‘On a String’, ‘Jimmy & The Demons’, Mistura, ‘Dream Touch Believe’ Win Top Prizes at Naples Film Festival

Isabel Hagen’s drama On a String, about a gifted violist’s struggle to find her place as a professional musician, was a two-time winner at the 2025 Naples International Film Festival, taking both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature and NIFF’s Focus on the Arts Award.

The Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Cindy Meehl’s Jimmy & The Demons, which follows 79-year-old sculptor and artist Jimmy Grashow over four years as he devotes himself to a towering magnum opus.

For the first time, NIFF also presented a Jury Award for Best Short Film, which was awarded to Lee Knight’s A Friend of Dorothy.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Ricardo de Montreuil’s Mistura, while the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature was presented to Jenna Naranjo Winters’ Dream Touch Believe. The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Guto Barra and Peter DiMario’s Parker & Sammy.

Additional filmmaker awards winners included Wendy Lobel’s Anxiety Club receiving the Impact Award, Alexis Lloyd’s Group – The Schopenhauer Project earning the Programmers’ Choice Award and Reed Arnold’s Do Us Part taking Best First Feature honors.

Kathy Meng received the Rising Star Award for her directorial work on Willow and Wu, Stevo Chang and Rachel Mathieu’s Timeless won NIFF’s Indie Spirit Award and KT Bryden’s The Little Brown Bird received the Florida Film Award.

The festival concluded with a special presentation of The Princess Bride in Concert in Hayes Hall, with the Naples Philharmonic performing Mark Knopfler’s iconic score live under the baton of Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

The 2025 Naples International Film Festival Award Winners:

NIFF Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature – $2,500
On a String
Director: Isabel Hagen

Best Documentary Feature – $2,500
Jimmy & The Demons
Director: Cindy Meehl

Best Short Film – $1,500
A Friend of Dorothy
Director: Lee Knight

NIFF Programmers’ Awards

Focus on the Arts Award – $1,500
On a String
Director: Isabel Hagen

Impact Award – $750
Anxiety Club
Director: Wendy Lobel

Indie Spirit Award – $750
Timeless
Directors: Stevo Chang, Rachel Mathieu

Programmers’ Choice Award – $750
Group – The Schopenhauer Project
Director: Alexis Lloyd

Best First Feature – $750
Do Us Part
Director: Reed Arnold

Rising Star Award – $750
Kathy Meng, director
Willow and Wu

Best Florida Film Award – $750
The Little Brown Bird
Director: KT Bryden

NIFF Audience Awards

Audience Award Winner, Narrative Feature – $1,250
Mistura
Director: Ricardo de Montreuil

Audience Award Winner, Documentary Feature – $1,250
Dream Touch Believe
Director: Jenna Naranjo Winters

Audience Award Winner, Best Short Film – $1,000
Sammy & Parker
Directors: Guto Barra, Peter DiMario