A queer musician returns to her hometown to encounter the strange masculinity of the music scene. “Opener,” directed by Véra Haddad, is an observant comedy on the clichès of an indie rock venue and the awkwardness of social reunion. After spending time in Chicago, Sam is back where she started. A...

Roaming through rural France on their tandem bike, young post-punk musicians look for an audience and a name for their band. “Gwendoline,” directed by Joaquim Bayle, is a beautifully shot musical odyssey in 16mm black-and-white film that’s both bleak and lighthearted. On the road desperately seek...

Although money is tight, a former stadium headliner plans to skip another dive bar show in a small town. “The Rock Star,” directed by Niels Blumel, takes us to the American outskirts where we observe a slacked-out musician in his endeavor to feel desired. The rockstar, Babyface Jones, has no inte...

A Russian immigrant looks for life beyond busking at the Brighton Beach boardwalk. Theo Belci’s “End of the Boardwalk” offers a momentary look at moving to a new place and the obstacles that come with acclimating. To stay afloat financially, the young woman busks on the Brighton Beach boardwalk w...

When a young musician visits her musical collaborators’ place for a studio session, a revelation brings the dynamics of their friendship into question. LaChelle Chrysanne directs “One of the Guys,” an upbeat episodic drama where a group of young musicians manage a kickback and mixing session whil...

A glimpse at the goings-on of a 21-year-old in Brooklyn interrupted by a sojourn to North Carolina. Liam Barton directs “Blatant Interest,” a 16mm hangout film comprising a series of brief vignettes and electronica interludes. Beer cans litter Lyle’s rooftop. Instead of beginning the day with a c...

Four music videos flow together in this dreamy and entrancing short film directed by Adinah Dancyger and Kaya Wilkins. “There is A River” includes tracks from the indie pop musician Okay Kaya’s second album, “Watch This Liquid Pour Itself,” to create an experimental work of beautifully captured m...

Two friends decide to start a band even though they can’t really play music. Clara Ribot and Maple Leung direct “Come on Let’s Go,” a medium-length, lo-fi hangout film about two recently reconvening friends impulsively embarking on a new project. It’s been a while since seeing each other but afte...

In Philadelphia, an aspiring rapper tries to carve out a space for himself but begins to lose hope. “Out of Focus,” directed by Alex Sulock, is a cinema verite snapshot about artistic pursuit that maneuvers in a flow of spontaneous energy. Over the course of a couple weeks, Ray roams around his h...

A young musician living in Hollywood experiences a bizarre mystery that leads him on a journey to the Los Angeles River. Conor Scheinberg writes and directs “Boris,” a grim slow burn drama set in a bleak rendition of L.A. We meet Boris in the front seat of his car. He does pick-ups and drop-offs ...

A no-name indie rock band schlepps their gear from a cramped practice space in Bushwick to a show in Manhattan. The comedy “Tired Eyes,” directed by Ryan Martin Brown, nails the plight of the broke musician, desperate to find any way forward in a city overflowing with bands with no future. The tr...

Jean and her band of snobs make an experimental song. Self-described as “Shit Tier,” this lo-fi lampoon by director Nimay Ndolo takes aim at the pretentious and the opaque (read: art protected from criticism because if you don’t understand it, you’re low-brow). Jean registers for a songwriting sh...

Two musicians get lost on their way to a gig in New Jersey, or is it all in their heads? Directed by Taylor Ervin, “Shark Muscle” is an experimental musical odyssey, a visual accompaniment to the recent album of the same name from the NYC duo, Tony or Tony. Its layered approach emphasizes moods a...

A dispirited young musician living out of her car comes to a crossroads when she reconnects with an ex-girlfriend for one night. Chloe Jury-Fogel directs “Five Song Tour,” a portrait of solitude and longing set around Christmas that highlights the flip side of holiday frivolity. Making her way t...

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...

A surreal moment out of time is shared between two siblings. David Findlay directs the music video for “Leaning into your Palms,” a song by pro-skater and musician Austyn Gillette. We meet the siblings, brother played by Gilette himself and sister played by Agathe Rousselle, recently from “Titane...

A group of curly haired strangers help Katelyn recreate her past life as a Kurt Vile t-shirt. Directed by Drew Angle and Katelyn Douglass, “Shirt Vile,” is an evocative tribute to the musician and a portrait of a fan, a young woman who connects with him on a metaphysical level, but also a physica...