Naples International Film Festival Unveils Slate, Including ‘E.T.’ as Closing Night Presentation – Film News in Brief
R.J. Daniel Hanna’s cycling drama “Hard Miles” will open the Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) while Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” will serve as its closing night presentation.
Both films join the lineup for NIFF’s 15th annual festival that will run between Oct. 26-29. A slate of 57 films (12 narrative features, 10 documentary features and 35 short films) from eight countries are joining its programming, with a variety of post-screening filmmaker Q&A conversations.
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Christian Cicerone’s musical feature “Duelers” will make its world premiere while Arabella Burfitt-Dons’ drama “Grey Matter” makes its U.S. premiere and Gilles Legardinier’s “Mr. Blake At Your Service!” and Ido Mizrahy’s “The Longest Goodbye” make their East Coast premieres.
“We are thrilled to unveil this exceptional lineup of films that promises to captivate and inspire our audiences during the 15th anniversary of the Naples International Film Festival. These offerings are a testament to our unwavering commitment to the art of independent film and to the community,” said Artis—Naples CEO/president Kathleen van Bergen. “We have pulled out all the stops with this selection of films reflecting the diverse and compelling breadth of stories from around the world, and we are eager to share these cinematic treasures with our patrons.”
Films part of the competition bracket will battle for a $10,000 prize in categories including audience awards for best narrative feature, best documentary feature and best short.
The narrative feature juried competition includes Haroula Rose’s “All Happy Families,” Shaun Dozier’s “The Problem of the Hero” and Vivian Kerr’s “Scrap” while the documentary feature sector is comprised of Miranda Yousef’s “Art for Everybody,” Josh Berman’s “Full Circle” and Maggie Contreras’ “Maestra.”
‘The Killer’ Joins NYFF’s Spotlight Selection
David Fincher’s graphic thriller “The Killer” has joined the New York Film Festival (NYFF) as a spotlight selection with two separate screenings.
Its first screening will take place on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Paris Teather with the second on Oct. 15 at 8:45 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater. The NYFF will run between Sept. 29 to Oct. 15.
“The Killer” is based on Alexis “Matz” Nolent and Luc Jacamon’s novel series of the same name in which a fateful near-miss assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal. Michael Fassbender, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Sophie Charlotte and Tilda Swinton make up the films cast.
Andrew Kevin Walker developed the screenplay while Ceán Chaffin produced and Fincher directed.
‘Spirit Halloween: The Movie’ to Stream on Shudder
It’s time to take a trip back to everyone’s favorite Halloween store.
AMC Network has officially licensed the rights for David Poag’s “Spirit Halloween: The Movie” to stream on its streaming service Shudder. The film will creep its way onto the streamer on Oct. 2 just in time for spooky season.
“Spirit Halloween” follows the story of three young friends — Jake (Donovan Colan), Carson (Dylan Martin Frankel) and Bo (Jaiden Smith) — who make a trip to a Halloween store in a deserted strip mall. Believing that they’ve outgrown their childhood days of trick or treating, they venture into the Spirit Halloween store on a mission to spend a night locked inside. However, their “spook-filled fun” night quickly shifts into “outlandish survival” as they’re haunted by Alec Windsor (Christopher Lloyd), a deceased man whose spirit has possessed the Spirit Halloween store.
“Spirit Halloween” stars Lloyd Colan, Frankel, Smith and Rachael Leigh Cook who joins as one of the boys’ mom, Sue, who remarried after her husband passed. It originally debuted on demand in October of 2022
Notably, Dazzler Media, out of the U.K., will also release the film in select theaters on Oct. 13 and on DVD from Oct. 16.
Production took place from the end of 2019 to November 2021, on location at an abandoned Toys R Us location in Georgia. The film was directed by Poag with a screenplay by Billie Bates. Hideout Pictures, Strike Back Studios, Particular Crowd and Film Mode Entertainment produced the film.
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