After crash landing on an inhospitable planet, an alien searches for a connection. “The Familiar,” directed by Julian Quentin, is a visually stunning sci-fi mood board on identity and otherness. Finding itself in a foreign land with unforgiving terrain, the otherworldly being observes strange sig...

An aging synth-pop musician reflects on her past as a “street-level superstar” and her present isolation in rural Colorado. “Space Lady,” directed by Sophia Feuer, is a quietly absorbing documentary portrait of an outsider, a mystic with paranormal intuitions. As she tells it, the Space Lady (aka...

A group of 20-something creatives attempt to survive the UK advertising industry as their artistic aspirations slip further and further away. Michael Demetriou directs “Hellspawn,” an edgy satire on the inner workings of a hip production company. After making a short film, Hannah is interviewed b...

A young boy in rural America moves through a typical day trying to keep himself entertained and out of trouble. The observational documentary, “Mason,” directed by Oliver Shahery, follows the titular subject as he shoots at squirrels, plays with toy cars, and drinks Coke. Shahery refrains from ex...

Through her mid 20’s, a depressed YouTuber makes bleak videos while becoming lost in the never-ending stream of internet culture. Jacob Gregor directs “Endless Content Forever,” a brutally honest depiction of our times, an overstuffed, contemptuous collage of  an excessively online society. Sam r...

A young woman comes to terms with the role she plays in society as an Adderall dealer. Margos Margossian directs a script by Ani Tatintsyan, who also stars — crafted with stylish visuals and acerbic wit, “Adderall Cowboy” is a contemplation of the current pharma state and the condition of the Ame...

With his girlfriend recently incarcerated, a young father looks for a new job while taking care of his 6-year-old daughter. Barry K. Gibbs directs “B.S,” a raw portrait of fatherhood and work-life that's demoralizing but also touching. A cluster of obstacles are stacking up for Marquise — he’s cl...

In the midst of a sexual awakening, a religious teen finally musters up the courage to kiss her crush. “No Other Gods But Me,” directed by Alex Spott, is a sensuous comedy about lust and temptation delivered with glistening, hyper-saturated visuals. The devout Gemma spends her days praying to the...

After a drunken night at a house party, a young man pieces together what went down, while helping a stranger look for her boyfriend. In the free-spirited feature film, “San Francisco B.C.,” directed by Kevin Luna, we follow the respective bad days of Mike and Ramona as their paths intertwine and ...

A troubled teen girl spends her time trolling men online and bowling with her grandfather while becoming increasingly medicated. “Bowling 4 Eva,” directed by Aelfie Oudghiri, is a bracingly original portrait of depression and pharmaceuticals rendered with satirical bite and punctuated by animated...

Recalling a story from her youth, a grandmother reckons with a life-changing decision and tries to reconnect with a mystical source. Tatiana Tift directs “Penny for your Thoughts,” a magical realist hybrid fiction about memory and identity. What at first appears to be a straightforward portrait o...

A mix of archival and new footage documents a spiritual and philosophical movement founded in Bulgaria in the early 20th century that embraces the greater good. Alice Fassi directs “In Light,” part documentary, part visual poem, about the Universal White Brotherhood, a practice of living in harmo...

A frustrated husband spirals during his pre-planned fight with his wife at Ruby Tuesdays. Luke Strickler directs “I Decided To Fight With My Wife Over Salmon,” a constantly morphing digital art collage about love, hate, and death. The misogynistic man sees fine dining as the perfect opportunity t...

A poetic rumination on a former relationship told through the locations it took place in New York City, part personal reflection, part film essay. “Lucky Strike,” directed by Benjamin Ades, frames its meditations on love and film with memories of the romance and philosophical musings on fate. Hav...

After 35 years as the official Elvis impersonator of Las Vegas, Jessie Garon confronts an uncertain future as his public persona begins to fade away. “A King,” directed by Ivan Olita, is a stylized documentary portrait on the sexuality, and loss of self, of an aging performer. With a sparkling fa...

A father takes his son to the woods for a rite of passage. “Sylvain’s Hunt,” directed by Theo Cohn, is an unsettling portrait of father-son bonding built with inventive mixed-media images (see: miniature sets) and a Lynchian tone. Early one morning, a son is awoken by his dad and they drive to so...

A mentally unstable young man takes care of his grandfather while alienating everyone else in his life. “Pricks of Sensation,” directed by Alex Sulock, is a disturbing portrait of a downward spiral, a pitch black fever dream tracking a man on the verge of snapping. Tending to his ailing grandfath...

After her bike is stolen, a young woman scours L.A. in hopes of reuniting with her one true love. Yvette Lu and Leanne Velednitsky direct “Bike Thief,” a lo-fi comedy that’s both an ode to bike ownership and a depiction of the heartaches that come with it. Having had her bike stolen several times...

It's 2 AM and Vince just wants to know why his best friend hasn’t watched his short film yet. Hugo De Sousa and Frank Mosley direct “The Event,” a painfully awkward dark comedy about the deep speculation and confusion of not feeling supported in an artistic pursuit. Incisively written and perfect...

Two sisters fight to save their digital utopia from demise. “Welcome to the Enclave,” directed by Sarah Lasley, is an inventive experimental animation framed as an absurdist crowdfunding video. The Enclave is a virtual street created by a woman named Moni, but at the moment she’s under attack fro...

A lonely woman with boundary issues steals a dog. India Donaldson directs “If Found,” a minimalist drama set at an off-season beach town that’s built with striking wintry visuals and a tone swaying between lightly comedic and disturbing. She lives on a boat with a friend who seems alarmed by her ...

When her father doesn’t show up for a weekend visit in a beach town, a young woman has a fling with an older surfer. “San Clemente Syndrome,” directed by Claire Offenberger, is a portrait of disappointment and longing carried by tender performances and a reflective mood. She’s a college student e...

A harmless driving lesson quickly turns into a survival lesson on police encounters. “Ten & Two,” directed by Travis Wood, is a vignette about a mother and teenage son in the suburbs preparing for the inevitability of racial profiling. On a test drive, the son misses a stop sign and rattles the ...

In America for the first time, a German teenager heading to a party with a group of boys becomes entangled with the police. “Interstate 8,” directed by Anne Thieme, is an understated drama, an immersive minute-by-minute procedural that explores cop culture, immigration, and lines of unspoken comm...