by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Well, this is my first time attending Nightstream fest and I have to say that I am so impressed by the selection of films that I have seen thus far. The wide array of films is so incredible that I wish the festival was longer so I could experience more of what they have to offer. I have enjoyed everything I have seen and suggest you watch out for all of these films. 

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (dir. Junta Yamaguchi)

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes has been the highlight of the festival thus far. This is a short Japanese film that is able to pull off so much in its 70 minutes run time. Director Junta Yamaguchi shot the film on iPhones and it takes place in one take. It is a simple story of a Cafe owner and his friends who realize they have access to the future and have to deal with the consequences of that knowledge. The film was a funny and well-crafted piece of work that was endlessly entertaining. I loved the performances from all of the leads they really sell this bonkers story.

I love films that are simple even when dealing with high concept science fiction ideas and this balances those things very well. While some of the concepts they dealt with felt slightly mind-boggling they managed to make it all make sense in the world of this film. This is just a very impressive piece of filmmaking, the end credits even provide some behind-the-scenes videos of how they pulled off some of their more complicated ideas and shots. I really enjoyed spending time with all of these characters and watching the insane scenarios they put themselves through. Above all, it is so interesting to see what a new director can pull off with a small budget and some very creative ideas. For a film that only takes place in two spaces; an empty cafe and a tiny apartment, they are able to make it an incredibly entertaining ride. I hope to see some more interesting genre pieces from Junta Yamaguchi.

Name Above Title (dir. Carlos Conceição)

Name Above Title is a fascinating piece of filmmaking from dir. Carlos Conceição. This is a Portuguese feature that is able to tell a very interesting story without using any dialogue for its entire 59-minute runtime. This film follows a serial killer who becomes an internet sensation after he is filmed kissing a dying woman. He is soon a star who is constantly being recognized and is highly in demand. While all this goes on he still needs to deal with his murderous impulses, but will they potentially ruin his newfound fame? This was a film that dripped gorgeous aesthetically pleasing shots in pretty much every scene. It is a gorgeous-looking film that has a fantastic soundtrack. I was so impressed with how many interesting ideas the film was able to convey without having any real piece of dialogue. All the while it is able to tell a story of who becomes famous in our modern world and how can people hold onto their fame when the public can be so fickle. This film has much to delve into when it comes to social media as well as martyrdom in our technological society. While it could have been a budgetary choice I also loved the way that actors in the film played multiple parts. The additional layer of themes about doppelgangers and archetypes was something I thought about a lot when the film was over. This was a strange, funny, and entertaining story about the life of a serial killer in the modern world. 

After Blue (dir. Bertrand Mandico)

I am very happy I made time in my festival schedule for this psychedelic fantasy adventure. After Blue aka Dirty Paradise is a French film from dir. Bertrand Mandico. The film takes place on a faraway planet after an ecological disaster has overtaken planet Earth. After Blue is a planet that only women can survive on and they try to do the best they can on preserving the planet and working to prevent the mistakes that befell Earth. After a young girl named Roxy releases a murderer named Kate Bush from her prison, she and her mother must go on an adventure to try and hunt down the killer before she wreaks havoc on the planet. This is a longer film clocking in just over two hours. However, this dreamy and strange film takes you on an unforgettable journey. It relies mostly on its interesting set pieces, creature effects, and costume design to take you to a place that feels entirely different than anything you would expect. It is a world where women grow hair on their necks, cigarettes are wormlike creatures, and the dead will haunt your dreams. I have never seen anything quite like After Blue but it is something film fans should keep an eye out for. With all its strangeness it also deals with a young girl’s sexual awakening, becoming free from the bonds of your community, and how difficult it is to decide what is right or wrong. I cannot say I completely understood everything that After Blue was trying to show me but it is certainly a film that will stick with me and is a great conversation piece. 

Nightstream Fest has been such a blast and this reviewer is sad that it will almost be over. But I will be back with one more round of reviews so stay tuned for some more films that I am very excited to check out.