Opener
All Films
•
Drama, Short Films, 23-Jul-2025
A queer musician returns to her hometown to encounter the strange masculinity of the music scene. “Opener,” directed by Véra Haddad, is an observant comedy on the clichès of an indie rock venue and the awkwardness of social reunion. After spending time in Chicago, Sam is back where she started. Ahead of a performance, she arrives at the venue for soundcheck, where dudes with stubbled beards occupy the stage, the bar, and the board. When her guitar string breaks, Sam strolls over to the local music supply store where she’s bombarded by a cacophony of wannabe musicians shredding or drumming on the merchandise. At show time, Sam takes the stage to an audience of old friends, family, and ex-lovers. Capturing the knotted relationship between someone and a place from their past, the film is centered around an unassuming performance from Saara Untracht-Oakner. -JM. Director: Véra Haddad. Director of Photography: Adam Baron-Bloch. Cast: Saara Untracht-Oakner, Hannah Pruzinsky, Ryan Schnackenberg, Pat Scott, Jane Schoenbrun, Rick Spataro, Noah Harley, Andrew Emge, Wesley Harper, Dylan Nowik.
Up Next in All Films
-
Circumstantial Forgiveness
A man tries to steal from his friends at game night and then things get infinitely worse. Alex Sovoda’s “Circumstantial Forgiveness” follows a frantic friend group as they erupt in outcry when the dirty laundry of two friends is laid out on the table. While the gang engages in a game of dice, Wil...
-
Side Hustle
A young dancer tries to make rent while relying on the financial support of her sugar daddy. Through candid storytelling and docu-fictional modes, Abby Harri’s “Side Hustle” observes the intimacy in the life of a sex worker with a client. Eden, a contemporary dancer, starts her morning making vid...
-
Fever
A young man caught underneath the thumb of his crazed parents makes a break for freedom. Isabella Nemcik directs “Fever,” an absurd drama where a case of domestic imprisonment pushes a man to a skin-crawling breaking point. Ziggy’s parents, dolled with monstrous prosthetics, spoon-feed their son ...