18th Naples International Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opening Night Shorts

Artis—Naples shared the lineup of 59 films for the 18th Naples International Film Festival, to be held October 22-25, 2026.

Opening Night Shorts program will screen five short films, including Will Niava’s Jazz Infernal, a semi-autobiographical story about a young trumpeter arriving in Montreal from Ivory Coast under the weight of his father’s musical legacy; Matthew Inman’s My Dog: The Paradox, a funny and heartfelt adaptation of his Eisner Award-winning comic about the strange bond between people and their dogs; Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh’s Body of Work, following Florida artist Eric Anfinson as he discovers painting after a spinal cord injury redirects his life; Pranav Bhasin’s We Were Here, about three retirees waging war against household technology; and Daniel Audritt and Kat Butterfield’s Life Goes On, a darkly comic tale of a hospice patient trapped in a time loop on the final day of his life.

Closing Night will feature Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic presenting Superman in Concert, performing John Williams’ soaring score from the 1978 classic live. This special event continues NIFF’s tradition of pairing film with live orchestral performance for a memorable finale.

The festival’s signature “Cinema Under the Stars” in Norris Garden, located on the Artis—Naples cultural campus, will feature the East Coast premiere of Rebecca Tansley’s documentary Tenor: My Name Is Pati. The film looks at charismatic Samoan tenor Pene Pati, whose against-the-odds journey from the South Pacific to the world’s greatest opera stages has earned him comparisons to Pavarotti along the way. On Saturday, October 24, audiences will see Jeff Dickamore and Aurora Florence’s Too Soon under the stars. The film follows a former singer-songwriter turned elementary school music teacher and a music producer as they navigate young widowhood and solo parenting after an accidental casket swap brings them together.

The Narrative Feature Juried Competition slate includes A.R. Ephraim’s award-winning feature directorial debut, A Woman’s Work, about a young woman in rural Kentucky who works as a coal miner to provide for her young sisters; Eamonn Murphy’s Irish drama Solitary, about a widowed farmer whose sense of security is shattered after a home invasion; and the Florida premiere of indie-stalwart Katie Aselton’s Their Town, about two teenagers from opposite ends of the social spectrum confronting uncertain futures over one night in their small town.

The Documentary Feature Juried Competition includes Rebecca Tansley’s Tenor: My Name Is Pati; Jonathan Nastasi and Vivian Sorenson’s Fork in the Road, which features Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, The Last of Us) bringing humor and authenticity to the movement supporting sustainable, regenerative farming, from Alaskan kelp harvesters to dairy farmers in Kentucky; and NIFF alumni Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel’s I Got Bombed at Harvey’s, which recounts the events of August 26, 1980, when an elaborate bomb packed with 1,000 pounds of dynamite was wheeled into Harvey’s Wagon Wheel Casino in Lake Tahoe alongside a demand for $3 million.

Artis—Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen said, “Film holds an important place within the multidisciplinary mission of Artis—Naples, offering another way for artists and audiences to encounter ideas, perspectives and experiences beyond their own. As we welcome filmmakers and film lovers to the 18th edition of the Naples International Film Festival, we look forward to the conversations, connections and discoveries this year’s remarkable lineup will inspire.”

The 2026 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) Official Selections:

OPENING NIGHT SHORT FILMS

Jazz Infernal
Director: Will Niava 
Country: Canada | Running Time: 17 minutes
A young musician arrives in an unfamiliar city with only the legacy of his father to guide him. To succeed, he must confront his roots and find his own voice.

My Dog: The Paradox FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Matthew Inman
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 7 minutes
Rambo is ridiculous, lovable and destined to break his owner’s heart. From the creator of The Oatmeal, My Dog: The Paradoxexplores the strange joy and inevitable grief of loving a dog.

Body of Work FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Cassidy Rast, Odin Wadleigh
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 25 minutes
After a spinal injury in high school redirects his life, Eric Anfinson discovers his true calling as a painter.

We Were Here FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Pranav Bhasin
Country: India | Running Time: 11 minutes
In a crumbling Indian town, three retired men protest machines replacing human jobs by pretending to be household appliances.

Life Goes On EAST COAST PREMIERE
Directors: Daniel Audritt, Kat Butterfield
Country: U.K. | Running Time: 19 minutes
Bill is waiting for the sweet release of death. Unfortunately for him, he’s stuck in an infinite time loop that causes the day to restart the second his heart stops. 

CLOSING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATION

Superman (1978)
Director: Richard Donner
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 143 minutes
Sent to Earth as an infant before Krypton’s destruction, Clark Kent discovers his extraordinary powers and becomes Superman. In Metropolis, he battles evil genius Lex Luthor while working as a reporter and falling for colleague Lois Lane.

JURY COMPETITION NARRATIVE FEATURES

A Woman’s Work FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: A.R. Ephraim
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 92 minutes
After losing her parents to the opioid epidemic, a young woman in rural Kentucky takes a job as a coal miner to provide for her two younger sisters, but she must hide part of who she is to survive.

Solitary FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Eamonn Murphy
Country: Ireland | Running Time: 86 minutes
Solitary tells the story of Brendan, a widowed farmer living a quiet life on the edge of a village in rural Ireland. When his home is broken into, a growing sense of fear and isolation takes hold. As violence touches the community and trust in the system fades, Brendan must confront what it means to feel safe, to grow old and to be truly alone.

Their Town FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Katie Aselton
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 80 minutes
When Abby’s boyfriend drops out of the high school play, she finds herself helping school outlier Matt step into the role opposite her. Over one long night wandering their small town, the two examine their futures and uncover surprises from their past.

JURY COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Fork in the Road
Directors: Jonathan Nastasi, Vivian Sorenson
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 88 minutes
Featuring Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, The Last of Us), a champion of regional agriculture and American farmers, Fork in the Road follows small farmers, visionary chefs and innovators working to heal the land, improve our food systems and build a more regenerative future for people and the planet.

I Got Bombed at Harvey’s FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 93 minutes
I Got Bombed at Harvey’s recounts how a gambler who lost heavily at the casino built an intricate 1,000-pound bomb, wheeled it into the casino lobby with a $3 million ransom demand and triggered a massive FBI manhunt.

Tenor: My Name Is Pati EAST COAST PREMIERE
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Country: New Zealand | Running Time: 104 minutes
From Samoa to the world’s great opera stages, Pene Pati and his brother Amitai pursue an unlikely path to international success. Bursting with humor, heart and soaring performances, the film reveals the resilience born of adversity, the richness of family and culture and the rewards that come from following an unlikely dream.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

A Real Man U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Liteo Pedregal
Country: Spain | Running Time: 82 minutes
Maria has spent much of her adult life catering to her husband Guillermo’s traditional, macho values. After she suddenly dies, the retired neurosurgeon must unlearn his old ways, learn to care for himself and reconsider what it means to be a “real man.”
Jackrabbit FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Ballard C. Boyd
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 96 minutes
An investigative journalist and struggling actress who can’t stand each other are reluctantly forced to team up when their best friend mysteriously vanishes. As they search for answers, they discover her disappearance is only the beginning of the secrets she has kept.

Line Cooks WORLD PREMIERE
Director: John Mossman
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 83 minutes
In this mockumentary, straight-A college student Callie takes a summer job as a line cook alongside ex-cons and cartel members at a Korean taco joint. Determined to earn a letter of recommendation, she navigates dumpster rats, health hazards, a newfound family of misfits and one dreaded health inspector.

Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Jack Spring
Country: U.K. | Running Time: 98 minutes
Aubrey Flint, a reclusive painter of model soldiers with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, is sentenced to community service at a struggling retirement home. Reluctantly roped into helping stage A Christmas Carol, he finds himself drawn into the lives of its eccentric residents and forced to reconsider the holiday he has spent years avoiding.

Too Soon FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Jeff Dickamore, Aurora Florence
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 99 minutes
After meeting on the day of their spouses’ funerals, a young widow and widower form a two-person, music therapy-style support group. But when friendship begins to turn into something more, they face the question everyone around them is asking: Is it too soon?

Wake FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Devon M. Schwartz
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 102 minutes
Four semi-estranged siblings reunite on the day of their father’s wake, navigating overbearing relatives, oblivious guests and a death-phobic funeral director as they fumble through their absurd new reality—one that, maybe, just maybe, could bring them closer together.

Yale FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Jay Silverman
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 123 minutes
Mac’s life has been consumed by alcohol and run-ins with the law, but when her son needs an emergency kidney transplant, she turns to someone she hasn’t seen in 30 years: her deadbeat father, Yale, who abandoned her as a child. 

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

4000 Days FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Daniel E. Catullo III
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 112 minutes
After losing their sons to fraternity hazing, three families unite in a 4,000-day fight against a culture of secrecy and silence, transforming unimaginable grief into a national movement that changes the law and helps protect future generations of students.

Anne Packard: An Artist’s Resolve
Director: Arthur Egeli
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 74 minutes
Painter Anne Packard once sold her work outside her Cape Cod home to help support her five young children. Now 92 and one of the most successful artists of her generation, she reflects on the choices, struggles and determination that shaped her creative life.

Dear Lara FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Lara St. John
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 94 minutes
When violinist Lara St. John goes public about the assault she endured as a child at an elite music school, she uncovers a global pattern of abuse in the classical music world and joins fellow survivors to confront an entrenched culture of silence.

Frampton FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Rob Arthur
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 104 minutes
From the arena-shaking triumph of Frampton Comes Alive! to the quiet introspection of a final tour shaped by a degenerative diagnosis, Frampton is an intimate portrait of a rock icon who soared, stumbled and rose again.

Unspoken Bond
Director: Don Hardy
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 80 minutes
Unspoken Bond makes the case for human-animal connection as it follows three lives forever changed by an animal: a champion dressage rider confronting grief, a woman struggling with addiction who finds hope in the trust of a fox and a veteran finding his way back to the world through his service dog.

Yuja FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Lorna Tucker
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 83 minutes
At the height of her career, celebrated pianist Yuja Wang opens a window into her personal world as a daring artist who plays by her own rules and constantly reinvents herself along the way.

JURY COMPETITION LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMS

32B – Internal Issues FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Mohamed Taher 
Country: Egypt | Running Time: 19 minutes
A single father struggles to connect with his teenage daughter as he realizes she is growing up.

The Decision Making Center FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Kevin Vincenti
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 19 minutes
A grieving former therapist is tasked with teaching a new AI how to understand empathy and help humans make difficult decisions.

Nostalgie FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Kathryn Ferguson
Countries: U.K./Ireland | Running Time: 19 minutes
An aging pop star is invited to perform at an event in Northern Ireland. Hoping to recapture his old glory, he arrives in a city he doesn’t understand and encounters a disturbing truth about his music’s legacy.

JURY COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

The Art of Sharing FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Ric Serena
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 20 minutes
Chef and artist Minh H. Phan bridges the gap between food waste and hunger, culminating in an evening of art and food that challenges how we feed one another.

The Second Life of Freddie Nole FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Dana Nachman
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 21 minutes
When Freddie Nole offers a ride to a man walking out of prison, a simple drive becomes the first step toward hope, dignity and a lasting second chance.

One Last Order
Directors: Lauren DeFilippo, Sam Soko
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 20 minutes
After 37 years turning drive-thru orders into personal connections, Sighle Williams expects a quiet farewell from a Florida burger joint, but her town has other plans.

JURY COMPETITION ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

Living with a Visionary
Director: Stephen P. Neary
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 15 minutes
After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. A true story.

Paper Trail
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 14 minutes
A life, seen through paper.

Plus U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Renaud Hallée
Country: Canada | Running Time: 7 minutes
A plus sign carves a path to rebirth.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

Candy Bar
Director: Nash Edgerton
Country: Australia | Running Time: 6 minutes
A young girl waiting in a movie theater concession line thinks a stranger looks just like her dad.

The Collateral WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Jacqueline Dow
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 11 minutes
When no bank will touch him, Spencer’s last option for a mortgage is an unconventional lender who looks past credit scores and straight at the single most important thing in your life. You’ll never miss a payment.

Crisis Actor FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Lily Platt
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 12 minutes
Fired from her day job, an impulsive actress crashes a support group and spirals into a chaotic night that forces her to face her addiction to drama.

Daddy’s Girl FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Josephine Lohoar Self
Country: U.K. | Running Time: 16 minutes
When her mother leaves for the weekend, a precocious 12-year-old plots to kill her well-meaning stepfather.

Emergency Accommodation U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Kate Haley
Country: Ireland | Running Time: 14 minutes
Looking for a place to sleep, Joe slips Garda (Ireland’s national police force) custody in a chaotic emergency department, hiding in plain sight as overworked staff battle relentless pressure.

Father on Fire FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Rafa Piqueras
Country: Spain | Running Time: 15 minutes
Fulfilling his late father’s last wish should be simple. For Javier, there’s just one problem: His mother is still very much alive and very much against it.

Rose FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Justine Pesin
Country: France | Running Time: 11 minutes
A dreamy autistic child sees the world differently, challenging her loving father to understand the strength and beauty of her unique perspective.

Two Tears
Director: Josefina Pieres
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 19 minutes
On the eve of their Nutcracker debut, two young ballerinas discover a mysterious curse that can only be broken by shedding two tears of pure emotion on a stone at the Bass Museum.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

Cindy Sherman: Picture This FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Sophie Chahinian
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 23 minutes
In this intimate portrait, artist Cindy Sherman reveals her childhood preoccupation with family photos, what drew her to photography and the challenges she has overcome throughout her career.

Eterni: The Last Marble Sculptors FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Liam Tangum
Country: Italy | Running Time: 20 minutes
A small group of artists in Carrara, Italy, fights to preserve the centuries-old tradition of hand-carving marble.

Like Father FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Jared Callahan
Countries: U.S./Austria | Running Time: 8 minutes
A poignant look at the work of renowned children’s author Richard Scarry and the son who carries on his family’s artistic legacy.

Women Laughing FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Kathleen Hughes, Liza Donnelly
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 38 minutes
The New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly draws, laughs and reflects with fellow women cartoonists on the power and evolution of women’s humor.

ADDITIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

La Fille du Lac (The Girl from the Lake) FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Louise Bacou, Mathieu Leguay, Ludivine Miermont, Elisa Martin, Marion Fuchs, Achille Houplain, Olessia Fedko, Luna Schwertz
Country: France | Running Time: 10 minutes
Bombs sound in the dark and the house shakes. One night, something appears from the lake, helping a young girl learn to move forward while carrying the memories of her past.

Leg Day FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: João Lauro Fonte
Country: Brazil | Running Time: 5 minutes
To some, every day is leg day…

Les Vieux (The Seniors) FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directors: Axelle Fuset, Boris Boidron, Fanny Ghesquiere, Lucile Brunet, Jérémy La, Lauren Félines, Maëlys Guillemoteau, Manuel Mabayog
Country: France | Running Time: 6 minutes
A group of seniors basking in the Côte d’Azur sun finds laughter, warmth and unexpected freedom as the end of life gently draws near.

Saba FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Liron Topaz
Countries: U.S./U.K. | Running Time: 10 minutes
In a surreal world where gravity flows upward, a young boy embarks on a poetic journey through grief, memory and the endless search for closure.
Sunspark FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Danny Bourque
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 11 minutes
While scavenging for spare parts in a post-human wasteland, a lonely robot discovers another who desperately needs his help.

The Whistle
Director: Greg Franklin
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 8 minutes
Cologne, Germany, 1938. When a Jewish doctor defies a Nazi law forbidding him from treating non-Jews, empathy, courage and compassion emerge where he least expects them. Based on a true story.

STUDENT SHORTS K-12 DIVISION

The Chip EAST COAST PREMIERE
Director: Jack Curby
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 3 minutes
After being pressured into eating an extremely spicy chip, teenager Seth races across his high school in search of milk before the heat becomes unbearable.

Evanescence FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Una Finn
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 10 minutes
In a near future where the government taxes memories, a teenage girl discovers her best friend has deliberately forgotten her.

The Hard Way Home FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Hunter Nickless
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 16 minutes
Inspired by true events, this coming-of-age drama follows a boy whose innocence is shattered by domestic chaos, forcing him to confront the past he has spent years trying to escape.

STUDENT SHORTS COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY DIVISION

Buck and Burrow U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Maya Oster
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 16 minutes
A 1970s Nashville country duo’s rising fame exposes the cracks in their romance, turning heartbreak into their biggest spotlight yet.

Franken Struck
Director: Sommar Boulware
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 5 minutes
A reckless hand, a lethal play, a love so pure now ripped away. Forged hot from rage and shocking light, the Creature’s love must set things right.

Gardeners FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Merry May Ma
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 17 minutes
On the verge of losing her research and her grip, an engineer encounters a mushroom musician who leads her toward an unexpected discovery hidden in the nano-landscape.

Timbertown: The Squirrel and The Lumberjack
Director: Avery Noble
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 4 minutes
New to a mountain town and overwhelmed by anxiety, Mr. Chestnut befriends a mythical lumberjack who helps him see that a change in perspective can change everything.

Watchdog FLORIDA PREMIERE
Director: Harsh Vardhan Singh
Country: U.S. | Running Time: 16 minutes
Desperate for work, a struggling migrant worker takes on a backbreaking job as a farm guard dog, where survival comes at the cost of submission.