpected connection with Marty, a local dermatologist and charming barfly with a penchant for karaoke.
Friday, October 25, 8pm
Saturday, October 26, 11:30am
Top End Wedding
2019, NR, Australia, Romantic Comedy, 103 minutes
Director: Wayne Blair
Producers: Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne, Kate Croser
Writer: Joshua Tyler, Miranda Tapsell
Cast: Miranda Tapsell, Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox, Huw Higginson
Engaged and in love, Lauren and Ned have just 10 days to find Lauren’s mother (who has gone AWOL somewhere in Australia’s Northern Territory), reunite her parents and pull off their dream wedding. As the couple travels through the wild beauty of the Northern Territory landscapes, they meet unforgettable characters, find fulfillment and learn why Lauren’s mother had to leave to find home.
Friday, October 25, 11:30am
Saturday, October 26, 4pm
Van Goghs
2018, NR, Russia/Latvia/UK, Drama, 102 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Russian with English Subtitles
Director: Sergey Livnev
Producers: Sergey Bobza, Sergey Livnev, Igor Pronin
Writer: Sergey Livnev
Cast: Aleksey Serebryakov, Daniel Olbrychski, Elena Koreneva, Polina Agureeva, Natalia Negoda, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Aleksandr Sirin, Olga Ostroumova, Evgeniy Tkachuk, Saveliy Kudryashov
Mark is a lonely and struggling artist who is unable to form any kind of attachment with anyone. His father, the famous conductor Victor Ginzburg, lives far away in the homeland that he left a long time ago. When Mark goes to visit his father after the death of Victor’s wife, they are both forced to come to terms with their past… just as dementia slowly takes hold of Victor.
Friday, October 25, 2:45pm
Saturday, October 26, 7:45pm
Collections of Short Films
A Selection of Short Films Packaged by Theme
Package 1:
Twists and Turns
81 minutes
Life can be a rollercoaster. This package of short films takes its audience on a ride with enough twists and turns to rival the most thrilling theme park attraction. Shorts in this package are:
Between the Shadows
40 Minutes Over Maui
Nefta Football Club
A Sister
Men of Vision
Friday, October 25, 3:45pm
Sunday, October 27, 6:55pm
Package 2:
Things We Do for Love
86 minutes
Love is patient, love is kind… and, occasionally, love pushes us do things we never thought possible. From high hopes to heartbreak, this package of short films examines the complexity of human love. Shorts in this package are:
A Complete Woman
Storm
Milkshake
Pop 30
Mind My Mind
Friday, October 25, 10:30am
Sunday, October 27, 4:05pm
Package 3:
New Perspectives
83 minutes
In a world where things are not always as they seem, first impressions can often be deceiving. This package of short films shows that, for better or for worse, all is revealed with time. Shorts in this package are:
Housekeeping
Roughhouse
The Christmas Gift
Hors Piste
The Neighbors’ Window
Saturday, October 26, 6:15pm
Sunday, October 27, 3pm
Package 4:
A World Imagined
82 minutes
Imagination can act as a time machine into the past or the future — or even a looking glass into an altered present. This package of short films is a journey into some of those worlds imagined. Shorts in this package are:
IRIS
Better Than Neil Armstrong
Metronome (In Time)
Balloon
Sister
This Time Away
Friday, October 25, 7pm
Saturday, October 26, 11am
Talks & Panel Discussions
Conversations with Filmmakers
Tales from the Set
2019 NIFF Panel Discussion
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists: Andrew Aiello (International Falls), Larry Gross, Matt Ratner (Standing Up Falling Down), Rebecca Tansley (The Heart Dances)
Moderator: Elaine Newton, PhD, Artis—Naples resident film critic
Thrilling, comical, terrifying and everything in between, what takes place behind the scenes of getting a movie made can be as fascinating as what ends up on the big screen. In this panel discussion, Elaine Newton speaks with our visiting filmmakers to get an inside look at what it’s really like to make a movie! Admission is free. Reserved ticket required.
Friday, October 25, 10am
Setting the Mood:
The Importance of Music in Film
2019 NIFF Panel Discussion
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists: Timo Chen (Go Back to China), Jack Everly (Naples Philharmonic principal pops conductor), R. J. Daniel Hanna (Miss Virginia), Peter Michael Dowd (Mr. Jimmy) and Akio “Jimmy” Sakurai (Mr. Jimmy)
Moderator: Elaine Newton, PhD, Artis—Naples resident film critic
How do directors, producers and composers use music in film? How does music help to drive the story, set the tone for each scene, build an atmosphere and draw out emotional responses from the audience? In this panel discussion, Elaine Newton speaks with our industry panelists to discover what goes into scoring, selecting and recording music for a film. Admission is free. Reserved ticket required.
Saturday, October 26, 10am
A Conversation with Joe Pantoliano
2019 NIFF Conversation
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Featuring: Joe Pantoliano (From the Vine)
Moderator: Shannon Franklin, NIFF Festival Producer
Join us for an in-depth discussion with Joe Pantoliano about his incredible career as a film, television, and stage actor. Moderated by Shannon Franklin, NIFF Festival Producer. Admission is free. Reserved ticket required.
Sunday, October 27, 1:30pm
Student Filmmaker Showcase
A Film Package
Student Filmmaker Showcase
71 minutes
From dramatic action to lighthearted romance to dealing with life’s troubles, this package showcases works by some of today’s most talented student filmmakers.
The Fleeting Nature of a Rainbow
Hearse Hangover
The Quest
Serpendipity
Recoiled
A Sidewalk Becomes a Street
Tiffany
The Motions
Saturday, October 26, 1pm
Closing Night
Food, Fun, Awards and Film
2019 Naples International Film Festival Awards
2019 Naples International Film Festival Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film & Wrap Party
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 27, 5:30pm
Raiders of the Lost Ark Live in Concert
2019 Naples International Film Festival Closing Night Film with the Naples Philharmonic
Artis—Naples, Hayes Hall
Experience the original film like never before with a live symphony orchestra! Jack Everly conducts the Naples Philharmonic in John Williams’ triumphant score to the classic Steven Spielberg film. In this special concert featuring a live screening of the film, the audience will feel part of the adventure — joining Indiana Jones on his quest to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant. Consider this the grand finale to a weeklong celebration of fantastic films.
Sunday, October 27, 7pm
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.