It’s a Summer Film! is a new teen romcom out of Japan that’s simultaneously an ode to creative youth and a love letter to filmmaking in all forms.

Barefoot and her teen friends set out to make an awesome samurai film for their school film fest. They’ve got only a small tripod and an iPhone, while their snooty classmates with high tech filmmaking gear make a romcom.

With humor, heart, and an unexpected sci-fi twist, Sôshi Masumoto’s 2020 film is refreshing, sincere, and the kind of movie you’ll catch yourself smiling at in a dark theater.