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...

A two-man band called Maurice makes a pilgrimage to Queens to discover a street that shares their name. Travis Wood directs “Another Miracle,” a hybrid music video combining on-the-street performance and lighthearted interviews with local residents. Between lyrics, New Yorkers share anecdotes on ...

Two women meet in a strange room that defies space and time. Jonas Bishop Hayes directs “The Waiting Room,” a surreal melodrama that’s shrouded in mystery and crafted with unsettling dream logic. Emma sits straight in a plaid, yellow blazer. She’s been waiting for a while, but then there’s a sudd...

A girl, her big sister, and God go to extreme measures to win a beauty pageant. Max Tullio directs “All Beauty Queens Have Broken Bones,” a coming-of-age drama set in the Midwest where a pair of siblings try to decipher signs from God. Marlo has a vision of competing in the Miss Teen Indiana Page...

When a young French woman decides to leave New York City and return to France, her best friend, an American, confronts the reality of life without her. Gino Fortebuono directs “Loleh,” a slice-of-life ruminating on friendship, co-dependence, and evaded pasts. Loleh visits her family in France and...

A young man living a downtrodden life in Los Angeles attempts to have a pleasant, productive day. “Blue Skies,” directed by Jack Krupp, is a mumblecore comedy tracking a man’s mundane but also paralyzing current situation. Sewage water backs up in Jack’s shower drain. His landlord has Covid and c...

A dejected man living in Los Angeles limps through a prolonged break-up and the distractions in the aftermath. Brian Follmer directs “Dys-Sympathetic,” a satirical featurette poking at casual sex, casual romance, and the emotional deterioration of it all. Tyler waits for his ex-girlfriend, Zoe, a...

A young superintendent in Bensonhurst struggles to keep his job while supporting his dying grandfather. Evan Dominguez directs “The Superintendent,” a Brooklyn story filmed in black-and-white featuring a compelling ensemble and feeling of timelessness. Felix and Al are live-in superintendents. Th...

When a man suffers from severe stomach problems during a disastrous date night, he makes an unexpected connection with a stranger. “Irritable Bowel,” directed by Joseph Agredano, is a dramatic comedy set in Los Angeles where spontaneity, in various forms, tests a man’s relationship. Glen reads wo...

After an agoraphobic scientist accidentally creates a baby-like plant creature, their connection threatens to upend his reclusive way of life. In “Sprout,” Leah Dubuc explores fear and friendship through illustrative animation. From retrieving his mail to shooing away girl scouts, the reclusive m...

A rapper goes missing after a music video shoot and the director tries to track him down. “The Trick,” directed by Neal Wynne, is a comedic, lo-fi quest where a young man must wade through his dissociative state in order to find his missing friend. Steve, played by Jake Squire, tries his best to ...

Following her friend's unexpected death, a young woman travels to the mountains to deliver the news to her reclusive brother. Blake Hunter directs “The Last Best Thing,” a sibling drama on grief and a fraught reunion. Julie loads her car and drives into the countryside where her brother, Steven, ...

A woman returning home to Switzerland bumps into a familiar face in a town square. Max Wuchner directs “4pm Bullinger Square,” a black and white portrait reckoning with the past and an unsettled future—cities morph while youth fades. Back from London, almost 7 years have passed since she was last...

A mother surprises her adult children with a trip to the cemetery where she wants to be buried. Lizi Latimer and Myriam Schroeter direct “Dead Serious,” a dramatic comedy reckoning with mortality and family ethnicity. The bickering millennial siblings Liv and Matt wait for their mom in the car. W...

A couple tries to make a sex tape but she has a question and he doesn’t know the answer. “Boobies,” directed by Emma Chevalier, dedicates five minutes to a pair of breasts and a couple’s discussion of love, desire and genetic predispositions. A young man positions his girlfriend in front of the c...

Grieving the death of her father, a young actress asks her ex-girlfriend to help with a self-tape audition. “Tradition,” directed by Akari, is a heavy drama that captures a tricky reunion and a flailing attempt to return to what once was. Max is in a state of emotional turmoil when Ryan swings by...

While hunting for psychedelic mushrooms in the Welsh hills, an eccentric couple hashes out the terms of an open relationship. Richey Beckett directs a script by Johanna Warren (who also stars)—“FENCED” is a provocative comedy that follows a radically honest conversation through lush open fields. ...

A new retiree’s world is upended when she is tasked with chaperoning her daughter’s abortion. Lucy Sandler directs “the weight of a dog,” a dramatic look at a mother and daughter relationship through the lens of generational disconnect. Mariah, in a complicated break period with her partner, need...

A camping trip puts a platonic friendship to the test. “Mountain Friends,” directed by Jon Mackey, is an intentionally stilted comedy that follows two friends into the Angeles Forest and one man into a flailing attempt to become more than friends. After hiking to their campsite, night falls quick...

A young man becomes suspicious of his downstairs neighbor after letting her use his fire escape. Camille Casmier directs “Intruder,” a compelling drama that graphs exponential unease and distrust that may be racially complicated. While preparing dinner, Sam, a white man, hears a knock at the door...

A filmmaker builds a self-portrait of her two relationships with men and the objects they left behind. Abigail Holland’s “kid with a pearl earring” offers a snapshot of young love and grief told through forthright narration over vivid images of New York City. She retraces the arc of a relationshi...