A time capsule portrait of life during the Covid-19 quarantine. “Everything’s Cancelled,” a film by Pham and Mitch deQuilettes, is a personal, off-the-cuff documentary about a group of people holed up in their homes (often shot through exterior windows), getting by however they can. They spend th...
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...
After a day of shoveling hay, a spiritual dilettante tries to project his beliefs onto an uninterested co-worker. Andrew Theodore Balasia and Roman Koval direct “Holy Cannoli!”, a two hander character study about life’s purpose and fulfilling your potential, as interpreted by the half-baked musin...
A woman fantasizes about a romantic night at a bar, including a fling with her bartender. “Queendom,” directed by Nat Gee, is a lighthearted music video shot on 16mm and filled with colorful production design and costuming. A woman and a man make eyes, he makes her a drink and offers her a rose, ...
A young woman decides to carry on the family tradition of attending the county fair, this time with her dead parents. Kate Jean Hollowell directs and stars in “Are They Smiling?” a comedy about an unusual grieving process: spending the day alone at a fair carrying the ashes of your dearly departe...
Locked down at home, Kent scrambles to make a last minute sign for his co-worker’s virtual surprise party. “Hey Yú (如魚得水),” directed by Athena Han, perfectly captures a common mode of our times — being distracted, overwhelmed, and failing to live up to other’s expectations. Living alone in Vancou...
An emotionally unstable outcast attempts to make a connection with three unsuspecting college students. “Angel of the Night,” directed by Nick Verdi, is a pitch black character study (darkly funny depending on your tolerance for aggressively anti-social, antagonizing behavior) that follows a 35-y...
Two brothers steal a car in Lisbon, Portugal and head for a lighthouse. Directed by George Daniell, “The Valley of the Cats,” is an inventive lo-fi comedy adventure, shot on 8mm tape, part road movie, part descent into madness. Dead Eye and Square Hands, as the brothers are known, make their way ...
In New York City, a man named Lenny looks after his mother who is experiencing memory loss and hallucinations. “I’ll Be Here For Awhile,” directed by Dylan and Dakota Pailes-Friedman, is an elliptical drama told with quietly evocative visuals about identity loss and the burdens shouldered by love...
In this surreal and lighthearted mini-musical, we follow a young couple through an unusual wedding ceremony. A song by Dekunle forms “HUNNYBUNS: A Short Musical Film,” directed by John Connor Hammond, a free-flowing oddity that begins with a Honey Bun snack cake floating in a tub of milk, and rem...
Eric's strategy for crossing the street raises some big questions for Megan about the future of their relationship. “Lifehack,” directed by Will Dennis, is a quick-hitter, one-shot comedy set on the streets of NYC (Soho, to be precise). The bickering couple heads to a wedding while quarreling on ...
A dancer reflects on a recent injury in Anne Hollowday’s “Physical Thoughts.” A vivid portrait rendered with striking images and poetic narration, it’s a film about the limits of verbal expression (“we all have thoughts; we don’t share many of them”) and the possibilities of physical expression (...
A mail-order bride on the way to meet her new husband searches for a restroom in Chinatown, where an unassuming young man outside of a sandwich shop offers his nearby apartment. “Persimmon Night,” directed by Scarlett Li, highlights a brief encounter between two strangers that opens up a window i...
An actor is forced to take a Lyft to the Emmys and becomes embroiled in his driver's personal life. John de Menil writes and directs “Nominated,” a tumultuous comedy that targets the elevated manner which we treat celebrities, and throws one — a perfectly coiffed man in a tuxedo ready for a night...
A Loss and Prevention officer faces a difficult moral decision in Alexander Etseyatse’s “LP.” An attempted theft leads to a tense back-room stand-off in this riveting drama, placing complex characters in an agonizing dilemma. While it stays grounded as a personal account, it also raises larger qu...
Housemates and friends, Jacob and Savanna, interview a bevy of outlandish characters for a room in their shared house. “Fairy Floss,” directed by Harry Quinlan, is an eight part Australian comedy series (presented here in one piece) which delves into a day long ordeal to find a new roommate. The ...
A coffee shop employee and an art gallery assistant engage in a series of awkward exchanges. Hubert Adjei-Kontoh writes, directs and stars in “At Work,” a low-key comedy and character study on Ronald, a neurotic, socially uncomfortable over-thinker involved in a one-sided infatuation. After meeti...
