2025 Naples International Film Festival
Hayes Hall
October 23 at 7pm
Buy Tickets
Call 239-597-1900 for VIP tickets
Opening Night Film and Party
2025 Naples International Film Festival
Kick off the 17th Annual Naples International Film Festival with one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year. Walk the red carpet, grab complimentary popcorn, candy and soft drinks, and settle into Hayes Hall for the festival’s opening night film.
But the fun doesn’t end when the credits roll! Party ticket holders are invited to Norris Garden, aglow for the occasion and filled with savory hors d’oeuvres from favorite local spots, along with complimentary house wine, beer and a signature cocktail.
VIP ticket holders enjoy an elevated experience on the Baird Terrace at The Baker Museum, where they’ll mix and mingle with NIFF filmmakers while savoring premium hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and cocktails.
Red Carpet at 6pm
Film at 7pm
Film Only $40
Film and Party $125
Film and VIP Party $225
Red Carpet Arrival — 6pm
Film Presentation — 7pm
Opening Night Presentation
Opening Night Shorts: Unexpected Outcomes
Willow and Wu
2024, G, US, Drama, 14 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Foreign Language with English Subtitles
Director: Kathy Meng
Producers: Sam Stulin, Jenna You, Kathy Meng
Writers: Harry Bacon, Kathy Meng
Cast: Aolan Guo, Yves Yan, Waley Wang, Moon Eldridge, Rachel Lu
Two unlikely characters are forced to spend an emotionally charged day together when Willow, an overworked, Chinese American Brooklynite and assistant to Mrs. Wu, a billionaire CEO, is ordered in to work on a Saturday — and is required to assist Mrs. Wu’s husband with a bizarre task.
Retirement Plan
2025, PG, Ireland, Animation, 7 minutes
Florida Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: John Kelly
Producers: Julie Murnaghan, Andrew Freedman
Writers: John Kelly, Tara Lawall
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson
In the throes of his overstimulated, energy-poor midlife, Ray, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina/The Revenant/Brooklyn), fantasizes about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the time.
Learning How to Drive
2025, PG-13, US, Comedy, 10 minutes
Florida Premiere
Juried Film
Director: Tyler Cunningham
Producers: Bettina Bresnan, Vic Brandt, Brittany Suzanne Kelly, Jackson Rickun, Tallulah Dirnfeld
Writer: Bettina Bresnan
Cast: Bettina Bresnan, Kayla Teruel, Gable Swanlund, Alisa Torres, Alicia Silverstone
It’s Bettina’s first day as Wynn’s babysitter, and things are off to a rocky start. A new and anxious driver, Bettina must drive Wynn to a birthday party.
Xmas Tree
2024, NR, Finland, Dramedy, 15 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Juried Film
Foreign Language with English Subtitles
Director: Herman Karlsson
Producer: Herman Karlsson
Writer: Herman Karlsson
Cast: Oskar Pöysti, Siri Fagerudd, Dennis Nylund, Jan-Christian Söderholm
When Marco realizes the expensive Christmas tree he purchased for the home he shares with his girlfriend has been stolen, the stubborn and stingy man refuses to buy another one. Instead, he decides to steal one from a landowner near the couple’s cottage. But his plans for a merry Christmas go awry when he’s caught in the act.
Drop Off
2025, NR, US, Comedy, 2:40 minutes
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Ric Serena
Producer: Jennifer Serena
Writers: Ric Serena
Cast: Brooke Purdy, Doug Purdy, Scout Purdy, Maxwell Purdy
Drop Off is a real-life family affair as husband-and-wife actors Brooke and Doug Purdy seek to unload their unwanted children, Scout and Maxwell, at a nearby fire station.
A Friend of Dorothy
2025, NR, UK, Comedy, 21 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Filmmakers in Attendance
Juried Film
Director: Lee Knight
Producers: James Dean, Scottie Fotré, Max Marlow
Writer: Lee Knight
Cast: Miriam Margolyes, Alistair Nwachukwu, Stephen Fry, Oscar Lloyd
When 17-year-old JJ accidentally kicks a ball into an elderly widow’s garden and upends her daily routine, an unlikely friendship forms, and despite an age difference that spans decades, the two discover they have more in common than either could have imagined.
The Singers
2025, NR, US, Dramedy, 18 minutes
Juried Film
Director: Sam Davis
Producers: Jack Piatt, David Breschel, Charlie Cohen
Cast: Mike Young, Chris Smither, Will Harrington, Judah Kelly
The Singers is a genre-bending film adaptation of a short story written by Ivan Turgenev in 1850. Centering on a pub full of downtrodden patrons who connect through song, the film explores the complexities of masculinity and the power of vulnerability through art.
Festival Presenting Sponsors Richard and Christine Lublin.
Opening Night Film and Party Sponsor
Generous support also provided by the Collier County Tourist Development Council.
