A young woman tries to embrace her sexuality while beginning to question the intimacy with her best friend. Lucy Blumenfield & Arielle Friedman direct “Countdown,” a tender snapshot that finds two friends at different stages of sexual expression. A bedroom conversation establishes Julia as the fr...

At a late night laundromat, a young woman questions her current life path. “Spin,” directed by Jorge G. Camarena, is a visually rich character portrait that merges an ordinary night with surreal turns. There’s no dialogue — the film gets by on its vibey atmosphere (DP: Kadri Koop) and air of unea...

An injured, unemployed, and irresponsible father fakes having cancer to pay for his broken ceiling. Max DeFalco directs “Anything Helps,” a high-octane comedy fueled by its frantic lead caught in a series of chaotic interactions. From his crummy Los Angeles apartment, Doug speaks to his son on th...

A walk through a 16-yr-old’s uncomfortable shoes: gym class, an awkward encounter with a crush, and a meeting with her mom’s new boyfriend. Vanessa Meyer directs “Foot Trouble,” a coming-of-age set in 1999 that captures some darkly funny corners of a teenage girl’s day-to-day life. Sitting in her...

A knight in an accursed and shattered world tempts fate with a mysterious song. Albert Birney’s “Gruenfeld” boards a medieval quest where fantasy is suddenly met by horror. Told from the deep voice of an anonymous narrator, we observe the weathered knight, Sir Garreth, as he desperately searches ...

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 boy seeks retribution after being attacked. “Tender,” directed by Anthony Lucido, is a study of an isolated young man living with an unwell mother, spurned by his peers and neighbors for his large gangly appearance and mental issues. One day walking home from school, he’s attacked. Later, some ...

Mallory attempts to start her day with a simple meditation but is overwhelmed by distractions both in her environment and in her head. Alex Markman directs “Mallory Meditates,” a kinetic character study / mood piece about the arduous task of quieting one’s mind. The simple conceit is pumped full ...

wormgirl does yoga.

wormgirl was inspired by the time-bending isolation that came out of lockdown. with nothing to do and no one to see, the scope of the day shrank from a full life of work commitments and relationships to a lonely, worm-like crawl. wormgirl shows the highs and lows of worming: ...

A recently engaged couple deals with the stress of competing for $10,000 on a public access gameshow. “Two Words” is a strangely endearing concoction of lo-fi satire and hi-fi love story. Written, Directed & Produced by Jordan Michael Blake. Starring Anu Valia, Brendan O’Brien & Jordan Michael Bl...

An influencer prepares for a performance. Jane Inyang directs “One Shot,” a stylish experimental piece where a woman makes herself up for a ’show’ and then performs the ‘show.’ Self-described as a dystopian satire, the film reflects a somewhat troubling obsession of our modern times, and with its...

Marco cuts class to spend the afternoon with his boyfriend, Graham, in this tender portrait of young love and intimacy. Matthew Puccini’s “Dirty” is minimal but lush, a coming-of-age snapshot that tackles an uncomfortable first-time sexual experience with sensitivity and warmth. After ditching sc...

A literary translator from Sao Paulo moves to New York to work on the novel of a dying author, but, adrift in an unfamiliar city, she struggles to stay grounded. Lucas Manuel-Scheibe directs “Terra Natal,” a dramatic observation of homesickness told through low-key magical realism. Upon her arriv...

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 city construction worker, played by Buddy Anthony Diaz, gets his girlfriend Taco Bell for their anniversary dinner. Ted Marsden directs “Amor to Love,” a Hi-8 character study of a guy who can’t seem to get things under his control. We meet Buddy working traffic management at a hectic constructi...

Nick Schoenbrodt is a writer, director, and cinematographer from semi-rural New Jersey. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Radio/Television/Film program with honors in Directing.

Pina discovers the reason for Henry's excessive commitment. Written, shot & directed by Konstantin Enste. Pina: Felicia Binger.

"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...

On a laid-back summer day, a young woman spends some time with her casual partner. Irmak Akgur directs “Limerence,” a slice-of-life portrait that flows in uninhibited vignettes. Minimally plotted but tonally sharp, Akgur’s film captures a couple of free spirits in their element — spending the day...