A bodybuilding fever dream fueled by childhood trauma, food porn and acid techno music. Raymond Knudsen directs “Prep,” a highly-stimulating portrait of a man who goes to extremes with his mind and body. Surrounded by rubber floor mats and stainless steel, we meet an unnamed bodybuilder with head...

After falling down a YouTube fitness rabbit hole, a woman dives deep into a new obsession. Marissa Losoya’s “Beyond Failure” is a comedic docu-fictional study of a spontaneous foray into sculpting a new ass. What starts as a simple online search for stretches to fix her lower back becomes an all-...

A queer woman’s sleepover with her girlfriend resurfaces buried sexual traumas, blurring the lines between fantasy and pain. Tiger Hornby directs “Night Milk,” an experiential drama realizing the hallucinogenic disassociation between mind and body during sex and its internal epicenter. It’s the e...

On the night of a sorority hazing event, a college freshman learns how far she's willing to go to impress an older girl. “Scotty’s Vag,” directed by Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz, is an unsettling, college-set drama that considers the pressure to impress, hazing-culture, and certain perceptions of vi...

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 knight in an accursed and shattered world tempts fate with a mysterious song. Albert Birney’s “Gruenfeld” boards a medieval quest where fantasy is suddenly met by horror. Told from the deep voice of an anonymous narrator, we observe the weathered knight, Sir Garreth, as he desperately searches ...

A guy minding his business strikes a daring deal with a mysterious man he meets in the park. Graham Mason’s “Traveling Man” is a modern-day fable where an everyday man, played by Eric Rahill, is enchanted, possibly to his own demise. Through black-and-white grain while a liturgical melody plays, ...

As the date of her first televised appearance draws near, a cello prodigy and her stage mother grapple with public expectations. Clara Mamet directs and stars in “Nell,” an enthralling dark comedy dissecting and disassembling themes of fame and physical appearance. A slow punch-in brings us into ...

An exploration of the emotional divide between fiction and reality in the American sitcom. Philip Thompson’s “Living Reality” puts the peculiar form of sitcom into perspective when a character shows strange symptoms and signs of longing. The spoof TV-show, also called “Living Reality,” starts and...

A lonely chatterbox, fed up with the anti-social nature of the world, seeks to find himself a friend at all costs. Set in sunny Los Angeles, “People Person,” directed by Taylor Thompson, is an upbeat character study looking at social connections and interpersonal expectations. Immensely desperate...

Ruby has what seems like a sex dream about her best friend but can't tell if it actually happened. Allison Bunce’s “Ladies” is a 16mm drama observing female friendship and the intimate moments of a low-key bachelorette party weekend. Cheese boards and glasses of white wine spread across the kitch...

When a woman retraces the steps of a recurring dream, it reveals a fractured sense of self. Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb direct “She Sings,” an experiential account of immigration and the blurred sense of belonging that follows. From murmurs in Arabic to reflections in English, Aziza r...

As she tries to wrangle her two-year-old daughter and an old dog, a young, single mother collects recyclables. Jefferey Liu’s “Hustle Mode” is a textured, New York City story shot on 16mm rendered with flustered charisma. With a waddling Beagle by her side, Lexi takes a bag of cans and bottles to...

Trying to get ahead in Hollywood, a struggling actor claims to be the illegitimate son of a celebrity. Ariel Gardner directs “Let’s Keep the Party Going,” a comedic glimpse at a man’s desperate attempts to become a working actor. Stuck in a loop of preparation and unsuccessful auditions, Hunter m...

A young dancer tries to make rent while relying on the financial support of her sugar daddy. Through candid storytelling and docu-fictional modes, Abby Harri’s “Side Hustle” observes the intimacy in the life of a sex worker with a client. Eden, a contemporary dancer, starts her morning making vid...

A woman struggles to make sense of her daughter’s disappearance. “Lolo,” directed by Owynn Kaye, is a moody experimental thriller with a constantly shifting point of view. The woman, an aspiring musician, sneaks out with her boyfriend (played by NB veteran, Jordan Raf). After her sudden disappear...

Two teams of men compete in a game of their own invention until a problem arises and an arbiter steps in to solve their dispute. Kati Skelton directs “The Arbiter,” a comedy made of dramatic prose, friars, and fishermen. In the banquet hall of a motel, two teams of men stand divided. They’ve been...

A guy tries to get over a break up by making a documentary about it. “Bronze Dog,” directed by Michael Bernieri, pokes and plays with the idea of life imitating art, expanding in unpredictable directions. Steven is a dimwitted man, played by Eric Rahill, who buys into his self-conceived fiction d...

An L.A. couple navigates their communication issues at the expense of those around them. “Belay On,” directed by Johnny Frohman, is a relationship comedy starring Al Warren and Molly Wurwand as bickering partners preparing for a weekend climbing trip. Gearing up at an outdoors supply store before...

A guy asks his friends to see the new Beyoncé movie. Tynan DeLong’s “THE DAYS FLY GALLOPING FROM ME; YET THE LONG DRAGGING OF EACH ONE MAKES ME WEARY, WEARY” is a split screen dark comedy observing a middle-aged man’s grossly mundane endeavor to arrange a hangout. After carefully composing a mes...