A family invents a series of rituals to describe the trouble they're in: first a burial, then an alien invasion. “Katelin Describes a Crisis,” directed by Stephen Wardell, is an avant-garde exploration featuring an intriguing cast of kids making a pre-apocalypse movie with an older family member....

On the precipice of a breakup, a couple briefly reunites to euthanize the cat they fostered together. “Cathy Doesn’t Know,” directed by Gregg Kearns, is a naturalistic drama where the hurt of saying goodbye to a pet meets with a fraught relationship. As another friend hovers in the kitchen for mo...

While dealing with sexism and mistreatment at work, Lee finds solace in her relationship with her best friend, Evelyn. One of the more off-the-wall selections we’ve featured of late, this short feature (42 minutes) by Mitch F. Anderson is perhaps most notable for a striking absence — an on-screen...

A burly stranger looking for a place to lay his head arrives at the home of a newly single mother renting out her guest house. “Rebound,” written by Wes Haney and directed by NoBudge Hall-of-Famer Doron Max Hagay, is pure comedy gold, built with priceless performances from Katy Fullan and George ...

Jean and her band of snobs make an experimental song. Self-described as “Shit Tier,” this lo-fi lampoon by director Nimay Ndolo takes aim at the pretentious and the opaque (read: art protected from criticism because if you don’t understand it, you’re low-brow). Jean registers for a songwriting sh...

A woman finds a way out of an abusive relationship. “Blue Light,” directed by Lucia Martinez Garcia, is an experimental portrait of a woman’s escape told through sci-fi elements. In the darkness, we overhear a fuming fall-out between a couple on their last leg. With an abrupt, and possibly violen...

A group of disillusioned L.A. couples compete in an obscure sport to obtain money and social status. “Hill Hikers,“ directed by Elizabeth Godar and Mitch deQuilettes, is a mockumentary about a hiking “race” started by a couple trying to keep their sexual chemistry alive. Vague as the competition ...

A dense fog in the San Fernando Valley cancels a meeting of UFO hunters and causes an unexpected tragedy in the nearby mountains. “Calabasas 1/26/20,” directed by Xavier Rotnofsky, becomes a documentary portrait of the impromptu gathering of mourners at a park near the helicopter crash of Kobe Br...

A woman gets dumped by her boyfriend as everyone else in the world is deeply in love. Fareeha Khan writes and stars in “Break Up, Baby,” a sharply written and performed comedy that weaves in colorful touches of animation and surrealism. After a painful conversation at a diner ends their relations...

A semi-recovered kleptomaniac goes home for the holidays and is joined by an unlikely guest. Kate Adams and Max Azulay direct “Carmen and Moony,” a romantic comedy where antics, bits, and banter unravel at the dinner table and beyond. It’s a snowy winter day and Carmen is returning home to celebr...

A forgotten handheld camera disrupts the bedtime routine of a single mother and her young son. Pisie Hochheim and Tony Oswald direct “Handheld,” a tender drama on family bonds and frays carried by wonderfully real performances from Jordan Gosnell and Emery Oswald. One night while searching for a ...

The humble beginnings of the photograph used as the default background of Windows XP, one of the most seen images of all time, becomes a playful rumination on culture, aesthetics, and impermanence. “Bliss,” directed by Zachary Loren Jones, tells the story of a man named Charles, the photographer ...

A colorful animated tale of a one-eyed woman and the guilt she feels after destroying her home planet. “Starshine Mountain,” directed by Corrinne James, is a wonderfully imaginative fairy tale / creation myth that begins with a cataclysmic series of events. Odette is a scientist on Earth who one ...

A young woman kills the vibe when she confronts her ex-boyfriend at a party. Michael Calciano directs “But He’s Gay,” a biting comedy about an unraveling social kerfuffle. Maeve arrives to a party eager to make the rounds but everyone is uncomfortable with her presence; eyebrows raise, heads turn...

While looking for a job online, filmmaker Travis Wood notices a trend on many company’s Meet The Team pages. With “Affurmative Action,” he delivers the unfortunate observation as a series of video screen captures highlighting racial inequities but plenty of canine representation. This is the four...

A comedian's break-up leads her to a surprising journey with a community of LARPers. “Sad LARP,” directed by Marissa Goldman, is a personal documentary where a down-bad individual turns to “live action role play” as a means of overcoming sadness. Reserving some details, Marissa lets us know she’s...

In their early twenties, a Brooklyn couple contemplates the ramifications of unprotected sex. Jinho Myung directs “When it comes to the inside of you,” a candid discussion between friends that authentically captures the perspective and foundational knowledge / naivety of four young friends. Dual ...

A woman receives a phone call regarding her fertility results before a night out. Emma Pillsbury’s “I am Never Having Kids” is a melancholic silhouette that looks at young adulthood in respect to maternity and womanhood. Through a 4:3 frame and discrete points of view, we observe the young woman ...