A young woman returns home to recover a personal possession. Rachel Rambaldi directs and stars in “HERLY,” a comedy-drama about a fractured family and an attempt to heal. In a car with two cult members dressed in gray, Nora surveys her family home in Southern California. To carry out her mission,...

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 ...

When a young couple moves to an off-the-grid farm in Vermont, they are forced to confront the challenges of self-subsistence and living in isolation. Niall Cunningham directs “Annie,” a paced drama observing the growing tension and relationship dynamics between Annie and Simon and their idealisti...

Thirteen year old Dani, and their mother, Anne, embark on an all-day odyssey to flip a stolen laptop. Kerry O'Neill directs “Walk Out Nice and Smooth,” a coming-of-age comedy-drama observing the dynamics and tensions between a swindling mother and her stressed-out child in Los Angeles. Anne, play...

A nine-year-old loner wants his brother to teach him how to play the trumpet—a request that’s not so simple given the obstacles of New Orleans’s 7th Ward. Megan Trufant Tillman directs “little trumpet,” a drama following a young boy as he balances his own early interests while living with a distr...

Another lazy day in Los Angeles is undermined by strange occurrences. Eric Colonna directs “Ratking,” an enigmatic drama that observes a young couple in North East L.A. as they deal with an odd visitor. Under a greenish tungsten hue, we meet the woman as she recalls a disturbing dream. Later, a d...

During a sleepover, a tween celebrity obsession tests the boundaries of friendship, privacy, and a young girl's heart. Directing duo Karina Lomelin Ripper and Marc Ripper present “Superfan,” a sharply-crafted modern coming-of-age film. Sleepover gear in hand, Selena arrives to a Pacific Northwest...

During the 2020 BLM protests, a white protester loses his head trying to corral a group of fellow demonstrators. Alex Bliss directs “Close the Gap,” a satirical character study that boldly examines the loose ends of a young man’s mind amidst a high-tense moment. As he marches, he broadcasts live ...

After their plans are disrupted, two best friends move in together as roommates. Sophia de Baun and Miriam Gabriel direct and star in “Filling Holes,” a scene-to-scene ensemble that embraces both drama and comedy as it observes the dynamics and quirks of a group of friends in Brooklyn. Mimi and h...

In a small east coast town, two teenage boys ruminate on their first stirrings of desire. “Albedo or Apples and Oranges,” directed by Yiro Hu and Sean Dahlberg, is a mood piece that explores longing without sex and the silences between friends. First, we observe Shane. He sits quietly in the pass...

Deranged by a sudden death in the family, a young woman flees to the countryside in the hopes of establishing an idyllic rural life. Mick Robertson directs “How is the Dog,” a creeping psychological horror film where physical distance doesn’t seem to be enough for what a young woman hopes to evad...

Two strangers are brought together by a video dating service. Tipper Newton directs and stars in “Wild Card,” a retro romantic thriller shot on 16mm and set in 1980's Los Angeles. We meet Daniel, shy and soft spoken, as he records his introduction video for a VHS subscription dating service. Intr...

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...

Wrestling with the responsibilities of being a mother and also the wife to an incarcerated husband, a young woman tries to find herself. Ricardo J. Varona directs “Hector’s Woman,” a drama set in Puerto Rico a year after Hurricane María. Paola, with her daughter in her arms, goes to visit her hus...

An eager young artist receives a disturbing introduction to the art world during the delivery of a controversial sculpture. Chester Vincent Toye directs “Hangtime,” a complex satire set in a sunny, yet ominous-feeling Los Angeles. Joe, new to the job, and his boss, Arnold, make their way to deliv...

A young woman becomes enamored with a waifu sex doll online and aims to transform herself into a sentient copy. Alexis Gil directs “Waifu,” a 35mm short film set in the Czech Republic that examines the strange ways a young woman sells herself to accomplish a transformation. We meet the film’s pro...

A recently married woman helps her single friend shoot an introduction video for a dating service. Imogen McCluskey directs “Atomic Love,” a 1980s found-footage piece where honest truths between two friends reveal themselves. With her hot pink blazer and questionable perm, Aleea struggles to get ...

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...

In the old American South, a misplaced black teen with a white adoptive family becomes curious about her roots after hearing birds for the first time. Shannon M. Sutherland directs “They Flew Like Blackbirds,” a magical-realist drama set in the deep south in the early 20th century. Found as a bab...

A troubled teen has one last night out with friends before her life is changed forever. Maddy Rose Figueredo’s “Swan Song” follows college student Aubrey as she navigates the social gymnastics and vices of a hard-partying friend group. Feeling sick after drinking too much, Aubrey goes to the bath...

A father in rural Pakistan comes to a realization during the morning routine with his family. Maazin Kamal directs “Morning Without Light,” a black and white observational narrative of a small family living in isolation from the modern world. The father starts his day early by rinsing off at a cr...

Struggling to fit in at a sleepaway camp with a group of white girls, 11-year-old Aaliyah Khan tries to befriend a new arrival. Samina Saifee’s “AmeriGirl,” nuances the coming-of-age realities of assimilation and conformity to American beauty standards. After being unembraced by two fellow camper...

A group of high school seniors try to make it to the beach on one of their final days as teenagers. Michael .T directs “June 22nd,” a day in the life snapshot of a youthful summer afternoon. When Kevin, Mira, Hope, and Dev decide to escape the heat of their east coast town for a day at the beach,...

A C-list talent agent moves through the world all but invisible, until he enters a pay-to-play audition room where desperate actors see him as a beacon of hope. Emily Frances Kaplan directs “The Agent,” a dark character study about an aging and forlorn man in a position of perceived power. It’s a...