Floridians know that all-too-familiar eerie calm before a hurricane hits, the chaotic stillness amid uncertainty —even if life seems to move on. That's where "No Sleep Till" lives. The new Florida-made film is about everyday people chasing personal dreams as others evacuate ahead of a looming storm.
That moment is where first-time French American writer and director Alexandra Simpson sets her debut feature.
Set in the Duval County coastal town of Atlantic Beach, the film — with its gloomy scenes of tornadoes and other signs of impending doom — weaves together a mosaic of locals: an aspiring comedy duo contemplating a move to Philadelphia, a grieving storm chaser and a lonely teenager each facing personal turmoil as a real storm barrels toward the Jacksonville-area beaches.
" 'Doom' is really the right word," Simpson told WLRN. "I wanted it to feel very much in the present moment, but also uneventful, because for many people waiting for a hurricane is so mundane."
That mood is reflected in scenes of random hurricane parties, open stores and gas stations. There's no cohesive plot; instead, the film unfolds like a poetic montage, capturing the emotional weight of waiting.
In one poignant scene, the storm chaser refuses to evacuate as a police officer warns him, 'You're on your own, sir.'"
Simpson told WLRN she spent much of her childhood visiting Florida from France, seeing Jacksonville through a lens that was both nostalgic and estranged.
"I was very charmed and excited by the idea of making my first film in Jacksonville because that's where my father's from," she said.
"But always as an outsider, because I grew up in France. … I've always, always felt like it would be a very fruitful ground for imagination and fantasy."
That dual perspective becomes the emotional anchor of the film, exploring longing and memory.
Following the festival circuit, the film is set to premiere in Jacksonville on Sept. 30 before wider distribution.
The Omnes Films production stars actors Jordan Coley, Xavier Brown Sanders, Brynne Hofauer and Taylor Benton.
Though the characters' storylines don't intertwine, they're bound by that shared emotional weight and sometimes isolation.
"There is a sort of strength in their solitude that I particularly feel very touched by," Simpson said, pointing to a real-life storm chaser featured in the film whose "almost spiritual" pursuit of hurricanes reflects a devotion.
The film embraces the uncanny beauty of waiting for the storm through a series of mundane but odd actions, from the teenager wading into a pool fully clothed to a woman braving the winds in heels and a helmet, wine in hand.
"These very maybe more narrative-written scenes are actually extremely humane," Simpson added, "because I believe that we can't really anticipate our behaviors."
Neither could the characters in the film. In one scene, Mike (Edwards) and Will (Coley) debate whether to leave town to pursue their comedic dreams in Philadelphia.
Mike, far less reluctant, says to Will: "It's literally just a trip. We're going to come back. It's just a trip. We're going to Philly — we're not going to Mars."
Will responds: "I have a life here." But eventually, he decides to attempt the trip.
Authenticity was key for Simpson. She said she spent three months traveling across Florida, gathering local stories and surveying people with the help of her father.
"The common response was, 'I don't leave for a hurricane; I stay put,'" she recalled.
"If they find me dead, at least I'm wearing my finest shoes," one woman told her.
That blend of realism and fictional storytelling became the emotional compass of "No Sleep Till," a film not so much about surviving the storm but more about understanding what it reveals.
"No Sleep Till" (PG-13) will be screened Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the studios of WJCT radio, 100 Festival Park Ave., Jacksonville. Tickets are $5. Click here for details. No other Florida dates are currently scheduled.
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