Coming of Age

Early aspirations, first-time experiences, and new changes. A collection of short films focused on moments or stories from, and experienced during, youth. Unique takes on an everlasting arc. These films share their own look at the classic, COMING OF AGE. NoBudge Collection #006.

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  • Angel Wings and Open Wounds

    When the leader of a friend group abuses her power during a game, her friends turn against her. Mathilde Hauducoeur directs “Angel Wings and Open Wounds,” a dynamic coming-of-age film from France following an energetic 7th-grade friend group. In class, Maud nods off and doodles in a journal with ...

  • Buzzkill

    A young girl desperately tries to fit in with a group of South Florida teenagers. Kathy Mitrani directs “Buzzkill,” an evocative coming-of-age drama that unfolds in vivid waves of longing, curiosity, and recklessness. Adrian looks for an opportunity to join the roving band of teens as they frolic...

  • Side Walks

    Two twenty-somethings, unrelated, struggle to maintain their personal relationships going about their day-to-day life in Vancouver. Brian Daniel Johnson directs “Side Walks,” a simple, yet cinematic, look at the lives of two young adults mainly told through their phone calls. Simon lives with his...

  • Lay Me by the Shore

    A high school senior in his final days of school must come to terms with the death of a friend. “Lay Me by the Shore,” directed by David Findlay, is a gorgeously photographed, impeccably crafted tone poem about bottled confusion, regret and shame. As graduation looms for Noah, he spends his days ...

  • The Death of Art Slob

    Movie + 1 extra

    A documentary about the end of a young man’s musical project told through the anecdotes and recollections of everyone who helped along the way. “The Death of Art Slob,” directed by musician Amar Ahmad, is a poignant ode to suburban scenes, house shows, college towns, and the American enclaves whe...

  • Trinidad

    A lo-fi parable about a young kid in Detroit who turns to scrapping to provide for his family. Portraying poverty and struggle without sensationalizing, it treats its characters as complicated individuals -- real people faced with real choices -- not as symbols of poor urban life. The oldest sibl...

  • In Our Secret Penthouse

    After spending the day hanging out and playing video games, unexpected tension bubbles up between two young friends as they flip through an issue of Penthouse magazine. Max Tullio directs “In Our Secret Penthouse,” a coming-of-age vignette about childhood innocence, teen masculinity and sexual aw...

  • Tenderless

    An awkward New York teenager accompanies her more experienced friend to a boy’s home. Amanda Samimi directs “Tenderless,” a 16mm coming-of-age film that considers youthful city-living and meandering intimacies. Observing skaters on the blacktop and the overly-acquainted squirrels of Tompkins Squa...

  • Broken Bird

    A biracial girl caught between worlds prepares for her Bat Mitzvah and adulthood. Radiating with warmth and lived-in specificity, “Broken Bird,” directed by Rachel Harrison Gordon, is a tender coming-of-age drama about a divided upbringing. Birdie has reached a vulnerable age of anxiety and self-...

  • Bye Bye Body

    When Nina fails to meet her goal in the final week of weight loss camp, she considers drastic alternatives. “Bye Bye Body,” directed by Charlotte Benbeniste, is a tender snapshot about body image and self-esteem delivered with wonderfully natural performances and lovely 35mm images. At a weigh-in...

  • Ten & Two

    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 ...

  • Bellybutton

    A Y2K teenager struggles to connect fantasy and reality when she gets a piercing on her birthday. Hilary Eden directs “Bellybutton,” a coming-of-age glance at the factors shaping a teenage girl’s self-understanding of beauty and identity. Parents out of sight, Lissy observes her older brother and...

  • How to Cry on Command

    Movie + 1 extra

    At a dystopian grade school, a determined 11-year-old girl struggles during her final exams. Wylie Anderson directs “How to Cry on Command,” a hilarious satire looking at the requirements and consequences of pursuing stardom. At “Celebrity Preparatory for Girls,” there are classes on how to speak...

  • August

    In the mountains of North Carolina, a young boy lives with his troubled mother. “August” directed by Cameron Morton, is a slice-of-life portrait of rural living that merges into a heavy family drama of lost innocence. Spending his days zipping around on this bike or feeding his dog cereal, the ki...

  • Half Sisters
    Movie + 1 extra

    Half Sisters

    Movie + 1 extra

    Half sisters who have never met discover something they share. “Half Sisters,” directed by S. Cagney Gentry, delicately shows the first-time encounter between two siblings, one still in elementary school and the other in 6th grade. Callie and her mom head over in the minivan; she amicably awaits ...

  • Pacurí

    At the cusp of her Quinceañera, Pacurí must decide where her loyalties lie: with her devoted family or her wealthy friends. “Pacurí,” directed by Gustavo René, is a coming-of-age drama about a Paraguayan-American teenager expressing independence while her family fixates on a culturally important ...