A man with a broken arm looks for the perfect Christmas gift. David Cardoza and Griffin Conner direct “The Christmas Kid,” a festive character-study of a Manhattan gent told through run-and-gun photos and an affable voice over. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve and Gordon arises from bed in his New York City apartment. Tomorrow is the big day, and he’s burdened with the annual anxiety of getting the right gift for a family member. Meandering through the bustling blocks of LES, then into Chinatown, and on to Rockefeller Center, Gordon window-shops, admires decor, and, above all, chats it up with his fellow New Yorkers. At times, he asks them to sign his cast — each time he offers a different explanation how his arm was broken. Earlier this year we featured Cardoza’s “Little Boy Manic,” a hyper-NYC MiniDV film showcasing the peculiar characters and individuals of the city. This time in collaboration with Griffin Conner, the two present a captivatingly odd film that captures a tender and idiosyncratic holiday spirit. -JM. Directors: David Cardoza and Griffin Conner. Cast: William Heidbreder, Shane Fleming, James Cathcart, Max Frank, Mimi Pfahler, Will Tutino. Producer: Will Tutino.

Little Boy Manic: https://www.nobudge.com/little-boy-maniac