This week we’re excited to present a conversation from the 2025 edition of New Directors/New Films with No Sleep Till director Alexandra Simpson. No Sleep Till is now in select theaters, courtesy of Factory 25.

This conversation was moderated by New Directors/New Films selection committee member Madeline Whittle.

The slice-of-life indie is alive and well in Alexandra Simpson’s feature debut, recipient of a Special Mention from the jury at the 2024 Venice Film Festival Critics’ Week. While a looming hurricane spells doom for a sleepy Florida town, citizens carry on: two friends pull pranks and ponder life; another pair captures terrifying footage of the storm; a young woman harbors a deep crush. Through this fleet exploration Simpson keeps audiences on their feet, no two stories told at the exact same tempo and no composition easily anticipated. And backgrounding it all is a sun-soaked, palm tree-lined Florida that has seldom looked as beautiful as it does in No Sleep Till.