A small time travel vlogger’s tour of Coney Island is interrupted by an unexpected phone call. Amber Schaefer directs “NYC Tips and Tricks,” a satirical portrait of a man so preoccupied with filming his frivolous-seeming video that he struggles to fulfill basic fatherly responsibilities. With his...

Afflicted by a mysterious case of hyper-empathy, a young woman stumbles across a group that claims to treat the disorder. “Empath,” directed by Alec Moeller, is an engrossing character study lifted by a powerhouse performance by Betsey Brown. Moving through everyday life is a minefield of emotion...

After a painful dry spell a woman attempts to have a one night stand. Directed by Lizzy Sanford, “Rubber Heart” is an open and honest comedy examining issues of gender roles and expectations of appearance. The man doesn’t know how to react when faced with Anna’s pubic hair. Trying to compensate f...

A collection of vignettes involving people in everyday moments who are tethered to otherworldly beings. “Others,” directed by Grace Rex, is a study in mood and hidden meaning, a strange, experimental portrait mostly free of dialogue but thick in atmosphere. In one segment, a woman named Dianne wh...

A group of soldiers are administered a mysterious psychoactive drug and put through rigorous physical and mental tests. Angus McMaster directs “Cold Runner,” a 30-minute drama where the psychological effects on four young men slowly unfolds into a subdued hysteria. At a discreet military facility...

A boy seeks retribution after being attacked. “Tender,” directed by Anthony Lucido, is a study of an isolated young man living with an unwell mother, spurned by his peers and neighbors for his large gangly appearance and mental issues. One day walking home from school, he’s attacked. Later, some ...

A young woman struggles with grief following the loss of her mother. Zimam Alem directs “Geza,” an observation of mourning told through reflective narration, an old voice message from her mom, and a day-in-the-life observation. The young woman (played by Zimam Alem) wakes up to start her day in N...

Deep in the American south, a girl living in a trailer park feels suffocated by her surroundings when her best friend reveals that she is pregnant. “Georgia,” directed by Maci Parker, is an experimental slice-of-life film that explores coming of age in a rural area. As her younger brother experim...

A family quarantining together at their home in New Jersey are unable to leave their kitchen. Michelle Uranowitz directs “I Can’t Get Out of the Kitchen,” an absurdist home video filmed on an old VHS camera which is an intriguing combination of the mundane and the unexplainable. A dad makes a san...

On an impromptu visit to Central Florida, an estranged mother and daughter navigate their tangled relationship. Kali Kahn directs “Linda,” a dramatic character study that feels something like a rushed getaway. At a wild swimming spot in the middle of the woods, Linda tries to get Olivia to loosen...

Captured in a single aerial shot, a young man’s proposal to his girlfriend at a McDonald's drive-thru is interrupted by an eager customer offering help with their order. Brad Roelandt directs “Joey Earns Rewards Using the McDonald's Mobile App & Megh and Clev Discuss Their Future Together,” a fil...

A walk through a 16-yr-old’s uncomfortable shoes: gym class, an awkward encounter with a crush, and a meeting with her mom’s new boyfriend. Vanessa Meyer directs “Foot Trouble,” a coming-of-age set in 1999 that captures some darkly funny corners of a teenage girl’s day-to-day life. Sitting in her...

A poetic rumination on a former relationship told through the locations it took place in New York City, part personal reflection, part film essay. “Lucky Strike,” directed by Benjamin Ades, frames its meditations on love and film with memories of the romance and philosophical musings on fate. Hav...

A group of young friends in Boston navigate their combustible youth, making moves towards romance, artistic expression, and outer space. A lo-fi jolt of cinematic playfulness, “Maya Forever” is constantly shifting, never tied down to believability or realism, always jump-cutting in and out and aw...

High school senior Nancy Fisher finds herself at the center of a baseless rumor as she struggles with expectations of the future. Directed by Justin Zuckerman, "A Future of Success," is a teen comedy about young adult pressures and having different priorities than parents and peers. While Nancy i...

Rachel recently moved back in with her parents after escaping a bad relationship. Returning to her childhood bedroom has a startling effect.

Surrounded by an empty beach town, Danny is taken in by four reckless boys set on causing havoc. “Fuck Marry Kill,” directed by Domenic Lombardi, is a stylishly shot drama about an outsider who falls in with the wrong crowd. Danny wakes up in a hammock at an off-season campground where he’s appro...

Two old friends reunite on the hottest day of summer in NYC. “Dom,” directed by Meryl Jones Williams (co-directed and story by Jane Stiles), is a sensuous mood piece — minimal but rich in feeling — following Beth through a complicated day spending time with a close friend she hasn’t seen in awhil...

A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn't have the words for. “Agua Viva,” written, directed and animated by Alexa Lim Haas, is a gorgeous, melancholic portrait of a stranger in a strange land. As she quietly goes about her day giving manicures and pedicures in a Flo...

Chicago video journalist Will P.T. is ready for his big break but it’s slow coming and self-doubt is starting to creep in. “Prime Time,” directed by Gus Gavino, perfectly captures the feeling of striving for something you don’t have complete control over. It’s a subtly touching film about aspirat...