Naples International Film Festival 2022 announces filmmaker awards after “hurricane recovery” fest

The 2022 Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners during the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 30. The jury prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $2,500) went to Alex Lehmann’s Acidman, and the jury prize for Best Documentary Feature (and $2,500) was given to Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel’s The Pez Outlaw. Audience Awards went to Balbinka Korzeniowska’s Playing Through (Best Narrative Feature), Eric Bendick’s Path of the Panther (Best Documentary Feature) and Diane Moore’s Conducting Life (Best Short Film). Both feature films received cash prizes of $1,000 and the short film winner received a cash prize of $500.

Johanna Putnam’s Shudderbugs took home two awards, with the film winning the Indie Spirit Award, and Putnam also winning the Rising Star Award for her work as the director, writer, producer, and star of the film. Both awards also came with a $250 cash prize.

NIFF’s trio of judges for the 2022 edition of the juried competition included journalists Caleb Hammond (Moviemaker Magazine), Tim Wassburg (Inside Reel), and producer/journalist Bart Weiss (PBS’ Frame of Mind, Fog of Truth podcast).

Additional filmmaker awards selected by the festival programmers included Alysa Nahmias winning NIFF’s coveted Focus on the Arts Award and $1,500 for her film, Art & Krimes by Krimes; Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s Butterfly in the Sky winning the Impact Award; Brett Wagner’s The Big Bend selected as the Programmers’ Choice honoree; and Anna Baumgarten’s Disfluency taking Best First Feature honors. Each of these filmmakers also received a $250 cash prize.

The awards ceremony brought an entertaining conclusion to an event that was lauded for offering the Naples community an opportunity to take a momentary break from the recovery efforts from the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ian to come and enjoy the art of film. The Naples International Film Festival has built a reputation for the forging of friendships and support among filmmakers during its celebratory weekend of screenings and events, and filmmaker after filmmaker—including two-time winner Johanna Putnam—spoke eloquently about that unique experience. This year also marked an impressive number of films produced and shot in Florida, and the appreciation those filmmakers felt from having been given that platform to show their work was also a consistent theme

NIFF opened with a red-carpet celebration of Butterfly in the Sky, which included appearances by Naples’ own Cecily and Larry Lancit, co-creators and producers of Reading Rainbow, the television program that was the subject of the feature documentary. Also in attendance was the show’s co-creator Twila Liggett, who made the trip down from St. Petersburg for the event at Artis—Naples. In-person screenings and filmmaker panels followed, including screenings under the stars in Norris Garden on Artis—Naples’ Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus, and at Silverspot Cinema, which brought out audiences thrilled to see the films and meet the filmmakers. NIFF wrapped things up in entertaining and multidisciplinary style following the filmmaker awards with a special presentation of Jurassic Park in Concert featuring a live performance of John Williams’ classic score from Steven Spielberg’s iconic film by the Naples Philharmonic, conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

For more information, visit artisnaples.org/niff.

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The 2022 Naples International Film Festival Award Winners:

NIFF JURY AWARDS

Best Narrative Feature – $2,500

Acidman
Director: Alex Lehmann

Best Documentary Feature – $2,500

The Pez Outlaw

Directors: Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel

NIFF PROGRAMMERS’ AWARDS

Focus on the Arts Award – $1,500

Art & Krimes by Krimes                                                                              

Director: Alysa Nahmias

Impact Award – $250

Butterfly in the Sky                                                                          

Directors: Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb

Indie Spirit Award – $250

Shudderbugs                                                                                               

Director: Johanna Putnam

Programmers’ Choice Award – $250

The Big Bend                                                                                   

Director: Brett Wagner

Best First Feature – $250

Disfluency

Director: Anna Baumgarten

Rising Star Award – $250

Shudderbugs                                                                                               

Director/Screenwriter/Cast: Johanna Putnam

NIFF AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award Winner, Narrative Feature – $1,000

Playing Through

Director: Balbinka Korzeniowska

Audience Award Winner, Documentary Feature – $1,000

Path of the Panther

Director: Eric Bendick

Audience Award Winner, Best Short Film – $500

Conducting Life

Director: Diane Moore