Thursday, September 30, 2021

Artis—Naples Announces Official Selections for The 2021 Naples International Film Festival (October 21-24)

 


NIFF will celebrate the Art of the Short Film with an Opening Night presentation of shorts and will close with Back to the Future accompanied live by the Naples Philharmonic

 Jonathan Keijser’s Peace by Chocolate, Christopher Kahunahana’s Waikiki and Lissette Feliciano’s

Women Is Losers compete for the Narrative Feature Juried Prize, with Christopher Chambers’ A Fire Within, Bernadette Wegenstein’s The Conductor and Justin Monroe’s Holy Frit  vying for the Documentary Feature Juried Prize

Naples, FL (September 30, 2021) – Artis—Naples announced today the film lineup for the 13th annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) to be held October 21-24, 2021, featuring a return to in-person screenings. A central theme of this year’s edition of NIFF will be a celebration of the art of making the short film, including the first time the festival has showcased a specially curated shorts program for its Opening Night Film experience. The film festival will close with a special presentation of Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future featuring a live performance of John Williams’ classic score by the Naples Philharmonic, conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

On Friday and Saturday night, Artis—Naples will present “Screenings Under the Stars” in Norris Garden on Artis─Naples’ Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus, with two films that are part of this year’s juried competition. The documentary feature Holy Frit will screen on Friday night, and the narrative feature Women Is Losers will screen on Saturday night.

The festival will include 67 films (12 narrative features, 11 documentary features, 44 short films) from 20 countries. All screenings will be in-person, marking a return to Hayes Hall, Daniels Pavilion, Norris Garden and Silverspot Cinema. The highest priority of Artis—Naples is the health and safety of patrons, staff, filmmakers and the community at large. In order to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone, Artis─Naples COVID protocols will be observed for all NIFF events. Current safety protocol details can be found here.

Artis─Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen said, “We are so pleased to return to theaters as well as viewing films together, and we very much look forward to welcoming filmmakers back safely to our cinema-loving community here in Naples and Southwest Florida. The Naples International Film Festival is an important part of our multidisciplinary cultural offerings each season, and we are thrilled to be able to share these films.

“This year’s edition of the Naples International Film Festival will have another outstanding lineup of incredible films from all over the world, including a variety of dynamic and thought-provoking short films that we are delighted to highlight on opening night and throughout the program,” said Festival Producer Shannon Franklin. “We pride ourselves on having something for everyone and can’t wait to enjoy all of these films on the big screen together with our wonderful Naples audiences.”

On Thursday, October 21, the Opening Night shorts program at Hayes Hall (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd) will feature: Anton Dyakov’s Russian short Boxbalet, about a fortuitous meeting between a delicate ballerina and a rough, surly boxer; Annie St-Pierre’s Canadian short Like the Ones I Used to Know, about a Christmas filled with tension and anticipation in 1983; Cheri Gaulke’s short documentary Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color, about Alma W. Thomas, a Black woman artist who broke color barriers on and off the canvas; Dava Whisenant’s comedy Photo Op, about the perils of trusting a stranger with your phone; and Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s British short Roy, about a reclusive widower who accidentally calls an adult hotline worker.

Hayes Hall will also be the location for the special presentation of Zemeckis’ classic crowd pleaser Back to the Future (1985) on Sunday, October 24. The Naples Philharmonic, led by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, will perform Alan Silvestri’s classic score live with the film.

Films in the Naples International Film Festival’s competition categories will be vying for more than $10,000 in prizes, including the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short as well as the Focus on the Arts Award, given to a Narrative or Documentary film with an emphasis on one or more of the visual or performing arts. For the third year in a row, there will also be juried awards in the Narrative and Documentary features categories.

The Narrative Features Juried Competition slate includes the Florida Premiere of Jonathan Keijser’s Peace by Chocolate, about a young Syrian refugee who struggles to settle into small- town life in Nova Scotia, Canada, after his family’s chocolate factory is destroyed during the war. Christopher Kahunahana’s Waikiki is a cinematic allegory of love and loss, where a hula dancer fights for survival—and her sanity—in the shadows of Waikiki, and Lissette Feliciano’s award- winning Women Is Losers tells the story of bright and talented Catholic schoolgirl Celina Guerrera in the ’60s, who survives a difficult home life by following the rules, until an act of indiscretion creates a series of devastating consequences.

The three titles making up NIFF’s Documentary Features Juried Competition include the East Coast Premiere of Christopher Chambers’ A Fire Within, about three Ethiopian women who flee to the U.S. after surviving torture in their home country only to discover that the man responsible for their torture now lives in America and works at the same hotel as one of them. Bernadette Wegenstein’s The Conductor takes audiences into the heart of classical music and into the soul of one of its top artists, internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop. Justin Monroe’s Holy Frit focuses on talented yet unknown L.A. artist Tim Carey, who bluffs his way into winning the commission to create the largest stained-glass window of its kind. The problem is: He doesn’t know how to make it. However, he might just be saved after he finds a famous glass maestro by the name of Narcissus Quagliata.

Additional highlights among the narrative feature selections include the North American Premiere of Martin Copping’s Australian drama, The Dunes, in which a renowned journalist returns to his beachside hometown to investigate the disappearance of the tenant in his childhood home. Three films making their Florida premieres are Roshan Sethi’s romantic comedy 7 Days, about an Indian couple—set up on a date by their traditional Indian parents—who are forced to live together for a week, which in turn forces them to learn some things about each other; Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe’s The Beta Test, about a soon-to-be married Hollywood agent whose life is turned upside down after accepting a mysterious invitation for an anonymous sexual encounter with a secret admirer; and Josef Kubota Wladyka’s Catch the Fair One, about a Native American boxer struggling to pick up the pieces of her life while staying in a women’s shelter, until she takes on the human trafficking network responsible for abducting her younger sister two years ago.

Additional documentary feature highlights include the East Coast Premiere of Robin Hauser’s $avvy, which investigates women and money, questioning why women often take a backseat to managing their finances. Two films making their Florida premieres include Douglas Tirola’s Bernstein’s Wall, a portrait of famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein; and Scott Gawlik’s Set! which focuses on a group of highly competitive table setters as they vie for the Best of Show ribbon at “The Olympics of table setting.”

Themes for the curated short film programs include Growing Pains, Family Affair, True Stories, Discoveries, Around the World, Florida Films and the Student Filmmaker Showcase.

Through a special collaboration with Avow, a local non-profit that provides hospice, palliative care and grief support, the Naples International Film Festival will also showcase a special world premiere screening of Renee Stoll and Joel Collazo’s Avow Presents: Life Lessons Learned in the Military on Saturday, October 23 in Daniels Pavilion. The film features stories and interviews with several Southwest Florida’s military veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. Though the veterans come from different backgrounds and served in different situations as part of different generations, the film shows the commonality of their experiences and the lessons that have stayed with each of them to this day.

In addition to the remarkable film lineup, there will also be two Panel Discussions at Silverspot Cinema moderated by renowned book and film critic Elaine Newton. On Friday, October 22 Newton and five filmmakers will discuss The Importance of Independent Film, while on Saturday, October 23, Newton will lead a conversation about Artists Through the Lens that will focus on films that examine the lives and works of visual and performing artists.

Tickets for all screenings and activities at Silverspot Cinema and Daniels Pavilion go on sale September 30. Tickets for the Opening Night Film and Party, the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party and Back to the Future in Concert are currently on sale. For more information, visit artisnaples.org/niff.

Festival Presenting Sponsors are Dr. Richard Lublin and Christine Stahl, with generous support also provided by the Collier County Tourist Development Council. Special thanks also to Rebecca Lambert and Jonathan Sonne, Bobbi and David Drobis, Entech, Stan and Sarann Kraushaar and media sponsors Gulfshore Life and Naples Daily News. 

The 2021 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) official selections:


OPENING NIGHT SHORTS PRESENTATION

Boxbalet        

Director: Anton Dyakov         

Country: Russia; Running Time: 16 min       

One day, a delicate ballerina named Olya meets the rough, surly boxer Evgeny. The contrast between their worlds and their philosophies is so sharp that even the possibility of their paths crossing seems incredible.

 

Like The Ones I Used to Know       

Director: Annie St-Pierre       

Country: Canada; Running Time: 18 min     

Christmas, 1983. Julie and her cousins ate too much sugar, Santa is late and Denis is outside in his car, anxious at the idea of picking up his children at his ex-in-laws’ house.

 

Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color           

Director: Cheri Gaulke           

Country: US; Running Time: 20 min 

Alma W. Thomas, a Black woman artist, broke color barriers on and off the canvas, yet she did not receive national attention until she was 80.

 

Photo Op       

Director: Dava Whisenant     

Country: US; Running Time: 3 min   

A humorous—yet cautionary—tale about the perils of trusting a stranger with your phone.

 

Roy    

Directors: Tom Berkeley, Ross White           

Country: UK; Running Time: 16 min 

When a reclusive widower accidentally calls an adult hotline worker, an unlikely friendship is born.

 

 

SPECIAL SCREENING

Avow Presents: Life Lessons Learned in the Military                 World Premiere

Directors: Renee Stoll, Joel Collazo

Country: US; Running Time: 60 min

After conducting interviews with 17 of Southwest Florida’s military veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines, Avow presents a compilation of their stories. Avow Presents: Life Lessons Learned in the Military chronicles the lives of these veterans and the life lessons they learned during their time in the military. Though they come from different backgrounds and served in various generations, each of them has carried those lessons have stayed with each of them to this day.

 

 

NARRATIVE FEATURES

 

JURY COMPETITION

Peace By Chocolate                                                                         Florida Premiere      

Director: Jonathan Keijser     

Country: US; Running Time: 96 min 

After the bombing of his father’s chocolate factory, Tareq Hadhad, a charming young Syrian refugee, struggles to settle into his new small-town life in Nova Scotia, Canada. Still intent on pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor, Tareq finds himself caught between forging his own path and joining his family in rebuilding their legacy as chocolate makers. 

 

Waikiki          

Director: Christopher Kahunahana   

Country: US; Running Time: 88 min 

In this cinematic allegory of love and loss, a hula dancer fights for survival—and her sanity—in the shadows of Waikiki, offering an unflinching glimpse into paradise where there remains hope through human connection and reconnection to ʻaina (nature).

 

Women Is Losers     

Director: Lissette Feliciano    

Country: US; Running Time: 124 min

In 1960s San Francisco, bright and talented Catholic schoolgirl Celina Guerrera survives a difficult home life by following the rules, until an act of indiscretion creates a series of devastating consequences. As Celina faces the compounded obstacles of being young and alone, she sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future that sets new precedents for the time.

 

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

7 Days                                                                                                 Florida Premiere

Director: Roshan Sethi          

Country: US; Running Time: 86 min 

Ravi and Rita are set up on a date arranged by their traditional Indian parents. When unforeseen circumstances force them to live together for a week, Ravi discovers that Rita is not quite the traditional girl of his dreams—but her “bad influence” might be just what he needs. As irritation gives way to intimacy, they are forced to confront what they have been hiding from each other, from their families, and from themselves.

 

The Beta Test                                                                                    Florida Premiere

Directors: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe         

Country: US; Running Time: 94 min 

A soon-to-be married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious invitation for an anonymous sexual encounter with a secret admirer and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder and infidelity in this scintillating satire.

 

Catch The Fair One                                                                          Florida Premiere

Directors: Josef Kubota Wladyka      

Country: US; Running Time: 85 min 

Kaylee “K.O.” Uppashaw, a Native American boxer, struggles to pick up the pieces of her life as she spends her days working at a diner and her nights sleeping in a women’s shelter, dreaming of the life she once had. But after a clandestine rendezvous with a private investigator, Kaylee embarks on the fight of her life as she takes on the human trafficking network responsible for abducting her younger sister two years ago. 

 

The Dunes                                                                             North American Premiere

Director: Martin Copping       

Country: Australia; Running Time: 85 min    

Nicholas Rice, a renowned journalist for the Los Angeles Times, returns to his beachside hometown of ‘The Dunes’ to investigate the disappearance of the tenant in his childhood home. While he’s there, a mysterious figure from his past reemerges and threatens his entire existence.

 

Final Set        

Director: Quentin Reynaud    

Country: France; Running Time: 105 min     

Thomas was once renowned as a young tennis prodigy, but he never had the career he hoped for. At 37, despite his declining physical fitness, he decides to compete in the qualifying rounds of the French Open for one last shot at glory.

 

Hive   

Director: Blerta Basholli         

Country: Kosovo/Switzerland/Macedonia/Albania; Running Time: 84 min  

Hive is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije, who has lived with fading hope and burgeoning grief since her husband went missing during the war in Kosovo. In order to provide for her struggling family, she pulls the other widows in her patriarchal village together to launch a business selling hot pepper preserves. Together, they find healing and solace—but their will to begin living independently is met with hostility.

 

The Humans 

Director: Stephen Karam       

Country: US; Running Time: 108 min

When Erik Blake gathers three generations of his Pennsylvania family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s pre-war duplex in lower Manhattan, not all goes according to plan. As darkness falls outside the crumbling building and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the Blake family’s deepest fears are laid bare.

 

One Moment 

Director: Deirdre O’Connor   

Country: US; Running Time: 155 min

One Moment is the humorous, heartwarming story of middle-aged siblings struggling to manage their own lives while also caring for their recently widowed, aging father. Although the family is at odds over how best to care for their father, they are united in their desire to ensure his well-being and peace of mind—without them losing their own. Welcome to the Sandwich Generation.

 

Risks And Side Effects       

Director: Michael Kreihsl       

Country: Austria; Running Time: 92 min       

When a routine check-up reveals that Pilates trainer Kathrin is suffering from kidney disease and needs a transplant, the fragility of the relationships within and between two couples is laid bare. Eventually, the question can no longer be avoided: What is true love?

 

 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

 

JURY COMPETITION

A Fire Within                                                                         East Coast Premiere

Director: Christopher Chambers       

Country: US; Running Time: 85 min 

This is the incredible true story of three Ethiopian women who flee to the U.S. after surviving torture in their home country, only to discover that the man responsible for their torture now lives in America... and works at the same Atlanta hotel as one of them. A Fire Within is an inspiring, timely story about three resilient survivors taking a stand to make their voices heard and courageously attempting to bring their torturer to justice—right here in America.

 

The Conductor         

Director: Bernadette Wegenstein      

Country: US; Running Time: 90 min 

The Conductor takes audiences into the heart of classical music and into the soul of one of its top artists, internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop, giving viewers backstage passes to the artistry and energy that rewards her audiences and inspires her students. With unprecedented access, the director and film crew accompany Alsop to concerts around the world, from São Paulo, Lucerne and Baltimore to her opening concert in Vienna.

 

Holy Frit        

Director: Justin Monroe         

Country: US; Running Time: 120 min

In this three-year race against time, talented yet unknown L.A. artist Tim Carey bluffs his way into winning the commission to create the largest stained-glass window of its kind. The problem is: He doesn’t know how to make it. After a desperate search, he finds someone who might have the answer: a famous glass maestro by the name of Narcissus Quagliata.

 

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ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Bernstein's Wall                                                                                Florida Premiere      

Director: Douglas Tirola         

Country: US; Running Time: 100 min

Douglas Tirola’s thrilling documentary portrait of famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein uses the maestro’s own voice with an incredible visual language that has the rhythms of a symphony to create an intimate, complicated, heartbreaking and passionate life story that ultimately inspires us to make a change in our society today.

 

Blues On Beale        

Director: Larry Lancit 

Country: US; Running Time: 78 min 

Blues acts come from around the world to compete for top honors in the 36th Annual International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, Tennessee. It is the last event of its kind before Covid 19 put the world on hold. Experience 5 days of rocking, crowd pumping Blues competition packed with passion, music, and suspense. Discover the people who keep The Blues alive and the powerful international impact of America’s musical gift to the world.

 

In Balanchine's Classroom

Director: Connie Hochman    

Country: US; Running Time: 88 min 

In Balanchine’s Classroom transports audiences back to the glory years of George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius. Opening the door to his studio with never-before-seen archival footage of Balanchine at work and interviews with the dancers who carry on his legacy today, this is Balanchine as viewers have never seen him.

 

Me To Play    

Director: Jim Bernfield           

Country: US; Running Time: 72 min 

Two actors suffering from debilitating, incurable Parkinson’s disease undertake an act of bravery as their swansong to their decades-long careers—putting up an off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s comic yet difficult masterpiece Endgame, which Beckett wrote after his own mother passed away from effects brought on by Parkinson’s. Endgame makes the case that there is nothing funnier than unhappiness. Me to Play proves it.

 

$avvy                                                                                                  East Coast Premiere

Director: Robin Hauser          

Country: US; Running Time: 79 min 

$avvy investigates the historical, cultural and societal norms around women and money. With incisive humor and captivating honesty, $avvy questions why women often take a backseat to managing their money—and reveals why it is increasingly critical for women to take the reins of their financial futures.

 

Set!                                                                                                     Florida Premiere

Director: Scott Gawlik

Country: US; Running Time: 105 min

Table setting: For most of us, it’s a chore. But for some, it’s a sport. Once a year, a group of highly competitive table setters vie for the Best of Show ribbon at the Orange County Fair competition, often referred to as “The Olympics of table setting.”

 

Try Harder!   

Director: Debbie Lum

Country: US; Running Time: 85 min 

San Francisco’s Lowell High, one of the best public schools in the country, draws high achievers—nearly 70% of whom are Asian Americans—from across the city into a fiercely competitive universe. The camera follows seniors through the hallways and into classrooms as the pressure intensifies to impress admissions officers at elite universities with their report cards, test scores and overall awesomeness. The students proudly own their identity as nerds and tell their stories with candor and humor despite the stress. Will they achieve their dreams? And what happens if they fail?

 

 

SHORT FILMS

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #1: GROWING PAINS

Dọlápọ̀ Is Fine          

Director: Ethosheia Hylton    

Country: UK; Running Time: 15 min 

Soon to leave her very British boarding school, Dọlápọ̀ is pressured to conceal her natural hair and change her name in order to get a job in the city.

 

Enjoy

Director: Saul Abraham         

Country: UK; Running Time: 19 min 

As Michael seeks novel ways to halt his spiraling depression, a moment of hope arrives via an unexpected source.

 

Ganef 

Director: Mark Rosenblatt     

Country: UK; Running Time: 14 min 

Spooked by a dark tale from her mother's childhood, a 6-year-old girl begins to imagine the adored family cleaner is a thief.

 

Snowy

Directors: Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf Lewis

Country: US; Running Time: 13 min 

Snowy, a 4-inch-long pet turtle, has lived an isolated life in the family basement. What would it take for Snowy to find happiness?

 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

Director: Shiyue Xu   

Country: China; Running Time: 12 min         

Tommy grew up with a love for music, and his journey through life is mirrored by changes to the first song he learned to play: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

 

You Sold My Roller Skates 

Directors: Margaux Cazal, Jeanne Hammel, Louis Holmes, Sandy Lachkar, Agathe Leroux, Léa Rey-Mauzaize

Country: France; Running Time: 6 min         

Treachery! Lou’s mother sold his beloved roller skates at the garage sale. But when he goes looking for them in the buzzing crowd, a series of strange and revealing encounters ensues.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #2: FAMILY AFFAIR

Elza    

Director: Walter Mirkss          

Country: Latvia; Running Time: 22 min         

A young woman juggles her dreams of becoming an artist and the harsh reality of her daily life with her mother.

 

The Kicksled Choir  

Director: Torfinn Iversen        

Country: Norway; Running Time: 18 min      

Ten-year-old Gabriel loves to sing and has one desire: to sing in the local choir. The group rides kick-sleds through the snowy landscape of northern Norway and is renowned for their kindness and charity towards the village refugees. But when Gabriel’s father gets into a fight with one of the local refugees, Gabriel’s dream of joining the Kicksled Choir faces a new challenge.

 

Pain   

Director: Anna Rose Duckworth        

Country: New Zealand; Running Time: 9 min           

A young girl is confronted with the earth-shattering realization that her father is not invincible when he suffers an injury while playing cricket.

 

Safe   

Director: Ian Barling   

Country: US; Running Time: 16 min 

On a winter night in Atlantic City, the manager of a defunct casino must reckon with his parental failures when his unruly son needs help out of an illicit bind.

 

Sisters           

Director: Jess Brunetto          

Country: US; Running Time: 17 min 

Tensions rise when two estranged sisters are forced to confront each other while preparing for their ailing mother’s death.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #3: TRUE STORIES

Golden Age Karate  

Director: Sindha Agha

Country: US; Running Time: 5 min   

A high school student helps a group of senior citizens get through a vulnerable time by teaching them karate.

 

How to Fall in Love in A Pandemic

Director: Michael-David McKernan   

Country: Ireland; Running Time: 11 min       

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, romance accelerates as two filmmakers are forced to move in together only two weeks after meeting each other.

 

The Queen of Basketball    

Director: Ben Proudfoot         

Country: US; Running Time: 22 min 

She is one of the greatest living women’s basketball players. Three national trophies. Scored the first basket in women’s Olympic basketball at the ’76 Olympics. Drafted to the NBA. But have you ever heard of Lucy Harris?

 

When We Were Bullies        

Director: Jay Rosenblatt        

Country: US; Running Time: 36 min 

A mind-boggling “coincidence” leads the filmmaker to track down his fifth-grade classmates and teacher to examine a bullying incident from 50 years ago.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #4: DISCOVERIES

A Roll in The Hay     

Director: Geoffrey Fighiera    

Country: France; Running Time: 18 min       

Laurent takes his mistress to his country vacation home for the weekend, leaving his wife, Isabelle, bedridden and in the midst of a nervous breakdown. But Isabelle makes a surprise appearance, armed with a revolver and determined to make them face the price of betrayal…

 

Brief Survey 

Director: Dava Whisenant     

Country: US; Running Time: 3 min   

A good-hearted hiker on a mountaintop finds himself overcome by nature’s majesty… only to be drawn into a cosmic nightmare.

 

The Criminals           

Director: Serhat Karaaslan    

Country: France/Romania/Turkey; Running Time: 24 min   

Late at night in a small Turkish town, a young couple tries to find a hotel room to spend the night together, but without a marriage certificate, they are rejected by every hotel. After coming up with a trick that they think will work, the situation gets out of hand.

 

Kitchen By Measure            

Directors: Sólrún Ylfa Ingimarsdóttir, Atli Arnarsson

Country: Iceland; Running Time: 13 min       

After seeing his wife struggle with mundane tasks, the inventive Ingólfur gets hooked on the idea of building her the perfect kitchen.

 

Mutiny!          

Director: Matthew Gratzner   

Country: US; Running Time: 17 min 

A progressive, swashbuckling captain must deal with a crew set in their old ways, confronting gender inequality and disregard for their own overt masculinity.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #5: AROUND THE WORLD

Ala Kachuu - Take and Run

Director: Maria Brendle         

Country: Switzerland; Running Time: 39 min

A young Kyrgyz woman is kidnapped and forced to marry. A drama about the desire for freedom in the clutches of tradition.

 

The Best Orchestra in The World  

Director: Henning Backhaus 

Country: Austria; Running Time: 14 min       

Ingbert, a sock, applies for a position as double bass player at the Vienna State Orchestra. Bad idea.

 

Don Vs Lightning     

Director: Big Red Button        

Country: UK; Running Time: 13 min 

When Don, an elderly Scottish grump, finds himself the victim of multiple lightning strikes, he begins to worry that his quiet, orderly life may never be the same again.

 

Step Into the River   

Director: Weijia Ma    

Country: China/France; Running Time: 15 min        

Lu and Wei are two young girls living in a village nestled on the banks of a river. Because the one-child policy and the preference for having boys has led some families to drown baby girls, they both have a special relationship with this river, which looks like a cradle of tragic stories.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #6: FLORIDA FILMS

The Best Show in Town      

Director: Amity Hoffman                    

Country: US; Running Time: 42 min

Over the course of nine months, a theater troupe of 50+ actors, all with special challenges and abilities work to put together one of the most engaging theater performances you will ever see.   

 

The Keys, A Cat, And A Black Fish           

Director: Gonzalo Mejía         

Country: US; Running Time: 18 min 

Ilford is a positive and happy man who is emotionally abused by his wife. One day, some strange occurrences steer him into making an unlikely decision.

 

When She Flies        

Director: Daniel M. Rodriguez           

Country: US; Running Time: 16 min 

A dorky college student falls for a free-spirited musician and is faced with a decision: Let her fly away to follow her dreams, or follow his heart.

 

 

SHORTS PACKAGE #7: STUDENT FILMMAKER SHOWCASE

Anopsia (K-12)         

Director: Joshua Bowen        

Country: US; Running Time: 10 min 

In the wake of a recent accident, Selia must overcome her physical challenges in order to achieve mental serenity.

 

Breaking Vanilla (College)   

Director: Hollis Rosenkranz   

Country: US; Running Time: 8 min   

Vanilla may be the world’s favorite flavor, but its story is anything but plain.

 

Down Seafaring Way (K-12)

Directors: Roxy Morris, Sophia Lee, Shiva Kansagara, Meia Voss 

Country: US; Running Time: 8 min   

On a cool evening, two sisters walk down an empty street when they realize everything is not as it seems.

 

Escalation (K-12)      

Director: Jake Yun     

Country: US; Running Time: 2 min   

Engaged in an epic battle that seems limitless, two determined competitors up the ante until we wonder where it will end.

 

Gretel & Hansel: A New Musical (College)

Director: Alex Preston

Country: US; Running Time: 9 min   

When Gretel is discovered stealing her witch stepmother’s spell book, she and her skeptical brother, Hansel, set out on a quest to find their mother—and to uncover the mysterious truth about their family.

 

Legend Of the Claw (College)         

Director: Shailyn Farmer       

Country: US; Running Time: 2 min   

A young girl saves a plushie from a monstrous claw machine.

 

Miss Fortune (K-12) 

Director: Samiksha Thakur    

Country: US; Running Time: 12 min 

Jane lands a date with a boy—a typical high school romance. But come date night, Jane receives a mysterious handwritten note in a fortune cookie…

 

Nai Nai (College)       

Directors: Hsiu Hsiu Lin, Minori Uemura       

Country: US; Running Time: 7 min   

When a Chinese grandmother is introduced to her granddaughter’s Japanese fiancé, memories of trauma suffered at the hands of Japanese soldiers resurface, and she is forced to face her past.

 

Namak (College)       

Director: Surya Ranganathan

Country: US; Running Time: 22 min 

Imprisoned after uniting to protest against the British salt tax in India, several inmates are left to fight their internal struggles of class and caste.

 

Perennial (K-12)       

Directors: Grace Shao, Shailee Sankhala    

Country: US; Running Time: 4 min   

The story of how Laurie and Mary Ellen Park saved their beloved plant nursery during the 2020 Bond Fire in Southern California—and how the power of family held them together.

 

Ruff And Buff (College)       

Director: Mee Huh     

Country: US; Running Time: 3 min   

Harmony dreams of winning a dog show with her tiny dog, Thor. Unfortunately, Thor has something else in mind.

 

Stay On the Line for Further Assistance (College)          

Director: Ashlynn Judy          

Country: US; Running Time: 5 min   

When a lazy telemarketer accidentally calls an active kidnapping case, confusion and chaos ensue as he tries his best to save the hostage.

 ABOUT 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 Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director Andrey Boreyko, we typically offer audiences more than 800 paid and free events annually within a variety of venues and settings situated throughout the 8.5-acre Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. Artis—Naples traditionally welcomes 300,000 visitors each year for a broad array of artistic and educational opportunities perfect for audiences of all backgrounds and interests. The Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson 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.

 In the 2014-15 season, Andrey Boreyko assumed the title of Music Director and serves in this capacity for Artis—Naples. Boreyko is internationally recognized as one of the most exciting and dynamic conductors working today. This appointment, extended through 2022, marks his first American post. The Wall Street Journal says van Bergen and Boreyko have ushered in “an impressive new phase” for classical music in Southwest Florida.

 NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

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 2018, NIFF celebrated its tenth year in the community, and in 2019, NIFF was named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.

 In choosing the festival, which enters its fourth year as part of Artis—Naples, a multidisciplinary arts organization based in Southwest Florida, the panel cited the festival’s “strong backing to grow and add new dimensions to its carefully curated lineup.” The full description can be found at moviemaker.com.

 NIFF, which prides itself on its support of independent filmmakers and the diversity and quality of films selected for screening, has matured into a destination festival, drawing emerging and established filmmakers eager to experience its unique atmosphere of keen appreciation for cinema.

 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 typically 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.

 Jack Everly is Principal Pops Conductor and in the 2020-21 season celebrates 11 years in this role, bringing pops performances that celebrate music in its many forms. In 2017, Romanian conductor Radu Paponiu was named Assistant Conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in 2019 was promoted to Associate Conductor.

 THE BAKER MUSEUM

The Baker Museum is one of the foremost fine art museums in Southwest Florida and celebrates its 20th anniversary season in 2020-21. Each year, The Baker Museum hosts several traveling exhibitions to complement the exhibitions curated from its permanent collection. To celebrate the 20th anniversary milestone, two traveling exhibitions celebrate the three dimensional artistry of Dale Chihuly and Auguste Rodin. Comprising more than 4,000 objects, the museum’s broad holdings of 20th and 21st century art reflect the generosity andcommitment of area collectors. Of particular strength are The Baker Museum’s collections ofAmerican and Mexican modern art and significant gifts from the personal collection of OlgaHirshhorn. With two decades of collecting and exhibiting, the museum is dedicated to stewardship and scholarship from both its growing permanent collection and outsidesources. At the same time, The Baker Museum seeks out the best traveling exhibitions from the leading arts institutions in the world—including recently the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institutions and École des Beaux-Arts, Paris—to enrich the Southwest Florida community.

 The Baker Museum exhibitions reopened to the public on December 1, 2019, after being closed for more than two years in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The repair of the museum was paired with a simultaneous expansion of the building to the south, which created new spaces for multidisciplinary exploration, education and social interaction, and was completed in 2020. 

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. Typically, thousands of Collier County Public Schools interact with Artis—Naples education programming each year both on its cultural campus and in classrooms. 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, with more than 4,000 households who give more than $75, offers activities, travel experiences and events geared toward creating a deeper relationship between patrons and the arts

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