Nick’s existential pondering is interrupted by the arrival of his girlfriend’s new intern and muse. Samuel Centore directs “Tyler Works at the Gas Station,” a stylish dry comedy about a family unit of cultured young creatives which places its sharply drawn characters in an appealing fashion magaz...

An L.A. actress invites her filmmaker friend to a Palm Springs getaway from quarantine, a supposedly restorative trip that turns frustrating. “Kate, Unhinged,” directed by Kailee McGee, is a meta deconstruction on acting and friendship which follows the maneuvering of a well-positioned creative t...

A poetic meditation on women's work and the dream life of ants, set to the words of Toni Morrison. Directed by Stefani Saintonge, “Fucked Like a Star” is a lovely translation and a profound rumination on the natural world. Told in four parts, the film is rendered with all the complexity of the so...

A young woman copes with heartbreak, blackheads, and bad therapy. Emily Ann Hoffman directs “Blackheads,” a study on relationships and gender roles, melding stop motion and 2D animation with a nuanced sense of realism. Sofia has just broken up with her boyfriend and she’s struggling with anxiety ...

Two AI assistants conspire to get their human counterparts to meet. In “Sophie & Stephen,” directed by Rob Perri, a love story between two people who have yet to meet, there are plenty of questions beyond the central connection: is this where we’re headed as a society? Is that a good thing? In a ...

Marco cuts class to spend the afternoon with his boyfriend, Graham, in this tender portrait of young love and intimacy. Matthew Puccini’s “Dirty” is minimal but lush, a coming-of-age snapshot that tackles an uncomfortable first-time sexual experience with sensitivity and warmth. After ditching sc...

A coffee shop employee and an art gallery assistant engage in a series of awkward exchanges. Hubert Adjei-Kontoh writes, directs and stars in “At Work,” a low-key comedy and character study on Ronald, a neurotic, socially uncomfortable over-thinker involved in a one-sided infatuation. After meeti...

A Loss and Prevention officer faces a difficult moral decision in Alexander Etseyatse’s “LP.” An attempted theft leads to a tense back-room stand-off in this riveting drama, placing complex characters in an agonizing dilemma. While it stays grounded as a personal account, it also raises larger qu...

A mail-order bride on the way to meet her new husband searches for a restroom in Chinatown, where an unassuming young man outside of a sandwich shop offers his nearby apartment. “Persimmon Night,” directed by Scarlett Li, highlights a brief encounter between two strangers that opens up a window i...

A dancer reflects on a recent injury in Anne Hollowday’s “Physical Thoughts.” A vivid portrait rendered with striking images and poetic narration, it’s a film about the limits of verbal expression (“we all have thoughts; we don’t share many of them”) and the possibilities of physical expression (...

Two brothers steal a car in Lisbon, Portugal and head for a lighthouse. Directed by George Daniell, “The Valley of the Cats,” is an inventive lo-fi comedy adventure, shot on 8mm tape, part road movie, part descent into madness. Dead Eye and Square Hands, as the brothers are known, make their way ...

Locked down at home, Kent scrambles to make a last minute sign for his co-worker’s virtual surprise party. “Hey Yú (如魚得水),” directed by Athena Han, perfectly captures a common mode of our times — being distracted, overwhelmed, and failing to live up to other’s expectations. Living alone in Vancou...

A young woman decides to carry on the family tradition of attending the county fair, this time with her dead parents. Kate Jean Hollowell directs and stars in “Are They Smiling?” a comedy about an unusual grieving process: spending the day alone at a fair carrying the ashes of your dearly departe...

A woman fantasizes about a romantic night at a bar, including a fling with her bartender. “Queendom,” directed by Nat Gee, is a lighthearted music video shot on 16mm and filled with colorful production design and costuming. A woman and a man make eyes, he makes her a drink and offers her a rose, ...

Patti and Tina are heading out for an idyllic day-trip but get sidetracked with lavender-based meditations. Ester Song Kim directs “Lavender,” a lighthearted ribbing of L.A. extreme wellness types, and a free-flowing character study about a fizzling friendship.

An easy golf swing tutorial that focuses on the essentials: grip, club choice, mindset, race, and class consciousness. | Directed by Ronald Metellus.

An intimate dinner takes a left turn when a lesbian couple receives an unsolicited offer from their unhappily married friends. | Director: Molly Schiot. Written By: Cass Buggé & Lucas Kavner. Cast: Cass Buggé, Lucas Kavner, Fay Wolf, Leah Rudick.

A young, fantasy-prone writer dances between the parallels of her reality and a fictional world she has created. | Directed by Johanna Block. Starring: Zora Casabere. Co-Starring: Delia Cunningham & Samantha Goldman.

Three women’s excitement for their 50th birthday quickly turns sour as they open up presents from family and friends. | Directed by Jasmine De Silva. Producer and Writer: Samantha Shirazi.

In 1968, a young flight attendant bought 900 lbs of marijuana in Jamaica and tried to smuggle it out. Directed by Matthew Salton.

In this striking avant-garde animation by Cassie Shao, we begin in a room where a group of four people sit around a table and reflect on the question, “who did it?” Focusing on the sensory and dreamlike, the film offers free-flowing vignettes that resist easy comprehension. Through its abstract ...

A mother and daughter trip on Mushrooms together on the Jersey Shore. A unique concoction of documentary, filmed recreations and improvisation, “Are You Ok? Cause I’m Ok.,” directed by Rivka Rivera, finds a passionate mother/daughter coping with love and death. As they prepare for the drug exper...

With the ghosts of his father and brother haunting his household, Reza gets pressured into getting a tattoo, a rite of passage to the only community that allowed him to seek refuge from his home. | Directed by Yasir Masood.