Smokin' on the moon (Niwatori Star)

This striking debut feature from independent production house Gentle Underground Monkeys follows two slackers who work at a midnight bar while also selling marijuana. When they come dangerously close to some unhinged yakuza, their paths diverge leading to wildly different fates. Former musician and video game director Kanato Wolf pulls all cinematic stops for a dazzling storytelling style, as eclectic as the film's zany cast of characters. Yet for all its glorious gonzo-cult movie trappings, Smokin' on the Moon also proves a deeply moving and bittersweet tale of love, friendship and perseverance in the face of life's most daunting challenges.