- By Mabel Pais
Screening
Director ADAM J. GRAVES’s ‘ANUJA’
Director SHAUN SENEVIRATNE’s ‘BEN AND SUZANNE, A REUNION IN 4 PARTS’
And Many More
Artis—Naples, home of the Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum, is the premier center for the arts in Southwest Florida. The 16th annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF – artisnaples.org/naples-international-film-festival) located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Naples, Florida will be held October 24-27, 2024.
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.
The 2024 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) Lineup
OPENING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATIONS
Anuja
Director: Adam J. Graves; India/U.S.; 22m
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; Australia; 5m
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; U.S.; 8m
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; U.S.; 11m
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; Ireland; 18m
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; U.S.; 15m
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
Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton; U.S.; 126m
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 FEATURES IN COMPETITION
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Director: Shaun Seneviratne; U.S./Sri Lanka; 110 minutes
Fight Like a Girl
Director: Matthew Leutwyler; Rwanda/DR Congo; 118m
Sheepdog
Director: Steven Grayhm; U.S.; 122m
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES IN COMPETITION
76 Days Adrift
Director: Joe Wein; U.S.; 110m
The Accidental Spy – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director: Anthony Wonke; UK; 97m
Between the Mountain and the Sky
Director: Jeremy Power Regimbal; Canada; 93m
ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES
Breakup Season
Director: H. Nelson Tracey; U.S.; 102m
Days of Happiness
Director: Chloé Robichaud; Canada; 118m
Freedom Hair
Director: Dianne Houston; U.S.; 99m
Kiss of the Con Queen
Director: Tom Waller; U.S.; 116m
My Sunshine
Director: Hiroshi Okuyama; Japan; 90m
Never Not Yours
Directors: John Klein, Steve Kniss; U.S.; 82m
The Paper Bag Plan
Director: Anthony Lucero; U.S.; 107m
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Every Little Thing
Director: Sally Aitken; Australia; 93m
Giants Rising
Director: Lisa Landers; U.S.; 82m
Mad About the Boy
Director: Barnaby Thompson; U.K; 90m
Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager
Directors: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch; U.S.; 73m
The Opener
Director: Jeff Troye; U.S.; 72m
Porcelain War
Directors: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev; Australia/U.S./Ukraine; 87m
Rise Above
Director: Maryilene Blondell; U.S.; 53m
Sanibel – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Herbert James Winterstern; U.S.; 65m
Shari & Lamb Chop
Director: Lisa D’Apolito; U.S.; 92m
ADDITIONAL SHORT FILMS
There are 23 short films.
STUDENT FILMS
There are 8 student films.
TICKETS
For tickets and passes to the Festival, visit artisnaples.org/naples-international-film-festival/ticketing
ARTIS—NAPLES
Home of The Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic, Artis—Naples is unique among cultural institutions nationwide, equally dedicated to both the visual and performing arts featuring artists of global distinction. Learn more at artisnaples.org.
KIMBERLY K. QUERREY and LOUIS A. SIMPSON CULTURAL CAMPUS
Learn more at artisnaples.org
NAPLES PHILHARMONIC
The Naples Philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the cornerstones of Southwest Florida’s arts community. Learn more at artisnaples.org/naples-philharmonic.
THE BAKER MUSEUM
The Baker Museum is the foremost fine art museum in Southwest Florida, presenting an ambitious slate of exhibitions annually to complement installations of works from its permanent collection. Learn more at artisnaples.org/baker-museum.
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
In addition to creating and presenting visual and performing arts, Artis—Naples provides robust education and community activities for students of all ages in Collier and Lee counties.
In 2017, Artis—Naples acquired the Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), expanding its film offerings and providing a platform for the festival’s continued excellence and growth. In 2023, the festival’s 15th anniversary year, NIFF was named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “20 Great Film Festivals in Vacation Destinations.” Learn more at artisnaples.org/education/family/community-day.
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, Business, and Education)