The 8th Annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) opened at Artis—Naples on Thursday, October 27th and closed in a spectacular way. NIFF hosted a well-deserved awards ceremony with closing night film, Colin Hay: Waiting for my Real Life, that was joined by director Nate Gowtham and star Colin Hay, former lead singer of Men at Work, for an insightful Q&A. Then on to a sold out closing night party graced with the evenings special guest, Grammy Award winning musician Colin Hay, who performed to a packed and very enthusiastic crowd of fans at Blue Martini. The evening was generously sponsored by Seminole Casino Hotel.
“NIFF programmed a very diverse slate of movies this year, and it was great to see our community discover and embrace the powerful social impact films in particular. These inspirational films connect us with real people, and the world around us. They remind us of the power of the human spirit,” said Festival Director Jon Fitzgerald
The Festival screened 39 significant independent films including narratives, documentaries and shorts over three days with festival-goers turning in their ballots after each screening. At the closing night event on October 30th, these seven major awards were given.
Audience Award: Short Film
Phil’s Camino
Director Annie O’Neil
http://philscamino.com
Audience Award: Narrative
Hunky Dory
Director Michael Curtis Johnson
http://www.naplesfilmfest.com/hunky-dory/
Audience Award: Documentary
The Rebound
Director Shaina K Allen
http://www.reboundthefilm.com
Neapolitan Award
Learning to See: The World of Insects
Director Jake Oleman
http://www.learningtoseefilm.com
Rising Star Award
Fare
Director Thomas Torrey
http://www.faremovie.com
Indie Spirit Award
The Other Kids
Director Chris Brown
http://www.theotherkidsmovie.com
Grand Prize
Operator
Director Logan Kibens
http://www.naplesfilmfest.com/operator
