The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s (MMJCCM) ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York announced the full lineup of films and select special events for its 14th annual festival, which returns as a hybrid event in person and virtual from April 7th through April 13th, 2022.
Lissette Feliciano’s Women Is Losers won the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $2,500) and Justin Monroe’s Holy Frit won the jury prize for Best Documentary Feature (and $2,500) at the 2021 Naples International Film Festival. Audience Awards went to Jonathan Keijser’s Peace by Chocolate (Best Narrative Feature), Christopher Chambers’ A Fire Within (Best Documentary Feature) and Maria Brendle’s Ala Kachuu – Take and Run (Best Short Film). Both feature films received cash prizes of $1,000 and the short film winner received a cash prize of $500.
The 13th Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) will be held October 21-24, 2021, featuring a return to in-person screenings. The festival will include 67 films (12 narrative features, 11 documentary features, 44 short films) from 20 countries. 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.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival released the complete schedule for its 20th annual festival presented this year as a “double feature”– online, with most films available coast-to-coast from April 15-29, and live and outdoors in Ashland and Medford from June 24-28. AIFF’s 2021 festival will present approximately 100 new independent films, including 35 feature films and a dozen shorts programs, accompanied by Q&A’s with filmmakers, virtual parties, mixers, and panels.
Florida Film Festival announced the program lineup of 164 films for the 30th Annual Festival, April 9-22, 2021, taking place online and in Maitland and Winter Park, Florida.The festival kicks off with the World Premiere of Because of Charley directed by Jon Binkowski, USA. Spotlight films include Mandibles directed by Quentin Dupieux, Mogul Mowgli directed by Bassam Tariq, Squish directed by Xavier Seron, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street directed by Marilyn Agrelo and Together Together directed by Nikole Beckwit.
Slamdance Film Festival announced the full lineup of 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodics for the 27th edition of the festival, a number that equals previous editions of the festival. This includes a new program titled Unstoppable, a showcase for creators with disabilities. Running February 12-25, 2021, this will also be Slamdance’s most accessible festival ever, with all films, Q&A’s and panels available on Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube. In addition to a vibrant virtual experience, there will be a two-night drive-in presentation in Joshua Tree open to the public on February 13th and 14th as well as the closing night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.