The 2020 Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners with the top Jury Prizes going to David Gutnik’s Materna for Best Narrative Feature, and Brian Morrison’s Bastards’ Road for Best Documentary Feature. Audience Awards went to Lanie Zipoy’s The Subject (Best Narrative Film) and Lynn Montgomery’s Amazing Grace (Best Documentary Film).

The filmmaker awards selected by the programmers’ committee included; Olympia Stone winning NIFFs Focus on the Arts Award for her film, Actually Iconic: Richard Estes; Ondi Timoner’s Coming Clean winning the Impact Award for the light her film shines on the country’s opioid crisis; Hannah Black and Megan Petersen’s Drought winning the Indie Spirit Award; and Stephen Kunken and Jack Lewars’ before/during/after selected as the Programmers’ Choice honoree. Casimir Nozkowski’s The Outside Story took the Best First Feature honors, while The Bragg Brothers directing tandem won this year’s Rising Star Award for their work on the short film A Piece of Cake. Doug Roland’s Feeling Through received NIFF’s Audience Award for “Best Short Film” and the cash prize of $500 that comes with that award.

“While this was a different year for NIFF in terms of format, one thing – incredible films – remained the same,” said Shannon Franklin, festival producer. “The award winners reflect the high quality of independent film that was on view throughout the virtual and in-person screenings at NIFF 2020.”

2020 Naples International Film Festival Award Winners

NIFF JURY AWARDS

Best Narrative Feature – $1250
MATERNA
Director: David Gutnik

Best Documentary Feature – $1250
BASTARDS’ ROAD
Director: Brian Morrison

NIFF PROGRAMMERS’ AWARDS

Focus on the Arts Award
ACTUALLY, ICONIC: RICHARD ESTES
Director: Olympia Stone

Impact Award
COMING CLEAN
Director: Ondi Timoner

Indie Spirit Award
DROUGHT
Directors: Hannah Black, Megan Petersen

Programmers’ Choice Award
BEFORE/DURING/AFTER
Directors: Stephen Kunken, Jack Lewars

Best First Feature
THE OUTSIDE STORY
Director: Casimir Nozkowski

Rising Star Award
The Bragg Brothers
A PIECE OF CAKE

NIFF AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award Winner, Narrative Feature – $1000
THE SUBJECT
Director: Lanie Zipoy

Audience Award Winner, Documentary Feature – $1000
AMAZING GRACE
Director: Lynn Montgomery

Audience Award Winner, Best Short Film – $500
FEELING THROUGH
Director: Doug Roland