The 2025 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) announced the filmmaker award winners during a spirited Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 26, rounding off a weekend of screenings and celebrations.
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, taking both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $2,500) and NIFF’s Focus on the Arts Award (and $1,500). The Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature (and $2,500) 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 (and $1,500), which was awarded to Lee Knight’s A Friend of Dorothy.
NIFF’s trio of jurors for the 2025 edition of the juried competition included actor and filmmaker Judge Reinhold (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Beverly Hills Cop), filmmaker and Golden Globe-nominated actress Cynthia Gibb (Salvador, Fame), and Jim Brunzell III, director of festivals at Dark Star Pictures and director of the Twin Cities–based Sound Unseen Festival.
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature (and $1,250) went to Ricardo de Montreuil’s Mistura, while the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature (and $1,250) was presented to Jenna Naranjo Winters’ Dream Touch Believe. The Audience Award for Best Short Film (and $1,000) went to Guto Barra and Peter DiMario’s Parker & Sammy.
Additional filmmaker awards selected by the festival programmers 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. Each of these filmmakers also received a $750 cash prize.
The awards ceremony was an entertaining and emotional evening, from Reed Arnold’s self-deprecating humor as he accepted Best First Feature to Sammy Callari and Parker Seward’s joyful celebration following the announcement of their film’s win. It concluded with Cindy Meehl and Guzzy Grashow’s heartfelt remarks reflecting on the recent passing of artist and film subject Jimmy Grashow. Filmmakers expressed deep gratitude for the warmth of Naples audiences and the care shown by the NIFF team throughout the festival. The evening’s presentations rounded off a week that once again demonstrated why NIFF is frequently recognized by MovieMaker Magazine among its top film festivals.
NIFF began with its signature Opening Night Film and Party red carpet celebration, which featured a full audience enjoying the festival’s gala program of short films in Hayes Hall on the Artis—Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. Audiences continued to turn out in record numbers at Naples’ Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and during NIFF’s popular Screenings Under the Stars in Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples cultural campus. 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—a fitting finale to NIFF’s multidisciplinary celebration of film and the arts.
We extend deep gratitude to Festival Presenting Sponsors Dr. Richard Lublin and Christine Lublin. Generous support is also provided by the Collier County Tourist Development Council.
Sincere thanks to Opening Night Film and Party Sponsor The Woodruff Institute; Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party Sponsor Scott Meloun; and Theater Sponsors DeVoe Cadillac, Bobbi and David Drobis, Entech, Debra and Vincent Maffeo and Tes and Brian Manley. NIFF is pleased to partner with Gulfshore Life and The Naples Press as exclusive Media Sponsors.
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