A satirical look into a male filmmaker's creation, and the repercussions of his narcissistic behaviors that span across four realities. “Staff Pick,” directed by Mitch deQuilettes, is a mind-bending series of vignettes on art and life, both melodramatic and deeply self-aware. A straight man in L....

Three devoted Cornholio enthusiasts struggle to make ends meet in New York. Presented as a direct cinema black and white documentary by the Maysles' Brothers, “Cornholios” (actually directed by Jess Lane), is an inspired low-art gag about being obsessed with a character from “Beavis and Butthead”...

A disoriented man tries to feed a fish in the desert. “Blue Berries,” directed by and starring Sam Millstein, is an allegory on addiction, a vividly shot dramatization of losing track of one’s basic responsibilities. His task seems simple — walk 30 yards to feed a fish swimming in a fish tank. Th...

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...

A young man encounters a party predicament, to freak or nah? R.J. Sanchez directs “Freak,” a hilariously endearing coming-of-age portrait about grind dancing, nostalgic in form and feeling. Angel struts home, carrying the lower half of a mannequin in his arms. He props it up in his bedroom, confi...

After a ten year hiatus, two friends reunite to break a mysterious curse. Steph Twyford-Rigley’s “Teeth Tacs” is a playful lo-fi comedy that explores a female friendship stuck in a supernatural cycle. At a quaint beach-side home, Angela and Steph meet on the shore. Over their uniquely large bowls...

Rachel discovers moments of light during a dark night of the soul. Her personal mental exercise of zooming in and out has a profound implication.

A queer musician returns to her hometown to encounter the strange masculinity of the music scene. “Opener,” directed by Véra Haddad, is an observant comedy on the clichès of an indie rock venue and the awkwardness of social reunion. After spending time in Chicago, Sam is back where she started. A...

Jonas turns to his sister, Jules, for advice on how to fire someone. Mike Lars White directs “How to Fire Someone (with Jules and Jonas)," an improvised, one-take comedy that role-plays a series of scenarios. The goal for Jonas is to come up with a respectful way of letting an employee go, but Ju...

After their mother's death, six sisters in a rural beach house take an oath to remain silent. “Sunday Tide” is an expressionistic character study about grief and solitude, and a visual feast of color, costuming, and production design. Directed by Jaclyn Bethany. Cast: Louisa Harland, Jenny Boyd, ...

A group of teenagers from the UK fall desperately in love with the same person. “True Love,” by Jess Dadds and Sam Giles, is a Super-8 snapshot of early entanglements with infatuation, a love letter to a collective feeling. Shown as a step-printed sequence of images, we see the friends lounging a...

After decades of collecting dust, a restored visual manifesto captures a revolutionary’s jazz-smacked, Afro-apocalyptic address to a burning world. Joel Watson’s “A Jet Black Future” is a frenetic piece of docu-fiction spawning an impassioned poet on a bright day in Brooklyn. An opening card thro...

When a woman retraces the steps of a recurring dream, it reveals a fractured sense of self. Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb direct “She Sings,” an experiential account of immigration and the blurred sense of belonging that follows. From murmurs in Arabic to reflections in English, Aziza r...

On Valentine's Day in Toronto, a young couple's relationship is fragmented by performance. “V-DAY,” directed by Zachary Lacosse, is a slow-burn drama that’s highly observant of a long-distance couple and their awaited encounter to see each other on the February holiday. We meet a young man, in hi...

After a New York City biker gets injured, he turns to desperate measures to afford paying the hospital bill. “Health Not Wealth,” directed by Bucky Illingworth, explores the depressing aftermath of a medical emergency — after a visit to the hospital, Emmet receives a $15,000 bill in the mail. Wit...

A film about romance, scams, and romance scams. The enigmatic “Your Security,” by Elias ZX, finds a young couple communicating in security questions, “what was the name of your first pet?”, “your best friend growing up?” etc. The reason they are doing so may require some digging but it registers ...

An accidental suitcase swap at the airport baggage claim puts a corporate underling's career—and life—in jeopardy. Home Planet, the comedy duo of Joe Gleason and Alex Forrest, present “Junior Associate,” which satirically amalgamates a medley of thriller tropes into a sketch-style film. Alex Sher...

Lucy and David's 8 year relationship has survived a distance of 2700 miles, but the events of one night tests their decision to stay together. Director Allegra Oxborough has crafted a complex and remarkably realistic docu-fiction drama about a long-distance relationship, equal parts sensitive, bl...