Artis-Naples announced the film lineup for the 17th annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), to be held October 23-26, 2025.

The festival opens on Thursday, October 23, with Opening Night Shorts: Unexpected Outcomes, featuring all seven creative short films participating in NIFF’s inaugural Short Film Juried Competition, screened in Hayes Hall. This celebration of short film highlights the imaginative power and condensed storytelling that have long made shorts a cornerstone of cinema.

The festival will close on Sunday, October 26, with a special presentation of The Princess Bride in Concert, featuring a live performance of Mark Knopfler’s iconic score by the Naples Philharmonic, conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

This year’s festival includes 60 films, selected from among nearly 1,000 submitted films: 10 narrative features, 12 documentary features and 38 short films, representing 17 countries and including 47 premieres (five world, one U.S., five east coast and 36 Florida premieres). Select filmmakers will participate in post-screening Q&A conversations as well as panel discussions during the festival.

Screenings and other film festival events will take place across the Artis-Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus-Hayes Hall, Daniels Pavilion and Norris Garden—and at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato.

“Each year, the Naples International Film Festival affirms the role of film as a vital art form within our multidisciplinary mission,” said Artis-Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “This year’s lineup offers stories and perspectives that cross cultures and experiences, reminding us of the many ways the arts can deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other. NIFF continues to be a place for filmmakers and film lovers to come together in meaningful dialogue, sparking conversations that continue long after the festival ends.”

“Our team has spent the past several months shaping a lineup that reflects the rich and varied spirit of independent cinema,” said David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations. “From powerful documentaries to inventive narrative features and short films, these selections invite audiences into an experience that is as engaging as it is diverse. NIFF remains a space where filmmakers and film lovers share in the discovery and excitement that only cinema can inspire.”

“NIFF is more than a festival,” added Festival Producer Shannon Franklin. “It has earned a reputation as a welcoming destination for both emerging and established filmmakers who know their work will be embraced and celebrated here. The warmth of the Southwest Florida community makes the experience truly special for everyone, and we look forward to the energy and sense of celebration this year’s festival will bring.”

On Thursday, October 23, NIFF’s Opening Night Shorts program will screen seven inventive short films in Hayes Hall (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd), all participating in the festival’s inaugural Short Film Juried Competition. The lineup includes Kathy Meng’s ‘Willow and Wu,’ a lyrical story of friendship between two outsiders navigating shifting cultural identities; John Kelly’s ‘Retirement Plan,’ a darkly comic take on aging and unexpected second acts; and Tyler Cunningham’s ‘Learning How to Drive,’ a coming-of-age tale that blends humor and poignancy as a young woman wrestles with newfound independence.

Also screening are Herman Karlsson’s ‘Xmas Tree,’ a darkly comedic meditation on family holiday traditions; Ric Serena’s ‘Drop Off,’ a tightly drawn comedy about family; and Lee Knight’s ‘A Friend of Dorothy,’ an affectionate look at loneliness in old age and intergenerational friendship. The evening concludes with ‘The Singers,’ directed by Sam Davis, a musical narrative capturing the joy and vulnerability of live performance.

NIFF’s Closing Night on Sunday, October 25, will feature a beloved classic in a format unique to NIFF as Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic present The Princess Bride in Concert, performing Mark Knopfler’s enchanting score live. This special event continues NIFF’s tradition of pairing film with live orchestral performance for a memorable finale.

Audiences will also enjoy NIFF’s signature “Cinema Under the Stars” in Norris Garden, located on the Artis-Naples cultural campus. On Friday, October 24, the festival will present director Patrick Creadon’s ‘The Pantone Guy,’ a colorful documentary about Lawrence Herbert, the visionary behind the Pantone Matching System, whose obsession with standardizing color transformed the way the world communicates and creates.

On Saturday, October 25, audiences will experience Isabel Hagen’s ‘On a String, a narrative feature following a gifted violist torn between artistic ambition and the often-depressing life of a professional musician.

More than $15,000 in cash prizes will be awarded at this year’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony in Daniels Pavilion on Sunday, October 26. NIFF will once again present the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short Film, as well as the Focus on the Arts Awards, the impact Award, the Indie Spirit Award, the Programmers’ Choice Awards, Best First Feature, the Rising Star Award and the Florida Film Award.

Additionally, 2025 marks the sixth consecutive year NIFF presents juried awards in Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature categories, and it is the first year the festival will present a juried award in the Short Films category.

The Narrative Feature Juried Competition slate includes Hugo André’s ‘Happy as Larry,’ a heartfelt drama about an unlikely friendship that blossoms into something deeper as two men walk the tightrope between despair and delight; Ricardo de Montreuil’s ‘Mistura,’ which intertwines food, memory and tradition in a cross-cultural tale of identity and transformation; and Isabel Hagen’s ‘On a String.’

The Documentary Feature Juried Competition includes Mark Craig’s ‘Apollo 1,’ a riveting exploration of NASA’s early tragedy that reshaped the space program and the lives of the astronauts’ families; Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno’s ‘Coroner to the Stars,’ an insider’s look at the work and life of a medical examiner in Los Angeles whose high-profile cases helped shape headlines and cultural conversation; and Cindy Meehl’s ‘Jimmy & The Demons,’ which follows 79-year-old sculptor Jimmy Grashow over four years as he devotes himself to a towering magnum opus.

Beyond the juried slate, NIFF audiences will discover a range of compelling narrative features that bring humor and heart to the screen. Reed Arnold’s ‘Do Us Part’ spins a witty tale of wedding-day chaos when long-buried secrets resurface between three college friends, testing loyalty and love in equal measure.

In Katy Chevigny’s ‘The Easy Kind,’ acclaimed country singer Elizabeth Cook plays a fictionalized version of herself in a genre-bending story that blurs documentary and drama, tracing one woman’s fight to define her own artistic identity in the Nashville spotlight.

Meanwhile, Amy Landecker’s ‘For Worse’ follows a newly divorced, sober mother who stumbles through the highs and lows of midlife reinvention, delivering a heartfelt romantic comedy headlined by real-life couple Amy Landecker and Bradley Whitford.

Doug and Scout Purdy’s Pilgrim feature the father and daughter filmmaking pair in a heartwarming film where a 15-year-old Joe devises a plan to cure her teen angst: a month-long pilgrimage filled with communication issues, terrible survival skills, and zero Wi-Fi-AKA a summer hiking trip with her father. The film also stars Brooke Purdy and Max Purdy, part of the filmmaking family which also be seen in the competition short, ‘Drop Off.’

The festival’s nonfiction highlights extend beyond the juried competition as well, showcasing portraits of resilience and discovery. Wendy Lobel’s ‘Anxiety Club; uses humor and candor to examine mental health through the lens of today’s most self-aware comedians, including Marc Maron and Aparna Nancherla.

Jenna Naranjo ‘Winters’ Dream Touch Believe’ profiles blind, Indigenous sculptor Michael Naranjo, whose extraordinary artistry and perseverance have inspired collectors and admirers worldwide.

Returning NIFF alum Sean Cisterna’s ‘Silver Screamers’ presents a joyous chronicle of senior citizens who defy stereotypes by creating their very own horror film—finding camaraderie, empowerment and a few jump scares along the way.

Themes for the Naples International Film Festival’s curated short film programs include A Family Affair, Twists and Turns, The International Art of Animation, Florida Stories and the recurring Student Filmmaker Showcase.

Tickets for all screenings and activities at Alamo Drafthouse are now on sale Tickets for the Opening Night Film and Party; the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party; and The Princess Bride in Concert are also now on sale. For more information, visit Artis-Naples’ 17th annual Naples International Film Festival’s official website.