Opening Night Film & Party
Walk the Red Carpet and Meet the Filmmakers
Opening Night Presentation
Opening Night Shorts: Unexpected Outcomes
79 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Films
The 17th annual Naples International Film Festival opens with a tribute to the art of the short film with seven films that capture the magic of life’s surprises and the joy of unanticipated outcomes.
Willow and Wu
Retirement Plan
Learning How to Drive
Xmas Tree
Drop Off
A Friend of Dorothy
The Singers
Thursday, October 23 • Artis—Naples
6pm Red Carpet Walk, 7pm Film Presentation
Feature Films
Listed in Alphabetical Order
Documentary
Anxiety Club
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 86 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Wendy Lobel
Producers: Wendy Lobel, Carolin Ehrenburg, Jonathan Gray, Scott Sinkler
Cast: Tiffany Jenkins, Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, Eva Victor
Anxiety Club takes the audience backstage to meet with some of today’s most brilliant (and anxious) comedians as they candidly share their personal struggles with the world’s most prevalent mental health condition: anxiety.
Friday, October 24, 8:20pm
Saturday, October 25, 1pm
Sunday, October 26, 6pm
Documentary
Apollo 1
2025, NR, UK/Germany, Documentary, 102 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Florida Film
Director: Mark Craig
Producer: Mark Craig, Keith Haviland, Ansgar Pohle
Writer: Mark Craig
Cast: (in archive): Roger B. Chaffee, Gus Grissom, Edward H. White II, Jim McDivitt, Wally Schirra (in interview and actuality): Martha Chaffee, Sheryl Chaffee, Lowell Grissom, Bonnie Baer, Ed White III, Gerry Griffin, Christopher Kraft, Russell 'Rusty' Schweickart, John Tribe, Gary Johnson, Jerry Goodman
As a new generation readies a return to the moon for the first time in over half a century, Apollo 1 looks back at the tragedy that killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee on January 27, 1967, in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Friday, October 24, 12pm
Saturday, October 25, 5:40pm
Sunday, October 26, 2:35pm
Documentary
Coroner to the Stars
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 83 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Directors: Ben Hethcoat, Keita Ideno
Producer: Billy Ray Brewton, John Henry Hinkel, Tommy Andres
Cast: Dr. Thomas Noguchi, George Takei, Supervisor Janice Hahn, Dr. Cyril Wecht
Coroner to the Stars follows Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former Los Angeles County chief medical examiner-coroner, whose tell-it-like-it-is celebrity autopsies shaped American culture and often put him at odds with Hollywood elites.
Friday, October 24, 3:30pm
Saturday, October 25, 7:35pm
Sunday, October 26, 4:40pm
Narrative
Do Us Part
2025, R, US, Romantic Comedy, 93 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Reed Arnold
Producers: Reed Arnold, Nic Vannatta, Xander Black
Writer: Reed Arnold
Cast: Kelly Russo, Travis Laughlin, Reed Arnold, Laura Delhauer
When Rose, Ryan’s never-quite-requited love and best friend from college, shows up to his wedding unannounced, determined to rectify her greatest mistake, Ryan’s best man, the enthusiastically non-monogamous Mark, must navigate a minefield of secrets to prevent the past from rewriting the very near future.
Friday, October 24, 3pm
Saturday, October 25, 8:30pm
Sunday, October 26, 12:45pm
Documentary
Dream Touch Believe
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 85 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Jenna Naranjo Winters
Producers: Jenna Naranjo Winters, Bill Stengel, Stephen Kobren
Writers: Jenna Naranjo Winters
Cast: Michael Naranjo, Laurie Naranjo
This inspiring documentary explores the inspiring life and work of blind, Indigenous sculptor Michael Naranjo, who at 23, lost his vision and right hand during a grenade attack in Vietnam. With no eyes and the use of just one hand, he creates sculptures coveted by collectors worldwide.
Friday, October 24, 7:25pm
Saturday, October 25, 10:20am
Sunday, October 26, 2:05pm
Narrative
The Easy Kind
2024, NR, US, Drama, 98 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Katy Chevigny
Producers: Peter Gilbert, Nikhil Melnechuk, Natalie Farrey
Writer: Katy Chevigny
Cast: Elizabeth Cook, Melissa Jackson, Charles Esten, Karen Allen, David Letterman
Veteran documentary filmmaker Katy Chevigny’s genre-bending debut narrative feature, The Easy Kind, follows a rising middle-aged country music singer as she navigates the music industry while trying to free herself from the everyday issues holding her back.
Friday, October 24, 1pm
Saturday, October 25, 2:20pm
Sunday, October 26, 7pm
Narrative
For Worse
2025, NR, US, Romantic Comedy, 85 minutes
Florida Premiere
Director: Amy Landecker
Producers: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Valerie Stadler, Jenica Bergere, James Portolese
Writer: Amy Landecker
Cast: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hirago, Missi Pyle, Gaby Hoffmann, Simon Helberg, Paul Adelstein, Lilli Kay
A newly divorced, middle-aged, sober mom begins a fling with a younger acting partner, but when they attend a Gen Z classmate’s wedding together, things rapidly unravel in this romantic comedy starring real-life husband and wife Amy Landecker (Handmaid’s Tale/A Serious Man) and Bradley Whitford (Handmaid’s Tale/West Wing).
Friday, October 24, 4:10pm
Saturday, October 25, 7pm
Sunday, October 26, 10:45am
Narrative
Group - The Schopenhauer Project
2025, NR, US, Drama, 119 minutes
World Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Alexis Lloyd
Producers: Ronald Guttman, Jack Lechner, Alexis Lloyd, Molly Conners, Alex Spatt
Writer: Alexis Lloyd
Cast: Teresa Avia Lim, Ezra Barnes, Bernardo Cubria, Gabriela Kohen, Elisha Lawson, Cara Ronzetti, Thomas Sadoski, Lucy Walters, Dr. Elliot Zeisel
The members of a therapy group deal with its dissolution after a newcomer reveals his intentions to write a TV series based on his experience in this world premiere from French filmmaker Alexis Lloyd (30 Beats).
Friday, October 24, 1:40pm
Saturday, October 25, 11am
Sunday, October 26, 1:45pm
Narrative
Happy as Larry
2025, NR, UK, Dark Comedy, 87 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Hugo André
Producer: Lucas A. Ferrara
Writer: Hugo André
Cast: Calvin Crawley, Kevin Walls, Izzy Harradine, Hugo André, Coral Sinclair, Anne Martin
Unsatisfied with life after years of writing novels far more interesting than his own life, Larry decides to go on one last adventure on the Isle of Skye before his scheduled demise. But Dale, an uninvited companion, disrupts Larry’s final chapter.
Friday, October 24, 7pm
Saturday, October 25, 4:55pm
Sunday, October 26, 2pm
Documentary
Jimmy & The Demons
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 93 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Cindy Meehl
Producer: Elizabeth Westrate
Cast: James Grashow, Guzzy Grashow
In the feature-length documentary Jimmy & the Demons, you’ll go inside the mind of 79-year-old celebrated sculptor James Grashow as he pours time, labor, creativity, passion, love and his health into one last commissioned work.
Friday, October 24, 7:20pm
Saturday, October 25, 10:45am
Sunday, October 26, 4:35pm
Narrative
Mistura
2025, NR, Peru, Drama, 101 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Foreign Language with English Subtitles
Director: Ricardo de Montreuil
Producer: Ivan Orlic
Writer: Ricardo de Montreuil
Cast: Bárbara Mori, César Ballumbrosio, Stefano Meier, Christian Meier, Hermelinda Luján, Tomás Matsufuji, Vanessa Saba, Marco Zunino
A prejudiced French Peruvian woman sees her life unravel after her husband leaves her for another woman, ostracizing her from elite society. Out of financial necessity, she opens a restaurant in her home, where a diverse team slowly transforms her, leading her to discover Peru’s remarkable cuisine and people.
Friday, October 24, 8:05pm
Saturday, October 25, 2:50pm
Sunday, October 26, 11:45am
Narrative
Omaha
2025, NR, US, Drama, 83 minutes
Director: Cole Webley
Producers: John Foss, Scott James, Preston Lee
Executive Producers: Russ Kendall, Adam Thomas Anderegg, Micah Merrill, Nicholas Hill, Nick Warner
Writer: Robert Machoian
Cast: John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis, Talia Balsam
After a family tragedy, siblings Ella and Charlie are unexpectedly woken up by their dad and taken on a journey across the country, experiencing a world they’ve never seen before. As their adventure unfolds, Ella begins to understand that things might not be what they seem.
Friday, October 24, 10:15am
Saturday, October 25, 6:15pm
Sunday, October 26, 8:30pm
Narrative
On a String
2024, R, US, Dramedy, 78 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Isabel Hagen
Producers: Isabel Hagen, Olivia Vessel, Torrance Shepherd, Alex Vara, Annie McGrath
Writer: Isabel Hagen
Cast: Isabel Hagen, Dylan Baker, Frederick Weller, Ling Ling Huang, Jamie Lee, Eric Bogosian
Classically trained violist and stand-up comedian Isabel Hagen plays Isabel, a young, Juilliard-trained violist still living at home with her parents in NYC. While playing gigs with friends, her toxic ex — a hot, new cellist — reappears and informs her of an opening for a violist in a prestigious orchestra.
Saturday, October 25, 7:30pm
Sunday, October 26, 11:30pm
Documentary
The Pantone Guy
2025, G, US, Documentary, 80 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Florida Films
Director: Patrick Creadon
Producers: Christine O’Malley, H. Nelson Tracey
Writers: William Neal, Julia Szromba
Cast: Larry Herbert
At age 96, Palm Beach resident Larry Herbert reflects on his life, from his Depression-era Brooklyn upbringing to creating the Pantone Matching System, which revolutionized the worldwide use of color.
Friday, October 24, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 25, 11:45pm
Narrative
Pilgrim
2025, NR, US, Dramedy, 111 minutes
Florida Premiere
Directors: Scout Purdy, Doug Purdy
Producers: Tom Flynn, Colette Freedman, Doug Purdy
Writers: Scout Purdy, Doug Purdy
Cast: Scout Purdy, Doug Purdy, Jenica Bergere, Brooke Purdy, Ryan Bollman, Max Purdy, Colette Freedman
An overachieving teenager, unable to cope with the loss of her mother and an overwhelming need to connect with her clueless yet well-meaning father, decides to hike the California coast. But when her dad invites himself along, the two begin to navigate the coastline and the emotional challenges they’ve been avoiding.
Friday, October 24, 7:35pm
Saturday, October 25, 2:10pm
Sunday, October 26, 5pm
Documentary
Rebel with a Clause
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 86 minutes
Florida Film
Director: Brandt Johnson
Producer: Brandt Johnson
Cast: Ellen Jovin
In Rebel with a Clause, grammar guru Elen Jovin takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on an epic road trip across all 50 states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time.
Friday, October 24, 4:40pm
Saturday, October 25, 8:40pm
Sunday, October 26, 4:45pm
Documentary
Remembering Big: Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez Story
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 84 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Florida Film
Directors: Marisol Gonzalez, Alina Mogollon-Volk
Producers: Marisol Gonzalez, Alina Mogollon-Volk
Writers: Marisol Gonzalez, Alina Mogollon-Volk
From the sugarcane plantation to the PGA Hall of Fame, this documentary feature follows the stunning rise of a poor Puerto Rican kid to one of professional golf’s most popular players in history.
Friday, October 24, 10:45am
Saturday, October 25, 1:30pm
Sunday, October 26, 7:20pm
Narrative
Seems Like Love
2025, NR, Russia, Romantic Comedy, 92 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Foreign Language with English Subtitles
Director: Yana Klimova-Yusupova
Producers: Dmitry Litvinov, Ekaterina Kononenko, Margarita Litvinova, Maxim Kovalevich, Maxim Filatov, Ilya Burets, Vladimir Vasiliev
Writer: Yana Klimova-Yusupova
Cast: Anna Zavtur, Kuzma Kotrelev, Sergey Goroshko, Elena Valushkina, Olga Lapshina, Anar Halilov
When you travel to an unfamiliar place, you never know what or who you’ll love. As Liza explores Saint Petersburg for the first time, she becomes smitten with the city and two new friends.
Friday, October 24, 4:50pm
Saturday, October 25, 8pm
Sunday, October 26, 11am
Documentary
Silver Screamers
2025, NR, Canada, Documentary, 94 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Sean Cisterna
Producers: Sean Cisterna, Ivonete de Sousa
Writer: Sean Cisterna
Cast: Diane Ament, Diane Buchanan, Bari-Lynne Butters, Lucia Paterra Catania, Audrey Cameron, Anthony Garramone Sonny Lauzon, David Swift
The documentary Silver Screamers follows a group of senior citizens living in a retirement community as they band together on an extraordinary adventure — making a horror film. Along the way, the seniors challenge stereotypes, defy expectations and discover how the timeless power of creativity can build lasting friendships.
Friday, October 24, 1:55pm
Saturday, October 25, 5:50pm
Sunday, October 26, 11:15am
Documentary
The Stamp Thief
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 103 minutes
Director: Dan Sturman
Producers: Dylan Nelson, Gary Gilbert, Dan Sturman
Part detective story, part heist film and part untold history, The Stamp Thief investigates a Holocaust-era rumor: that a mysterious Nazi stole priceless stamp collections from concentration camp victims and buried them in a Polish town.
Friday, October 24, 11am
Saturday, October 25, 5:20pm
Sunday, October 26, 8pm
Documentary
Thaw
2025, NR, US/Barbados, Documentary, 86 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Director: Robin Hauser
Producers: Annie Marr, Joanne Esser
Egg freezing is a billion-dollar industry that gives women the freedom to pause their biological clocks and extend their reproductive choices. Thaw follows three American women as they navigate their options and question what “choice” actually means in this new era of eggs on ice.
Friday, October 24, 5:45pm
Saturday, October 25, 12pm
Sunday, October 26, 3:30pm
Documentary
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival
2025, NR, US, Documentary, 96 minutes
Director: Julie Rubio
Producer: Julie Rubio
Writer: Julie Rubio
Cast: Victoria de Lempicka, Marisa de Lempicka, Cristina de Lempicka, Furio Rinaldi, Anjelica Huston, Roxana Velasquez, Rowland Weinstein, Paula Birnbaum, Eden Espinosa, Matt Gould, Carson Kreitzer, Scott Niichel, Anne Paddy, Monika Krajewska
From her rise in the world of art in 1920s Paris and fleeing fascism in the 1940s, this documentary traces the turbulent and decadent life and career of one of the 20th century’s most revered female artists, the preeminent Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka.
Friday, October 24, 5:15pm
Saturday, October 25, 12pm
Sunday, October 26, 5:30pm
Shorts
A Selection of Short Films Packaged by Theme
Shorts Package
A Family Affair
78 minutes
Florida Premieres
Filmmakers in Attendance
Foreign Languages with English Subtitles
These five short films explore the complexities of family life, from a grandmother chasing TikTok fame and a mother navigating early parenthood to siblings clashing over their mother’s care and remembrance.
Timeless
Baby Blues
The Frame
Hāfu
Mildred 4 a Million
Friday, October 24, 12:30pm
Saturday, October 25, 3:45pm
Sunday, October 26, 10:15am
Shorts Package
Twists and Turns
72 minutes
Florida Premieres
Filmmakers in Attendance
In this collection of six shorts, life takes unexpected turns as a sidelined woman reclaims her story, an imaginative IT professional wrestles with self-doubt, ghosts linger in unexpected places, and a documentary revisits the Beatles through unforgettable photographs.
Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles
The Protagonist Gene
Halfway Haunted
Wilhelm Scream
Remote Strutting
The Second Time Around
Friday, October 24, 2:50pm
Saturday, October 25, 8:35pm
Sunday, October 26, 7:55pm
Shorts Package
The International Art of Animation
74 minutes
Florida Premieres
Foreign Languages with English Subtitles
These seven animated short films from Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Turkey and France demonstrate the boundless capabilities of animation, portraying the lifespan of a cherished record, the solitude of a train ride, the bittersweet ache of young love and more.
Patterns
Line 12
Hurikán
Vinny
Scars We Love
Ovary-acting
Éiru
Friday, October 24, 11:30am
Saturday, October 25, 12:55pm
Sunday, October 26, 7:15pm
Shorts Package
Florida Stories
86 minutes
Florida Premieres
Filmmakers in Attendance
Florida Films
Whether it’s two artists with vastly different visions, the race to protect an endangered bird, or the bond between a young Naples man with Down syndrome and his trainer, this package of five documentaries highlights Florida’s creativity, compassion and resilience.
Lynda Fay Braun
The Little Brown Bird
George V
Parker & Sammy
Friday, October 24, 1:30pm
Saturday, October 25, 4:10pm
Sunday, October 26, 1:55pm
Shorts Package
Student Filmmaker Showcase
77 minutes
Film Premieres
Filmmakers in Attendance
Emerging voices take the spotlight in nine short films spanning K-12 and university filmmakers. From personal struggles to supernatural encounters and playful imagination, this showcase captures the energy, humor and heart of the next generation of storytellers.
K-12 Division
Where We Left Off
Pulpitum
College/University Division
The Lonely Life of Lint
Veil of Valor
Holy Cow
Wrestle-Off
Midnight Monsters
What the Heaven!
Irrational Geographic
Saturday, October 25, 3:20pm
Talks & Panel Discussions
Conversations with Filmmakers
Framing Reality:
Tales from the Documentary Frontier
2025 NIFF Panel Discussion
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists:
Mark Craig, director (Apollo 1)
Jenna Naranjo Winters, director (Dream Touch Believe)
Tommy Andres, producer (Coroner to the Stars)
Robin Hauser, director (Thaw)
H. Nelson Tracey, producer (The Pantone Guy)
Moderator:
Elaine Newton, Artis—Naples resident film critic
Elaine Newton delves into the art of documentary filmmaking with some of our visiting filmmakers, who share their inspirations, challenges, and the unexpected revelations that shape their storytelling over years of dedicated work.
Friday, October 24, 10am
Behind the Lens:
The Indie Filmmaking Journey
2025 NIFF Panel Discussion
60 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Panelists:
Reed Arnold, director/actor (Do Us Part)
Alexis Lloyd, director (Group - The Schopenhauer Project)
Hugo Andre, director (Happy as Larry)
Ricardo de Montreuil, director (Mistura)
Stevo Chang, co-director, and Rachel Mathieu, co-director/actor (Timeless)
Moderator:
Elaine Newton, Artis—Naples resident film critic
In this engaging panel, Elaine Newton sits down with some of our visiting filmmakers who open up about the realities of their craft. Through humorous and heartfelt stories of navigating financial constraints and embracing on-the-fly creativity, they reveal the determination that drives their films from concept to screen.
Saturday, October 25, 10am
Closing Night
Food, Fun, Awards and Film
Awards Ceremony, Film & Wrap Party
2025 Naples International Film Festival Awards
Filmmakers in Attendance
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 26, 5:30pm
Closing Night Film
The Princess Bride in Concert
1987, PG, U.S., Action / Adventure, 98 minutes
Film score with full orchestra
Film and live concert performance
A cinematic classic meets symphonic power as Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic perform Mark Knopfler’s heartwarming score to The Princess Bride live, perfectly syncing with the film as it screens overhead.
Sunday, October 26, 7:30pm