A Chinese poet helps a newly relocated Swiss painter Elizabeth look for an apartment in Brooklyn Chinatown. “Face to Face,” directed by Weigang Song, is a quiet, well-observed portrait of a day in the life of two young artists. The struggle is real for non-rich people to find a decent apartment i...

The Erdenleib lives in the dark tunnels of an old mine. The only light he needs is his own. Until one day those lights extinguish. He is forced out of his space into the world above. Directed by Vincent Ercolani, Nicholas Dues, Julius Farwick.

A young woman experiences strange hallucinations while going about her daily life in Los Angeles. Directed by and starring Shereen Lani Younes, “Fall” is an unsettling psychological drama about dealing with a reality that appears to be crumbling. Words are jumbled on menus, the ceiling warps as i...

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...

A mannequin at a vintage clothing store falls for his human co-worker. “Mann” is a nearly silent drama about loneliness that spins what could easily have been a cheap gimmick into unexpectedly moving territory. Director: Kyle Sawyer. Cast: Dave, Jamie Finch, Haley Bidez.

A C-list talent agent moves through the world all but invisible, until he enters a pay-to-play audition room where desperate actors see him as a beacon of hope. Emily Frances Kaplan directs “The Agent,” a dark character study about an aging and forlorn man in a position of perceived power. It’s a...

Two buds take a weekend getaway to address one of their major personal problems; meanwhile, four girls have double-booked the same Airbnb. In Michael Rees’ “His Parents Never Taught Him,” we watch a misunderstanding unfold between hyperactive personalities of colliding friend groups. Kyle and Lia...

On a vacation so perfect it’s literally photoshopped, Skarlett and Jewlz find trouble in paradise. “Hoe Trip,” directed by Skarlett Redd, co-directed by Cameron Combe, is a catchy music video showing a day of modern revelry amidst a collage of vintage magazine cutouts. The two ladies hit the road...

An individual sends out a distress signal to the industrialized world. Directed by Hanna Utkin.

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...

When her granddaughter visits her in Rome, an elderly woman seeks closeness before the end of the visit. “Burraco,” directed by Isabella Tagliati, is a candid slice-of-life set in Italy where we observe a tender relationship between two women of different generations. Wanda excitedly anticipates ...

A simple, restrained story of an afternoon with a babysitter, well-acted and carefully crafted. Actress Joslyn Jensen is eminently watchable as Elizabeth, the sitter, as she was in the excellent 2011 film, "Without." Director Christopher Bell presents an uncommon combination of the hyper-real and...

A retired CIA agent fakes being abducted by aliens so that he can abandon his family. Taylor Cohan directs “Vibrations,” an absurdist sci-fi comedy stuffed with ludicrous plotting, off-key performances, and a child-like silliness. The ex-government worker, Vincent, lives with his wife and son, a ...

An entrepreneur pivots with the market. “Trash Scab,” directed by Philip Steiger, is a scarily plausible, bitingly funny vision of a dystopian nightmare. The circumstances have been exaggerated from our current reality but not by much: a pandemic rages on, a citywide curfew in place, police have ...

Technical issues abound as a voiceover artist attempts to record a local news spot about an upcoming storm. “Ursula Promo,” directed by Tyler Rubenfeld, is one, uninterrupted six minute shot of the man (played by Matt Hopkins, impeccable) trying to perfect his weather warning performance for the ...

Two roommates, Annie and Dan, try to concoct a collab that will be their one-way ticket to fame. Written and directed by Annie Brennen, “Fauxmous: A New, Very Good Web Series,” is a rollicking extravaganza of comedy wordplay and effusive self-praise presented in six short eps. Brennen co-stars al...

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...