by Amanda Lou for Winter Film Festival
See the 40-minute short film Blue Evening on February 20 @8:40PM at REGAL Union Square (850 Broadway) as part of New York City’s 14th Annual Winter Film Festival. Tickets now on sale!
Inspired to tell an authentic rags-to-riches story based upon his own early experiences during his move to Los Angeles, Jett Jansen Fernandez tells a touching story about redemption and self-discovery.
Written and Directed by Jett Jansen Fernandez, Blue Evening tells the story of a homeless addict in Los Angeles, California. In the short film, he stumbles upon a lost masterpiece in a thrift store which sets him on a desperate journey of redemption, survival and self discovery as he fights to reclaim his life.
Fernandez was inspired to tell an authentic rags-to-riches story based on his own early experiences during his move to Los Angeles. He said, “I arrived with very little money, no real safety net, and endured a number of difficult situations before finding my footing.” He was also drawn to push against a common theme he notices in independent cinema, films that depend heavily on sad endings to make an impact. While these stories have their place, he wanted to display that a hopeful ending can be just as impactful. He said, “Not everything has to be doom and gloom, and I hope the film encourages both audiences and filmmakers to embrace that possibility.”
A moment in the film that best captures the film’s core message is when the protagonist, after he is digging through a dumpster for drugs and is on the verge of relapsing— ends up choosing not to. With everything that he’s worked for, the choice not to repeat the same mistake encapsulates the entire film. Fernandez said, “We’ve already seen his journey toward stability and recovery, but that moment asks the question: what good is progress if we continue to sabotage ourselves? His choice to walk away shows how one decision, made at the right moment, can change a life forever”.
The painting featured in the film, Edward Hopper’s Soir Bleu, significantly mirrors the structure and themes of the film. Using Hopper’s notes on the painting, Fernandez matched each character in the artwork to a corresponding character in the film, ranging from wardrobe choices and color palettes. With the painting’s central theme of loneliness running parallel to the protagonist’s journey, it allows the film to provide commentary on human isolation and on the piece itself. It also features numerous visual Easter eggs and compositional choices that reference Hopper’s work, including shot framing and blocking inspired by his paintings.
Securing the rights through the Whitney Museum was a challenging but rewarding process, and it allowed the team to fully integrate the painting into the film’s DNA. He said, “In many ways, it felt like a full-circle moment—Hopper was inspired by cinema, and here we are making cinema inspired by Hopper.”
The choice to film Los Angeles was crucial for many reasons. With the city’s visible homelessness crisis, it can often lead to a negative perception of people’s struggles with mental health and addiction. With a strong backdrop for a story about perseverance and second chances, especially in a setting where dreams are built like Los Angeles; the director had worked directly with homeless communities in Miami and Los Angeles and saw firsthand that these individuals are dealing with experiences that could perhaps happen to anyone. He knew that filming in Los Angeles allowed the story to confront a reality that could happen to anyone while restoring empathy.
He hopes audiences leave the film feeling hopeful, entertained and potentially motivated by its themes. He said, “The film exists on multiple levels, and people may connect to it in different ways. But if someone walks out feeling inspired to make a positive change in their own life, then the film has done its job.”
About Winter Film Festival
Winter Film Festival is an all-volunteer women and minority-run organization as part of Winter Film Awards Inc, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2011 to celebrate emerging talent in local and international filmmaking.
The 14th Annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026 includes a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC’s REGAL Union Square, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 22 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.
Winter Film Festival programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
For more information about Winter Film Festival, visit WinterFilmFest.org
email us at info@winterfilmawards.com and visit us at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
