Trying to get ahead in Hollywood, a struggling actor claims to be the illegitimate son of a celebrity. Ariel Gardner directs “Let’s Keep the Party Going,” a comedic glimpse at a man’s desperate attempts to become a working actor. Stuck in a loop of preparation and unsuccessful auditions, Hunter m...

Rachel’s daily ritual is her only defense against profound boredom.

During their first Thanksgiving together, Isabelle meets her boyfriend’s parents and helps prepare dinner. “A Very Oakland Thanksgiving,” directed by Karsten Kaufmann, is a home video portrait shot on mini-DV of a young woman merging into a new family. The film intercuts footage from kitchen meal...

Bonus footage from "The 15"

A lonely marijuana farmer begins having strange waking dreams and gaps in his memory. Abyn Reabe and Nico Tepper direct “Thrashing,” a stoner sci-fi satire built entirely in Grand Theft Auto V. Out of black, the malfunction term used in computer-science — “thrashing” — appears on screen with its ...

During a sleepover, a tween celebrity obsession tests the boundaries of friendship, privacy, and a young girl's heart. Directing duo Karina Lomelin Ripper and Marc Ripper present “Superfan,” a sharply-crafted modern coming-of-age film. Sleepover gear in hand, Selena arrives to a Pacific Northwest...

A young woman visits the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles alone where she tries to make friends with complete strangers. Directed by Andrew DeYoung.

A vérité portrait of Timothy Little, known as the Train Eater, a performer who has adopted the NYC subways as his preferred venue in speaking out against police brutality and Trump’s America. Beautifully captured and stunningly performed, the film is a poignant time capsule of dark days in our co...

On a car trip, a young couple tries to maintain a fragile relationship. Jake Kolton directs “Bruised Fruit Tastes Sweeter,” a quiet drama that unfolds in waves of unresolved feelings and built-up tensions. After speaking with his mother, Miguel feels stressed out about the upcoming Christmas holi...

An archival biography film about the early career of Deborah Harry told entirely through press interviews where she endures superficial, tedious, and demeaning questions from journalists. Meghan Fredrich directs and edits “Deborah Harry Does Not Like Interviews,” a video essay collage of sorts, w...

The most beautiful woman in the galaxy is less interesting than Brad Pitt aging backwards. “Alien in Love,” directed by Corinne James, is a brief, colorfully animated satire on modern socio-filmic culture and its primary users. A young cinephile reviews a film on Letterboxd while his girlfriend p...

A young daughter and mother spend an evening together in the wake of an emotionally painful moment. Katie Kim directs “Jenny and Jihae,” a tender vignette that’s both heavy and sweet, a film that hovers around the senses — smell, touch, taste — to build intimacy and refuge. Jenny tries to ignore ...

A young woman returns home to recover a personal possession. Rachel Rambaldi directs and stars in “HERLY,” a comedy-drama about a fractured family and an attempt to heal. In a car with two cult members dressed in gray, Nora surveys her family home in Southern California. To carry out her mission,...

A group of curly haired strangers help Katelyn recreate her past life as a Kurt Vile t-shirt. Directed by Drew Angle and Katelyn Douglass, “Shirt Vile,” is an evocative tribute to the musician and a portrait of a fan, a young woman who connects with him on a metaphysical level, but also a physica...

One of the sharpest satirical shorts in awhile, an American portrait of gluttony, tragedy, and cheap entertainment. Guised as a character study, it begins with a large man in a hotel room in Wilmington, North Carolina. Randy Stormberg, host of a TV show called "All You Can Eat" (a fake show in th...

When a forgotten relic reunites two exes, they must come to terms with the drastically different directions their lives have taken. “Backsiders,” directed by Craig Newman and Jen Pitt, uses its quiet seaside town setting to explore a shift in identity. Andy is transitioning from female to male, w...

Hilton visits L.A. and loses his mind. “enjoy your stay!” directed by Cooper Vacheron, is a vibrant character study, a mix of the naturalistic and the unexplainable, that hooks you into the world of young professional creatives living firmly in the now. He's the host of his own show — “The Hilton...