During a mandatory onsite training course, a wildlife biologist struggles to explain the importance of protecting an endangered turtle to a group of construction workers. Directed by Cormac Hawken McCarthy.

After four months of traveling, a young woman returns to her hometown of Los Angeles and catches up on her mail. “Almost Fantasy,” directed by Nancy Chidi, is a 16mm slice-of-life portrait on friendship and passing time. The young woman named Lake reads postcards from different friends as she asc...

An attempted e-commerce transaction goes awry. | Director: Ryan McGlade. Cast: Edy Modica, Tynan DeLong.

A peculiar relationship develops between a Mukbang YouTuber and her editor. “Amuse Bouche,” directed by Jacob Klemmer, highlights a bizarre online video genre where on-screen personalities eat food and interact with users. Here the show is called Natalie Eats, an ASMR type presentation where Nata...

Amidst strange encounters in her life and work, a Brazilian filmmaker living in Chicago is struck by a compelling question. João Rubio Rubinato and Lua Borges direct “Where’s South?” a 16mm film that ruminates on being far from home despite having footing somewhere else. When Helena arrives late ...

Jeremy Hersh's impressive short fresh out of NYU is remarkably mature & whip smart. Coming off a strong '13, featuring festival appearances at SXSW, Frameline, and Outfest, etc, the film is off to a running start online, recently selected to Vimeo Staff Picks & featured on Short of the Week. The ...

Two adult cousins have different views on a secret sexual encounter from their youth. “Relations” is an acutely conceived drama about culpability and perception in an age of shifting gender dynamics. Written and directed by Hallie Cooper-Novack. Starring Kate Lyn Sheil and Hunter Parrish.

In the suburbs of Miami, a Cuban family’s lives are upended when a father is dealt news of a terminal illness on the first day of his retirement. Adrian Cardenas Rubio directs “In an Orderly Fashion,” a layered hybrid film that combines real-life home videos with fictional elements. As the narrat...

In Los Angeles, a young man working as a doumi - a host/hostess who entertains clients in private karaoke rooms - encounters a strange request. “Koreatown,” directed by Grant Hyun, is a stylish drama full of controlled tension and striking neon visuals. The handsome Kyeong sings to patrons who ha...

Vincent, a neurotic millennial with a middling credit score, needs work bad. A life of crime could certainly pay if he ever gets a chance, and one night he does. “Auxiliary Man,” directed by and starring Max Roux, infuses its 90’s style crime tale with bumbling humor and energetic soul tunes. The...

A married couple battles an age-curse that begins the night of their wedding. Alex Kavutskiy and Jerzy Rose direct “A Bride’s Curse,” a darkly comedic folk tale about lying and marriage. After consummating on their wedding night, the curse is revealed. If the husband lies to his wife three times,...

After a breakup, a young woman pays an online psychic to draw a portrait of her soulmate. Stella Gatti directs “Twin Flame,” a tone poem on the feeling of being adrift after a relationship. When Ofelia receives the drawing, she discovers that it eerily resembles her ex-boyfriend. Unsure how to mo...

A meddling mother tries to help her 22-year-old son prepare for a job interview. Harris Gurny directs “Mustache,” a picture of suspended adolescence placed in a suburban bubble that’s awkwardly funny and lightly ominous (see flute score). At a strip mall store, Stuart tries on a suit but doesn’t ...

Rachel feels lost in a new city. She takes on the role of both interviewer and interviewee to hopefully
discover authentic friendships.

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...

Alessandra Lacorazza’s “Mami” takes a risky look at the struggle a daughter engages in when she realizes that her chance for a successful life might hinge on the abandonment of her dependent mother. Carolina, a young Latinx immigrant woman lives with her mother in the United States, is the careta...

A musician, a YouTuber, and a Tik Tok star battle their egos and depression in “Things That Happen,” an urgent new drama by Bobby McCoy. Filled with style and momentum, this disturbing depiction of young adults (or old kids) lost in a vapid and cruel media landscape tracks three young characters ...

A young painter caught in the vicious cycle of creativity must overcome her innermost turmoil. “The Snake That Ate Itself” is an avant-garde student short directed by Kevin Carpio notable for its striking images, stream-of-consciousness form, and captivating lead performance by Ashley Briglia. We...

When Cass’s expectations about her first time aren’t met, she confronts the boy who took her virginity. Connie O’Connor directs “In Your Sheets,” a coming-of-age snapshot that captures a complex set of feelings pre and post first-time sex. Early in the evening, Cass is filled with jitters and exc...

A high school actor seeks to remove his sister with a mental disability from the audience when she begins shouting his name. A student project, “For The Rabbits,” is notable for its ambitious one-take maneuvering, and for its tackling of tricky subject matter. Directed by and starring Lincoln Rob...

A harmless driving lesson quickly turns into a survival lesson on police encounters. “Ten & Two,” directed by Travis Wood, is a vignette about a mother and teenage son in the suburbs preparing for the inevitability of racial profiling. On a test drive, the son misses a stop sign and rattles the ...

Two stoner BFFs engage in an unusual routine to accrue the capital needed to sustain their lifestyle. “Salesmanship,” directed by and starring Brooke Bundy and Helen Rogers, is a stylized snapshot of being broke and aimless. Minimally plotted but energetic, it’s built with flashy musical sequence...