Sparks

Small-town Nevadan teens attempt to time-travel to 1960s Paris in this charming debut that evokes the hangout spirit of the French New Wave.

After encountering an old cigarette machine that spits out a dog-eared paperback on the films of Jean-Luc Godard, teenager Cleo is convinced that her new hometown of Sparks, Nevada, could be magical. She quickly falls in with the Crop, a group of local teens with whom she immediately shares her newfound cinephilic obsession. When they tell Cleo about a nearby reservoir that – legend has it – contains a time travel portal, Cleo knows exactly where she wants to go: Paris, 1960, to act in a Godard movie. If only the group could figure out how to make the portal work …

Recalling the early films of Richard Linklater, Gregg Araki and Wes Anderson, this coming-of-age fantasy drama blends an offbeat charm with a quietly rebellious energy. Writer/director Fergus Campbell’s debut feature conjures that familiar struggle between yearning to transcend the boundaries of small-town life and holding on to the all-too-fleeting freedom of youth. Compelling performances from Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade; Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, MIFF 2024) and Charlie B. Foster (son of Jodie) anchor this playful, tender tale that pays tribute to the power of cinema as its own form of time travel.

“At a slim 76 minutes, Sparks pulls you in tight and never lets go, every frame bursting with teen angst and longing … Fergus Campbell has made something very special; I can’t wait to see what he does next.” – The Hollywood Reporter