An aspiring teenage comedian joins a community theater and is cast to play a school shooter. “Itchy Fingers,” directed by Anna Nilles and Marco Jake, is a transfixing exploration of identity that encircles themes of gun violence, mental health, storytelling, creative process, and others. It’s a p...

A male stripper has an unusual experience on the job in Mary Dauterman’s “Unfinished Business.” From a script co-written by Jenny Donheiser, the film is an awkward comedy that uses 1980’s costuming and choreography to highlight its dingy tableaus and expressionless ladies. When he arrives to a mo...

Discussing everything from lime beers to The Doobie Brothers concerts, Brad Howe takes his comedic stylings home to his favorite watering hole, The Legion. An inspired riff on the stand-up comedy special, “Brad Howe: Live at the Legion” is light on jokes and heavy on character building. It’s Satu...

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...

In 2027, the government enforces a revolutionary law that disables all tech devices at sundown in order to enhance civilians' well-being. Erin O’Connor directs ‘half-light,” a patient, future-fiction character study that observes a young woman amidst this tech-free world. We encounter the 20-year...

A biracial student and sex worker confronts the difference in her lifestyle between night and day. Crosbie Roper directs and stars in “Epinephrine,” a psychological-horror piece processing racial identity, trauma, and sex-work. During the day, “Lil Bit” goes to class to study architecture. In the...

After being drafted for World War III, a group of burnout skateboarders are recruited into a casualty notification unit. “Vertical Valor,” directed by Alex Kavutskiy, takes an inspired premise and pumps it full of dopiness and absurdity, a war comedy that never hits the battlefield. Calvin and Ba...

Two Nigerian cousins have a meditative evening and discuss the prospect of leaving New York. Adesola Thomas directs “Ola Ola,” a small-scale conversational piece that offers a tender specificity in the identities and relationship of its two characters. For Abisola, it starts as a quiet evening. W...

A father writes an online review for a pair of herb scissors. An actress gets bad news while filming a credit score commercial. A football team psychs themselves up for a game with a prayer. Directed by Abigail Horton, “A Few Activities” highlights a series of small, absurd moments in the lives o...

A lonely bookseller in Brooklyn navigates the world as best as he can post pandemic. His store is closed, but he still goes in once a week to mail out online orders and compose personal letters to his customers. Before the shut down, he met a young woman in his store that he felt a strong connect...

A high school freshman deals with the pressures of popularity when her best friend enters a new world of boys and alcohol. Jaelyn Ellis directs “Girlhood,” a coming-of-age snapshot on teenage social life and evolving friendships. Mia loves going to disco nights at the local roller rink, but her f...

A troubled teen has one last night out with friends before her life is changed forever. Maddy Rose Figueredo’s “Swan Song” follows college student Aubrey as she navigates the social gymnastics and vices of a hard-partying friend group. Feeling sick after drinking too much, Aubrey goes to the bath...

A brother and sister struggle to run their late mother's massage parlor. Legyaan Thapa directs "Building Happiness,” a slice-of-life look at early adult responsibilities and a failing family business. Hugo gives massages and washes dirty laundry at the “Building Happiness” spa. However, business ...

Though the big city may appear to be endless concrete and steel, it is teeming with hidden life underneath. So proposes the new film by Luke Strickler, “Scenes From the City,” an absurdist 3D animation that illustrates the behavior and thoughts of a series of sentient buildings, stop signs, and t...

A man is having the worst week of his life and his two best friends come over to cheer him up. They are all named Michael. “Three Michaels,” the new short by Tom Levin — director of the NoBudge all-timer, “Men’s Thanksgiving” — is almost entirely improvised and self-contained within a Brooklyn ap...

Jim Cochran hates his job, he wishes he could just shoot clay pigeons all day.

Directed by James P. Gannon.