for 16th Annual Naples International Film Festival NIFF to take place October 24-27, 2023
Films may be submitted in five categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Short Films, Student Films (K-12) and Student Films (College/University). Cash prizes will be awarded in 12 categories. This year, the deadline for early bird submissions is May 13, the regular deadline is June 14 and the final deadline is July 5, 2024.
At the 2024 festival, NIFF will once again bring together the spark and spirit of independent filmmaking with the artistic lineage and resources of the acclaimed multidisciplinary arts organization Artis—Naples. In addition to a weekend full of film screenings at a partner theater, the festival will also feature select films to be screened on a 24-foot outdoor screen in Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus.
The closing night of the festival features a screening of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) starring Michael Keaton, with Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic performing the iconic score live.
“We are excited for another outstanding year of NIFF, and we look forward to once again uniting visiting filmmakers with the community of cinephiles from Southwest Florida and beyond,” said Festival Producer Shannon Franklin. “NIFF has thrived as a part of Artis—Naples, and we take great pride in the warm and collaborative environment we have cultivated. Filmmakers and film lovers alike can come from far and wide to build enduring professional and personal bonds with one another.”
“The Naples International Film Festival has become a significant part of the multidisciplinary artistic programming offered by Artis—Naples,” said David Filner, Artis—Naples executive vice president, artistic operations. “The inclusion of exceptional independent film screenings perfectly complements our diverse array of visual and performing arts offerings, and we eagerly await the submissions for the 16th year of NIFF.”
The 2023 edition of NIFF opened with a red-carpet celebration of Hard Miles, which included an appearance by film star Matthew Modine. In-person screenings and filmmaker panels followed, including 2023 NIFF award-winning and audience-favorite films making a splash both at other film festivals across the country (Scrap, Immediate Family, and Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection) or are soon to be in release (All Happy Families, Heightened). NIFF wrapped things up in an entertaining and multidisciplinary style following the filmmaker awards with a special presentation of Steven Spielberg’s iconic film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in Concert, featuring a live performance of John Williams’ classic score by the Naples Philharmonic, conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.
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Generously supported by the Collier County Tourist Development Council.
.jpg?__nocache__=1 "NIFF 2023 Award Winners 10.29.23 (Photo by Nate Lane)")
(L to R) Christian Sander (Hard Miles), NIFF’s Kathleen van Bergen, Cameron Auble-Branigan (Sandpaper), Denny Tedesco (Immediate Family), Danny Mooney (Duelers and Sandpaper), Drew De Four (Duelers), Vivian Kerr (Scrap), Michael Selditch (Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field), Miranda Yousef (Art For Everybody), John Hermann (Hightened), Timothy Blackwood (Infraction), Rendy Ramos (The Face of Immokalee: Public Art for Social Change), Nick Reid (Infraction), Tara Calligan (The Face of Immokalee: Public Art for Social Change), Ayana Johnson, David zum Brunnen, J. Mardrice Henderson, and Selena Ebhardt (The Problem of the Hero), NIFF’s Shannon Franklin, and David Filner (Photo by Nate Lane)
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature – $2,500
Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – $2,500
Focus on the Arts Award – $1,500
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature – $1,000
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature – $1,000
Audience Award for Best Short Film – $500
Best Florida Film Award (Narrative, Documentary or Short) – $500
Indie Spirit Award – $250
Rising Star Award – $250
Best First Feature Award – $250
Programmers’ Choice Award – $250
Impact Award – $250SUBMISSION DEADLINES
• Early Bird: May 13, 2024
• Regular: June 14, 2024
• Late: July 5, 2024
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.
KIMBERLY K. QUERREY and LOUIS A. SIMPSON CULTURAL CAMPUS
Led by CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen and, beginning in the 2024-25 season, Sharon and Timothy Ubben Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley, Artis—Naples offers more than 800 paid and free events annually across its 8.5-acre Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. Artis—Naples welcomes thousands of visitors each year for a broad array of artistic and educational opportunities perfect for audiences of all backgrounds and interests. The cultural campus is home to five buildings, including two performance halls (Frances Pew Hayes Hall and Myra J. Daniels Pavilion), The Baker Museum, the Toni Stabile Education Building and the Kohan Administration Building.
NAPLES PHILHARMONIC
The Naples Philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the cornerstones of Southwest Florida’s arts community. As part of Artis—Naples, the Naples Philharmonic performs more than 140 orchestral and chamber music concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts annually between September and June in the 1,477-seat Hayes Hall, the 283-seat Daniels Pavilion and around the Southwest Florida region. The Naples Philharmonic has enjoyed a history of working with world-class music directors and recently announced the appointment of Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley, who immediately assumes the role of Artistic and Music Director Designate through the 2023-24 season. Renowned violinist James Ehnes continues as artistic partner through the 2023-24 season, working with Naples Philharmonic musicians in a variety of settings with a focus on inspiring and embodying a high level of artistry. Podium leadership includes Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, celebrating 14 years in this role in the 2023-24 season and bringing pops performances that celebrate music in its many forms. Radu Paponiu serves as associate conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and Alvin Ho serves as assistant conductor of the 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. Comprising more than 4,000 objects, the museum’s broad holdings of 20th- and 21st-century art reflect particular strengths in modern art of the United States and Mexico. The Baker Museum’s collections reflect the generosity and commitment of area collectors, including significant gifts from the collection of the late Olga Hirshhorn.
With more than two decades of collecting and exhibiting, the museum is committed to the stewardship and scholarship of its collections and to fostering inspiring and transformative experiences with the visual arts. At the same time, The Baker Museum partners with the world’s leading arts institutions to make extraordinary exhibitions accessible to the Southwest Florida community—including recently the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. In 2020, Artis—Naples celebrated the opening of an 18,000-square-foot expansion of The Baker Museum, designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/
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 counties. Each season, thousands of Collier County Public Schools interact with Artis—Naples education programming, both on its cultural campus and in their classrooms. Beyond our commitment to youth education, the Lifelong Learning program provides engaging lectures and study opportunities for adults seeking to engage more deeply with the arts.
The Friends of Artis—Naples, comprised of more than 3,500 donor households, offers activities, travel experiences and events designed to foster a deeper relationship between patrons and the arts.
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.”