A Catholic school boy trying to understand his budding sexuality looks to the animal kingdom for answers. The ingeniously devised, “Premium Pornography,” directed by Simon Ruscinski, is a comedic exploration of masturbation, condom purchasing, and alien psychology. It takes the form of a deadpan ...

Memories of their early days swirl together for a young couple while the present day looms with hurt and confusion. Chelsea Muscat directs “Searching for the Wave,” an intimate and poetic relationship study that weaves together two separate timelines. In one, Faye and Ava form a quick bond and es...

Two aspiring writers in L.A. are secretly writing novels about each other as they spend their first evening together. Jens Josephs directs “Based on a True Story,” a sharp comedy exploring the personalities and inner monologues of a couple of egotistical dreamers, mutually repulsed by each other ...

A young couple surveys the state of their relationship, calling into question everything they once knew about each other. “Breaking Up,” directed by Claudia Nankervis and Jessica Sofarnos, is a heated drama about partnership and communication, and the punctures that threaten to dissolve such. Ste...

BRUNO is the story of an asthmatic misanthropic bicycle enthusiast named Derek and his sensitive all-american sitcom-loving cousin Bruno. The two opposites live together in a small house in Trenton, NJ.

Also, it's 34-minutes long! So buckle up.

www.brunomovie.com

In a non-traditional approach to live performance, MAURICE performs three songs in a production teetering on the brink of collapse. “3 Songs,” directed and performed by Devan Joseph and Jason Gaines, is a dynamic music video that frames potent performances with kinetic editing. Breaking down the ...

Four friends parked in a car do a ceremony in the middle of the woods. It goes badly. Made by the preeminent Brooklyn comedy group, Simple Town, “Scary Car” is lo-fi horror comedy at its finest, a brilliantly executed account of an unexplainable occurrence. After a passionate conversation about U...

After an angry fight with his boyfriend, Thomas walks across Manhattan to cool off. Juan Pablo Rivera Garza & Charlie Sosnick direct “The Length of Your Rage,” a charmingly ragged comedy oozing with strange encounters between NYC oddballs. So says an Inuit tradition about anger, the length of one...

A colorful compendium pairing musical genres with varieties of flowers. Luke Strickler directs and animates “Music for Plants,” which visualizes a series of melodic mash ups — “Sunflower Ska,” “Punk Petunias,” “Dandelion Dubstep,” et al. Morphing seamlessly between styles and tones, each chapter ...

A woman searches for meaning in her life, where all days seem to blend into one. Varya Rootwood directs “Groundhog Year,” an experimental film poem rendered with striking, darkly funny compositions and sarcastic monologue. She spends her day gardening, drinking coffee, and reading. Except, she’s ...

On a snowy night, a mysterious woman arrives at a hotel and captures the attention of a trio of men.“Through Her Eyes,” directed by Stella Gatti, is gothic noir based on the mythical archetype of Medusa. The glamorous woman with dark sunglasses and overcoat enters a candle lit lobby with faded ch...

A woman is having a mental breakdown in her bathroom when her past and future selves appear in the mirror. Ella May Sahlman and Kyle Kallman direct “Crimson Mirror,” experimental horror crafted with gothic flourish built around an intensely despairing lead performance from Flora Wildes. The young...

The quest for virtual food — infinite pizza, zero calories — hits a snag when inventors mistake a short film for competition. Malcom Mills directs the strange vision, “VR Food,” melding horror, sci-fi, and dark comedy in layers of dream-state flashes. Malcolm and Mallory are working together on a...

Two friends spend the day together, one is a floating orb. “Digital Fortune Teller,” directed by Cooper Vacheron, is a homemade sci-fi vignette that follows a human and a digital assistant through a typical day in L.A. Tracking their exercise routines, water intake, general health and well-being,...

On a never-ending channel surf through streaming platforms, TV shows, movies, and commercials, two friends talk on the phone about bad relationships and good storytelling. Jack Dunphy directs “Amanda,” an examination of media overconsumption alongside a provocative portrait of a messy friendship ...

A campy queer, 1980's-esque dating show unravels into a dreamscape chaos of relationship expectations. The music video for “Codependency,” a song by comedian/musician Sofia Dobrushin, delivers catchy indie pop with colorful visuals, handmade set design, and choreographed dance routines. Dobrushi...

Across a freezing night, confused dropout Cooper Townsend tries to make it home. “Townsend’s Last Night,” directed by Rhys Scarabosio, is a chaotic, lo-fi fever dream about a young man who has lost his way. Left desperately clinging to his only refuge — scribbling lyrics in an old notebook — the ...

When Sherri gets arrested for shoplifting from work, she needs to find money for legal fees. Amandine Thomas writes, directs and stars in “Cherry Cola,” a dramatic portrait delivered with sharp-edged dialogue and vivid characterizations about a young woman on the verge of a breakdown. Living with...

In this collection of anonymous stories shared by queer men, a connection is drawn between queer life and nature. “I Wish There Was a Guy Term for I Love You,” directed by Andy Motz, is an experimental documentary narrated with tales of first time flings and intimate meet-ups framed as a series o...

Estranged ex-step-siblings reunite over dinner but find themselves with opposing views on the future of their relationship. Eliza Jiménez Cossio and Lexi Tannenholtz direct “We Should Get Dinner!” a dark comedy about fractured bonds and lingering resentments. Abby and Sean grew up together but ha...

Two men in bloody shirts watch a French film and chat about Cheese-Wiz as a shell-shocked woman tries to make sense of it all. “Be Leaving,” directed by Brandon Wilson, is a surreal avant-garde film oozing with uncertainty as it reveals surprising doses of humor. Via deadpan banter, the two men d...

While navigating a busy work day, a woman reflects on a profound personal decision. “Polished,” directed by Colleen Dodge, is a sensory vignette tracking a vulnerable woman through a difficult day in New York City. Jane attends to incessant needs from her job but she is mentally elsewhere. Trying...

An anxious teen responds to a Craigslist ad and strikes an unexpected connection with a stranger behind a sheet. “Personals,” directed by Sasha Argirov, is an engrossing drama that details a would-be sexual encounter and the corresponding awkwardness and vulnerability. The nervous young man enter...

A house dog escapes into the woods at night to follow the psychedelic temptations of the natural world. Our take: “Dog in the Woods,” by directors Christian Chapman and Paul Jason Hoffman, is a dark and trippy adventure straying from the safe confines of domesticity for the wild woods, told from ...