Experimental 16mm films by Tomonari Nishikawa and more get a screening at Will’s Pub this week

We might be forgetting one or two but it’s been a fair minute since Will’s Pub has hosted film screenings … maybe going back to an early run of Uncomfortable Brunch. Some dedicated film fiends are bringing it back-ish with a weeknight tribute to the work of experimental filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa.

Nishikawa, who passed away in April at 56, created evocative and abstract works on 16mm and 35mm film. In the same way that an experimental musician uses the studio as an instrument, Nishikawa would tinker with the actual film reels: scratching frames, using mattes and multiple exposures, and doing plenty of darkroom alchemy.

Nishikawa’s short films will be presented “in dialogue” with films by colleagues and friends Julie Murray, Scott Stark and Mike Stoltz. Lend your third eye particularly to the work of native Central Floridian Stoltz, who also achieved underground acclaim as a member of the Reactionary 3 (eternal RIP to R3 member and zine author supreme Travis Fristoe).

Organizers tell us that sound was a major factor in which works were chosen, so expect it to be 1980s TDK commercial-loud courtesy of Will’s PA.

7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, Will’s Pub, $10-$15.

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This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2025.