A man lives in a restaurant where he also works as a waiter. Ian Faria and Edy Modica direct “Waiter Movie: The Short,” a hilarious and oddly endearing portrait of a New York waiter who chops it up with patrons just as well as he waits tables. We meet our old soul Frankie, played by Modica hersel...

Two alien sisters journey for the first time to their favorite planet Earth with hopes to go viral on the internet, but their father has other plans for them and their beloved humans. Director: Sophia de Baun. Cast: Miriam Gabriel and Zora Schiltz Rouse. Producers: Sophia de Baun, Miriam Gabriel ...

When her granddaughter visits her in Rome, an elderly woman seeks closeness before the end of the visit. “Burraco,” directed by Isabella Tagliati, is a candid slice-of-life set in Italy where we observe a tender relationship between two women of different generations. Wanda excitedly anticipates ...

During an editorial fashion shoot, a callous director and client toy with their model. “A Woman Eats,” written by and starring Frances Li, shows a woman trying to “act natural” as she’s subjected to increasingly humiliating questions and intrusions into her personal life. Posed in a lush still li...

A hybrid documentary about two trans men, who used to date in middle school, reconnecting 10 years later to develop a narrative film about their past. Brit Fryer and Noah Schamus direct “Across, Beyond, and Over,” a film made with warmth and vulnerability about the creative process and revisiting...

After an angry fight with his boyfriend, Thomas walks across Manhattan to cool off. Juan Pablo Rivera Garza & Charlie Sosnick direct “The Length of Your Rage,” a charmingly ragged comedy oozing with strange encounters between NYC oddballs. So says an Inuit tradition about anger, the length of one...

A man at the park wants something from a group of teen skaters. Johnny Frohman directs “Trick,” a comedy from a couple of NoBudge regulars that focuses on a shady exchange. Matt Barats stars as a man loitering around a trio of skateboarders, commenting on their form, letting the kids know that ba...

A naked body moves a stranger to empathy in this experimental film by Frank Mosley, in one of two scenes investigating body, movement, and connection. “Parthenon” is carried by the transfixing presence of Lily Baldwin; the film around her is largely wordless, and divided into two loosely connecte...

Two roommates try to come up with character ideas for a comedy show. Alex Ateah and Taylor Rivers direct and star in “Alex and Taylor Come Up With Characters,” a homemade video of rapid-fire silliness. Two friends follow each around the house ad-libbing absurd characters (an old lady who’s sudden...

This intimate glimpse at two teenage girls in a Moscow locker room is a simple but rich exploration of burgeoning sexuality and a search for expression. Alice can’t help but steal some glances at her teammate while she changes, catching flashes of skin, reflected in searching close-ups. The teamm...

Demi leaves her husband and wanders around San Diego to find herself in this low-key comedy directed by Nick Ehart. At a park, Demi (played by Mollie Merkel) meets a woman named Margaret (Blair Beeken), head of HR at Rite Aid, and they strike up a conversation. Before long, they’re chatting like ...

A college student attempts to walk from his dorm room in midtown Manhattan to the end of Long Island in 36 hours. Legyaan Thapa directs “36 Hour Walk,” a personal documentary of a half-hearted journey built with wry, self-deprecating commentary. Vowing not to eat or sleep for a day and a half, th...

Two chefs drive through the desert discussing invasive thoughts. “Fake Jazz,” directed by Kevin Luna, is a darkly funny conversation about uncomfortable (even gruesome) patterns of the mind. Wearing tall chefs’ hats (Luna wanted the hats to be taller even, but they couldn’t fit in the car), two c...

A dancer is secluded in his parents’ Brooklyn brownstone after being forced to cancel a show in Berlin. As he waits for a rare book dealer to arrive on behalf of his parents, he reckons with the collapse of his industry and his need for an audience. KA. Writer and Director: Naz Riahi. Cast: Andro...

A supernatural thriller about a woman dealing with the void left by her recently deceased father. Mysterious tone piece with razor sharp editing & gorgeous images. Robert Barnett’s extraordinary and masterful short lurches towards a new way of expressing the mysterious facts of the world. It is d...

A teenager confesses five secrets to their mother on an anonymous online forum. Presented entirely as a screen capture of an old desktop computer, “Five Secrets to Mom,” by director Charles Dillon Ward, applies rudimentary digital tools in service of a modern teen admission, and the film alternat...

Brie adapts a new practice, a lifestyle of loneliness to achieve her highest self. Written and directed by Ester Song Kim, “The Practice of Loneliness,” is a stylish anti-rom-com about seeking happiness in solitude. Shot on nostalgia-soaked 8mm film, and featuring actors dubbed into French (thoug...

Fran is thinking about dying, but a man in the office might want to date her. Directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz. Writers: Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Katy Wright-Mead, Kevin Armento. Cast: Katy Wright-Mead, Jim Sarbh.

An incisive dissection of jealousy, and the need for independence within a relationship. It stumbles into some absurdly funny territory, but it's largely a drama, one that burrows deep quickly and leaves you feeling punched in the gut. The explosive performances by writer/director Ben Petrie and ...

Ada is an unlikeable competitive walker who makes a dress out of toilet paper and has an unfortunate run-in with a hose. Eleanore Pienta’s “Ada” is a lighthearted silent comedy following the unpredictable antics of a peculiar woman making her way through crowded New York City streets. As she walk...