A lonely virtual reality actor parties with a woman sent to kill her. “Talk About Your Dreams,” directed by Robbie Barnett, is psychedelic sci-fi set in the near (?) future where hallucinogenic drugs have replaced anxiety. Kate Lyn Sheil plays the woman, a popular VR actor specializing in comfort...

A random hookup leads to an ambush interview by a documentary crew. “Humans of My Bed,” directed by Sam Permar, is an edgy, darkly funny mockumentary exploring boundaries of sexual liberation and internalized homophobia. At a friend’s birthday party, Kip and Neel, meet, hit it off, and have sex i...

On a visit home to Idaho, Matt documents family dynamics and recalls scattered memories from childhood. “Here We Have Idaho,” made by and starring Matt Barats, is a witty self-portrait about small-scale resentments and feeling undervalued amongst loved ones. He leaves his “high-octane, balls-to-t...

Set in a near-future industrial wasteland, a desperate woman turns to a questionable temp agency in hope of a fresh start. Veronica Rutledge directs “Citizen Zero,” a dystopian satire focused on the hopelessness of a woman named Lulu in a crumbling world. On her way home one day, she notices a fl...

Extremophiles are organisms that exist when nothing else can survive. In this environmental documentary about pollution, director Leah Shore presents a slide show of lethal hot spots in Brooklyn as a duo in matching grey suits strike ominous poses. Beginning with the infamous Gowanus Canal, which...

An eager young artist receives a disturbing introduction to the art world during the delivery of a controversial sculpture. Chester Vincent Toye directs “Hangtime,” a complex satire set in a sunny, yet ominous-feeling Los Angeles. Joe, new to the job, and his boss, Arnold, make their way to deliv...

A romantic evening between colleagues takes a bizarre twist after the discovery of a secret hobby. “Johnny,” directed by Danny Scharar, is a WTF comedy that begins as a parody of boring date conversations and then becomes something very different. After we learn she considers herself shy (“I’m sh...

"Joy Kevin" contains another remarkable performance from Tallie Medel (who burst on the indie scene in 2012 with "The Unspeakable Act"); here she is aided to great effect by the fact she plays a dancer. Her physicality is amazing and she’s given free reign to use it, not only in the numerous danc...

An ode to the present moment capturing snippets of city life and visions of escape. “Observations of the Amazing World Around Us,” directed by Lee Phillips, explores what it means to construct our lives as a series of memories. A narrator poetically aims to reject this mode of living, instead hop...

Infantrymen are waking up in full battle dress under the pines of a manicured mid-century subdivision. They mount the tarred roof of what might be an elementary school and return fire at an unseen enemy covered somewhere across the school’s front drive. A man on a riding mower throws the platoon ...

In the relentless pursuit of productivity, a young woman undergoes a transformation that jeopardizes her humanity. Isabella Ivoš’s “Robotica” is a lowkey sci-fi that grapples with the demands of a highly competitive metropolitan space. Jeanne gets summoned into the office where she’s told over a ...

A portrait of a young woman on the day of her Quinceñera in Los Angeles. Austin Spies directs “The 15,” a vérité style documentary that observes scenes and moments from a teenager's 15th birthday celebration. Sasha Sanchez sits in the chair of a beauty salon receiving touch ups for the big evenin...

In her mid-twenties, Fanny moves back to her hometown to attend the local University but struggles to bond with other students and reckon with her past. This short dramatic feature from Norway is a beautifully-made character study about a young woman at a vulnerable time. During student orientati...

Things go a little off the rails for Rachel after a late night stroll. She has to choose who to love unconditionally.

An amateur electronic-drum enthusiast travels to a housewares trade show looking to strike up the perfect business partnership. “Hardware” is an out-there drama/comedy about a desperate man in search of opportunity, bolstered by cheesy drumbeats and awkwardly earnest performances. Directed by and...

A soft-spoken father takes refuge in yoga classes to escape parenting responsibilities and leer at women in tight yoga gear. Anchored by a hilariously low-key Paul Gordon (a veteran on the no-budget scene), the short wears its juvenile heart on its sleeve, and for a comedy, delivers surprisingly ...

A young man takes his love for lizards to the extreme. He legally changes his last name to Lizardi and then, camcorder in tow, goes in search of any lizard he can find and zoom in on. A crash-course in lizard awareness, he meets and chats it up with several townsfolk with something lizard-related...

In a world where time travel is commonplace, two friends confront a secret one of them has been keeping. “When You Were Born” is mumblecore sci-fi, a high concept, lo-fi drama that defies metaphysical constraints. Writer/Director/Editor: Zephyr Sheedy. Starring Victoria Lowry, Audrey Stemann and ...

Rachel returns to a familiar staircase to reflect. She has been feeling a little off lately.

The story of an asthmatic misanthropic bicycle enthusiast named Derek and his sensitive all-american sitcom-loving cousin Bruno. Directed by Sam Goetz.