A young woman on an imaginary journey experiences a brief romantic encounter. “Queens,” a visual poem by Alyssa Trawkina, follows the charming Tara — sometimes she’s joined by others, as when she jumps in a trampoline park, or rides up an escalator in sync with two other women. Other times, she’s...

Paulina lives and works in a small hotel in a northern Russian town with her friend Nadia when a mysterious guest arrives. “Rio,” directed by Zhenia Kazankina, is a quiet but vivid portrait of isolation that paints its wintry grey setting underneath pops of style and streaks of playfulness. (A po...

Though the big city may appear to be endless concrete and steel, it is teeming with hidden life underneath. So proposes the new film by Luke Strickler, “Scenes From the City,” an absurdist 3D animation that illustrates the behavior and thoughts of a series of sentient buildings, stop signs, and t...

While navigating a busy work day, a woman reflects on a profound personal decision. “Polished,” directed by Colleen Dodge, is a sensory vignette tracking a vulnerable woman through a difficult day in New York City. Jane attends to incessant needs from her job but she is mentally elsewhere. Trying...

When two best friends attempt an astrophysical internet trend, one of them must face the consequences of her new reality alone. “A Sweetness of Lapse,” directed by Bashir Aden, is an understated sci-fi drama, detouring into a ‘what if’ universe. Mina and Ava chill at the park. They listen to hous...

Margot, a taciturn mortuary technician, is forced to acknowledge her own inner demons as she responds to a call involving two young children drowned by their mother. Directed by Mae Mann. Starring Charlotte Van Kemmel, Christian I. Noble.

In rural Japan, a mother and daughter attempt to reconnect after dealing with the loss of a loved one the previous year. “Okaasan (mom),” is a patient drama about family and tradition. Director, Writer, Producer: Kana Hatakeyama. Cast: Kako Hatakeyama, Kana Hatakeyama.

A man tries to steal from his friends at game night and then things get infinitely worse. Alex Sovoda’s “Circumstantial Forgiveness” follows a frantic friend group as they erupt in outcry when the dirty laundry of two friends is laid out on the table. While the gang engages in a game of dice, Wil...

When a man loses a couple’s dog while house sitting, he’ll do whatever it takes to get their beloved pup back. “DogHouse,” directed by Jon Plester, takes consequences to an extreme, sending a normally nonchalant individual into an uncharted human experiment. In a rush, Chris and Hannah depart for...

Rachel manages the expectations of her family and partner while raising a newborn baby.

When his girlfriend expresses interest in opening their relationship, a young man turns to a handball rival for advice. Eli Beutel directs “Handball,” a back-and-forth comedic portrait of young love and keeping up appearances. On a compact Manhattan street corner, Charley sits with his homeboys i...

A lonely man sets out in search of his soul mate after what he believes to be a fateful encounter with a banana. “Loveseat,” directed by Grace Kim, expresses its tale of longing with quirky, surreal gestures. The crossword-puzzle obsessed Jared is going about his daily life when he gets a mysteri...

A middle aged woman travels to Caesars Palace on a business trip following the unexpected death of her husband. Her disembodied voice floats between an increasingly messy hotel room and the crowded Las Vegas strip. | Directed by Corey Hughes.

A Brooklyn couple navigates their unsteady relationship while hosting an Airbnb guest and a despondent friend. “Space,” by director Jesse Thurston, finds its characters in precarious zones, struggling to verbalizing inner thoughts, deferring conversations, balancing love and transparency. It’s a ...

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 ...

While making a documentary about a heavily polluted town, a filmmaker takes interest in a neighborhood teenager as a compelling subject. Max Drexler’s “Phillips” is a docu-fictional portrait of an American town and the grim anxieties cast over a particular resident. The filmmaker walks us through...

After abusing prescription medication to induce amnesia, a woman experiences childlike wonder, terror, beauty, and love. Directors Spencer Witmer and Brandi Lynn Divine present “Pair of Dice,” a MiniDV expedition through the ruins and chambers of Orlando and its surrounding area. The young woman,...

wormgirl goes downtown for a treat.

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 l...