A dejected man living in Los Angeles limps through a prolonged break-up and the distractions in the aftermath. Brian Follmer directs “Dys-Sympathetic,” a satirical featurette poking at casual sex, casual romance, and the emotional deterioration of it all. Tyler waits for his ex-girlfriend, Zoe, a...

An acting class and its bold leader rumble and rise within the walls of a New York City building. Solange Sai directs “Acting Class,” a vivid, black-and-white snapshot documenting an ensemble of studying actors and their emotional exhaustion. The filmmaker rides the R train to Midtown. She enters...

After an agoraphobic scientist accidentally creates a baby-like plant creature, their connection threatens to upend his reclusive way of life. In “Sprout,” Leah Dubuc explores fear and friendship through illustrative animation. From retrieving his mail to shooing away girl scouts, the reclusive m...

A filmmaker returns to the formative places of his Kentucky upbringing to preserve the memories they still hold. “London, KY,” directed by Cody Duncum, is a quiet portrait of home and its evolving role in one’s memory over time. We observe landmarks through wide frames, observing them in their en...

A two-man band called Maurice makes a pilgrimage to Queens to discover a street that shares their name. Travis Wood directs “Another Miracle,” a hybrid music video combining on-the-street performance and lighthearted interviews with local residents. Between lyrics, New Yorkers share anecdotes on ...

A tour through a labyrinth of mysteriously linked Los Angeles mansions provides a dreamlike glimpse into the lives of five women. “My Imaginary Life for Someone,” directed by Molly Wurwand and Ryan McGlade, is a docu-fictional feature film featuring an ensemble of former it-girls now in the later...

A rapper goes missing after a music video shoot and the director tries to track him down. “The Trick,” directed by Neal Wynne, is a comedic, lo-fi quest where a young man must wade through his dissociative state in order to find his missing friend. Steve, played by Jake Squire, tries his best to ...

Two women meet in a strange room that defies space and time. Jonas Bishop Hayes directs “The Waiting Room,” a surreal melodrama that’s shrouded in mystery and crafted with unsettling dream logic. Emma sits straight in a plaid, yellow blazer. She’s been waiting for a while, but then there’s a sudd...

A mother surprises her adult children with a trip to the cemetery where she wants to be buried. Lizi Latimer and Myriam Schroeter direct “Dead Serious,” a dramatic comedy reckoning with mortality and family ethnicity. The bickering millennial siblings Liv and Matt wait for their mom in the car. W...

A new retiree’s world is upended when she is tasked with chaperoning her daughter’s abortion. Lucy Sandler directs “the weight of a dog,” a dramatic look at a mother and daughter relationship through the lens of generational disconnect. Mariah, in a complicated break period with her partner, need...

A camping trip puts a platonic friendship to the test. “Mountain Friends,” directed by Jon Mackey, is an intentionally stilted comedy that follows two friends into the Angeles Forest and one man into a flailing attempt to become more than friends. After hiking to their campsite, night falls quick...

A graphic designer endures a hostage situation disguised as a feedback meeting. Logan Fields directs “BOLD,” a workplace comedy peeking into the cringey confines of a branding conversation. She’s three matchas in and feeling a little jittery when her boss bangs on her table with feedback on the V...

A young man becomes suspicious of his downstairs neighbor after letting her use his fire escape. Camille Casmier directs “Intruder,” a compelling drama that graphs exponential unease and distrust that may be racially complicated. While preparing dinner, Sam, a white man, hears a knock at the door...

A filmmaker builds a self-portrait of her two relationships with men and the objects they left behind. Abigail Holland’s “kid with a pearl earring” offers a snapshot of young love and grief told through forthright narration over vivid images of New York City. She retraces the arc of a relationshi...

A young superintendent in Bensonhurst struggles to keep his job while supporting his dying grandfather. Evan Dominguez directs “The Superintendent,” a Brooklyn story filmed in black-and-white featuring a compelling ensemble and feeling of timelessness. Felix and Al are live-in superintendents. Th...

A series of intimate moments between two roommates in their shared bathroom. “Toilet Movie,” directed by Jillian Moray, speeds through a sequence of kinetic scenes between two charismatic young women. We never get their names, but we do know their bathroom serves as a sacred space. We witness eve...

A young man becomes obsessed with a mysterious device that allows him to hear every bad thing anyone has ever said about him. Corey Sherman directs “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” an animated dark comedy where a man’s newfound access to surveil his so-called friends sabotages his sanity. When Neil returns ...

When a man suffers from severe stomach problems during a disastrous date night, he makes an unexpected connection with a stranger. “Irritable Bowel,” directed by Joseph Agredano, is a dramatic comedy set in Los Angeles where spontaneity, in various forms, tests a man’s relationship. Glen reads wo...

A travel vlogger persuades his "friend" to embark on a 36-hour journey aboard the Amtrak Coast Starlight with the hope it will finally bring them closer. “We Took a Train,” directed by Austin Zollars, is a docu-fictional piece that reveals an increasingly tumultuous dynamic in a male friendship. ...

A young woman is meeting her friend for a movie when a voice from another place tries to reach her. Pat Mooney directs “DX350,” a silvery, 16mm slice-of-life with lowkey bursts of sci-fi. Elena descends a shopping mall escalator. Her iPod classic and wired headset are relics threatening the moder...

Following her friend's unexpected death, a young woman travels to the mountains to deliver the news to her reclusive brother. Blake Hunter directs “The Last Best Thing,” a sibling drama on grief and a fraught reunion. Julie loads her car and drives into the countryside where her brother, Steven, ...

A couple tries to make a sex tape but she has a question and he doesn’t know the answer. “Boobies,” directed by Emma Chevalier, dedicates five minutes to a pair of breasts and a couple’s discussion of love, desire and genetic predispositions. A young man positions his girlfriend in front of the c...

A woman returning home to Switzerland bumps into a familiar face in a town square. Max Wuchner directs “4pm Bullinger Square,” a black and white portrait reckoning with the past and an unsettled future—cities morph while youth fades. Back from London, almost 7 years have passed since she was last...

An aging widower attempts to make good with his estranged daughter by selling the time he has left. Ariel Gardner directs “Time Realtor,” a lo-fi, dark comedy pondering the question, how much are our lives worth? Carl, an older gent, arrives home to find an advertisement wedged in his doorway. In...