A bizarre ‘systems-comedy’ that channels Pynchon as much as Stillman and Ferrara, a chamber-piece in varying shades of beige and taupe that nevertheless expands beyond the confines of its anodyne Wall Street office-space where a conspiracy-non-conspiracy surrounding something called “the Benson f...

Raptor is coming! A musical odyssey starring Robert Malone, who wins NoBudge actor of the year for his 3 films, films which have taken the seriousness of our site down 1,000%. This one, our first musical, is miraculously even goofier than "Fresh Starts for Stale People" and "The Confabulators", s...

Dusty Jacobson, a boy band obsessed grown man, tries to get a date online with someone named HungBrad. Directed by Natalie Fält, "The Loneliest Boy Band" has a light touch — mostly we’re just following Dusty as he talks about his love for The Backstreet Boys and dances in front of McDonalds— but ...

A lonely virtual reality actor parties with a woman sent to kill her. “Talk About Your Dreams,” directed by Robbie Barnett, is psychedelic sci-fi set in the near (?) future where hallucinogenic drugs have replaced anxiety. Kate Lyn Sheil plays the woman, a popular VR actor specializing in comfort...

After being mugged on Halloween night, Dave takes to his hotel room to report the incident to his credit card company and experiences an unsettling exchange. Starring Maxwell McCabe-Lokos (a director we featured with his 2017 film "Ape Sodom,") “All Shook Up,” is a wildly WTF short directed by Ev...

A sleazy romp through a drug-fueled Halloween costume party led by a group of sex-hungry gal pals. Using exceedingly poor taste and a gross out finale for the ages, "Ghosting The Party" is a fast-paced WTF comedy by director Carlos A.F. Lopez who crosses the line of decency to take revenge agains...

A couple discovers they don't know as much about each other as they thought while they move into a new apartment. Chidi Amadiume directs “Are We Here Yet?”, an astutely observed and performed relationship drama that explores a host of issues related to sexual identity. Ezra and Jonah lug boxes up...

A sad, stoic man trapped in a nightmare existence finds a strange book which seems to offer some relief. Anthony Oberbeck directs “Book,” a dark comedy about feeling lost and without purpose, and not only feeling that, but everyone in your life telling you that you definitely are. Joe finds a boo...

An illustrator prepares for an assignment while his new plant demands his attention at home. “Plant Daddy,” directed by Peter Ferris Rosati, is a stylish, quietly surreal portrait. After bringing home a new houseplant, Rocca is surprised to feel a fatherly bond. The more he fixates on it, the mor...

A troubled young woman's date at a Tiki bar reveals itself in disturbing ways. A pitch black tone piece by Wesley Wingo, “Date Night Look” paints a dire picture of desperate youth with flashes of glitchy soundscapes and elements of body horror. The woman has pulled herself together for her date w...

After an evidently successful first date, Evan and Marceline head back to her place. “Welcome to Bushwick,” by director Henry Jinings, is about the nerves and perceptions of a man and a woman approaching intimacy for the first time. We pick up as the two young Brooklynites enter the apartment of ...

A hauntingly beautiful 16mm short about a young man seeking adventure or escape or both. A striking collection of images that seemingly materialize out of nowhere, there is no dialogue and no need for any — the evocative visuals and soundscape fill in everything you need to know, or rather everyt...

The new satirical video tutorial from filmmaker John Wilson explores the world of regrets, both big and small. A bad haircut or a broken phone may not seem like a huge deal but it may cause "cascading effects that lead to long-term regret." With his signature halting voice-over, Wilson weaves in ...

I'm currently in the middle of an obsessed phase with Kate Berlant & John Early, two of the funniest/smartest young performers around. This brilliant collaboration, "Santa Monica," written by the two & directed by another new NB favorite Andrew DeYoung, finds Early & Berlant playing characters wi...

A woman ascends out of a mud pit disrupting a young couple living in a country home. The young couple takes her in -- just like Pauly Shore & Sean Astin in Encino Man -- and they teach her how to be human, beginning of course with how to sharpen a pencil. At first the stranger has a rejuvenating ...

An incisive dissection of jealousy, and the need for independence within a relationship. It stumbles into some absurdly funny territory, but it's largely a drama, one that burrows deep quickly and leaves you feeling punched in the gut. The explosive performances by writer/director Ben Petrie and ...

A woman invites an old acquaintance to live with her after a devastating loss. Director Doron Max Hagay, fresh off his induction into the NoBudge Hall of Fame, is in Hall of Fame form with “Company,” his latest collaboration with Blair Beeken and Katy Fullan. In it, Dana, an L.A. woman reeling fr...

The brilliantly loony “Observatory Blues” tells the life story of Fernando Music, a writer born with no hands that becomes famous for a series of books about space and sex. Beautifully shot on 16mm and featuring a genius cast moving in all kinds of glorious directions (including a narration by Hu...

The fever dream of a 1980s stand-up comic who is either having a nervous breakdown or the best set of his life. Directed by Laura Moss, and written and performed by Tony Grayson, “Allen Anders - Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987)” is an ingenious sendup of a dated comedy special, darkly hilar...

A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn't have the words for. “Agua Viva,” written, directed and animated by Alexa Lim Haas, is a gorgeous, melancholic portrait of a stranger in a strange land. As she quietly goes about her day giving manicures and pedicures in a Flo...

Following a trio of friends around town as they dance choreographed routines in grocery stores and give acting workshops in Bingo halls, "Ford Clitaurus", true to its name, is a hilarious head-scratcher. It’s best to watch without knowing much. As in, stop reading this right now and press play ab...

When three friends take a road trip to an idyllic forest and drop acid, one is lured into a mystic web of hallucination and nightmare. Jimmy Joe Roche directs “Skin of Man,” an experimental horror film that creates vivid textures with avant-garde technique. The black and white film is free of dia...

On Halloween night, a woman dressed as a hot dog delivers marijuana to a series of weirdo customers. “Bite Me” is a night-in-the-life of a broke and aimless gig worker that’s based on director Jessi Rayom’s own experiences working at a L.A. weed dispensary. Filmed like a documentary and starring ...

On the outskirts of a Mexican village, a former elementary school teacher emerges badly bruised on the shore of a remote lake and must find her way back to town. “La Oscuridad,” directed by Jorge Sistos Moreno, is a visceral portrait of Marina, a woman left for dead. She somehow survives the orde...