A satirical look into a male filmmaker's creation, and the repercussions of his narcissistic behaviors that span across four realities. “Staff Pick,” directed by Mitch deQuilettes, is a mind-bending series of vignettes on art and life, both melodramatic and deeply self-aware. A straight man in L.A. spends the day with a gay friend. An actor experiences doubts portraying a bi-curious man. The girlfriend of a director (and his artistic collaborator) feels taken advantage of and removed from the process. The fact that nothing is quite what it seems only adds complexity to its themes of gender identity, toxic masculinity, and power struggles. Led by terrific performances across the board (which perfectly convey messy relationships, professional and private), deQuilettes’ film is a brilliant dissection on the creative process, brutal and darkly funny. -KA. Director, Editor: Mitch deQuilettes. Writer, Producer: Chasen Bauer & Mitch deQuilettes. Cast: Max Baumgarten, Mani Yarosh, Sydney Schafer, Katherine Hughes, Boni Mata, D'Angelo Lacy, Rick Darge. Director of Photography, Colorist: Scott Siracusano. Production Designer: Elizabeth Godar. Original Music: Michael James Lee. Sound: Justin Fox. On-Set Acting Coach: Chasen Bauer.
A struggling novelist throws a dinner party to announce his acceptance into a prestigious writer's program, but his plans are soon overshadowed by a more pressing matter. Joe Stankus directs “Good News,” an elegantly constructed exploration of a relationship between two men dealing with varying l...
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? I...
A woman tries to clean her apartment, but her unkempt lover won't let her. Sara Silva directs and stars in “Dirt,” an experimental portrait of a messy relationship built with layers of spontaneous energy and complex threads of dissatisfaction. The two women wake up on the couch to find a dirty ap...
