Filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford's second feature, "Dreams in Nightmares," is finally reaching cinemas on 21 August via the small distributor Lunette Films, nearly two years after its acclaimed premiere at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia. Despite strong reviews and a notable cast, getting the follow-up to Ford's celebrated debut "Test Pattern" into theatres proved a lengthy struggle, reflecting the difficulties independent filmmakers face when their work doesn't fit conventional distribution routes.

The film reimagines the classic American road movie, following a group of friends travelling across cities including Iowa City, Oaxaca, Kansas City and New York, all shot on real locations despite a limited budget. Ford deliberately built the story around genuine, specific places rather than the generic urban backdrops they feel have dominated cinema since the early 2000s, aiming to revive a 1990s-style attentiveness to setting and character. The cast includes Denée Benton, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Charlie Barnett, with Benton describing her relief and surprise that the film ultimately secured a wider release after fearing it might not.