Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- Personal battle transformed into a universal tale of hope and resilience.
- Innovative world-building crafted entirely from home using free digital tools.
- A fresh take on dark fantasy blending classic elements with new media and genres.
Mark Reyes, director of the genre-bending short film The Nightwalker, brings a deeply personal vision to the screen at FilmQuest 2025. Featuring the camera work of Jack Miles and an evocative original score by Ian Kane, Reyes weaves a tale of a mysterious knight navigating an endless darkness, a metaphor born from his own confrontation with cancer. His project’s trailer and visuals showcase a unique blend of mixed media and animation styles, marking a new chapter in sci-fi fantasy storytelling.
What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?
"When I had cancer, I envisioned myself as a warrior made of light, trekking through the void and illuminating everything he touched."
No fear, darkness, or monster could take that away from me. If I died, I would accept my destiny with bloody hands, swinging my fists into the night. I wanted to capture this chapter of my life and send that frequency out to the stars, hoping it might help others in their own personal battles.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
I did a lot of drafting and experimentation this time around. I made dozens of different backgrounds, creature designs, and character designs. Usually I have a pretty clear idea in my head of what I want things to look like, but this time around I knew more about the feeling I wanted it to portray. I kind of just drafted a surplus of different designs, and then picked the ones out of the bunch that portrayed that feeling closely.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
The narration. The narration is straight out of something that would be in my personal diary, and is written very much in the way my brain speaks to itself opposed to an alternate character. I think the writing is something that is very true to me as an individual.
"The narration is straight out of something that would be in my personal diary, and is written very much in the way my brain speaks to itself."
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
The music. I went through like 5 temp scores with the final edit. Eventually, I had Ian Kane compose an original score. He absolutely killed it on the first try, and was able to hit on the head exactly what I was trying to pinpoint going through all those iterations.
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
Optimism. The power of being able to find light in dark times.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
I love doing these world building sci fi fantasy stories. Being able to complete a project of this kind of scale in terms of world building has been really cool and given me the confidence to continue that kind of work. The reaction to the film has been pretty powerful, so I am excited this kind of genre can resonate with people in that type of way.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
I made the entire film within the confines of my house.
"Being able to create an entire world inside my room has been pretty powerful."
I used Blender to create all the environments, which is a free software. Having such powerful tools at your disposal really allows you to be able to just go for it with no limitations.
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project? Is there a lesson or breakthrough you’d share with others navigating this path?
Artists need parameters to make decisions. I think if I had a full team of people that could build me anything, it would be easy to have insane decision paralysis or start shoving in things that are not necessary cause they look cool or whatever. When you have the perimeters that independent films offer, you are forced to just make decisions and stick to things that stay close and true to the films plot.
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
One of my coolest achievements as a filmmaker. It has been a HUGE goal of mine for the past few years. I remember finding it on FilmFreeway a few years back and thinking "this is like the perfect festival for my work. I would really like to show here". It is an absolute honor to be apart of it.
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
My film has a lot of classic dark fantasy elements to it, but with a new age twist. I try to incorporate mixed media, different animations style, unique character designs, and elements of new genres like analog horror to do a new take on something classic and old. I like to try and contribute to the genre in a way that is classic and heightened but also refined with a new twist to it.
Where do you see this film going next?
I just finished a script and pitch for a feature. It would be a big project to undertake, but I am confident in my ability to do it. We will see where it goes.
“At the core of all my work is a desire to make cool shit! I think it really is that simple. I would love for people to gain some wisdom and insight from my work, but really I just love to make something cool that I can look at and be proud of."
Cast & Crew
- Mark Reyes — Director & writer of The Nightwalker
- Jack Miles — Camera Operator
- Ian Kane — Composer
Learn more about the film on their FilmFreeway Project .
