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Semen Retention For A Better Tomorrow
A feminine being reflects on a dispiriting sexual experience. Alexandra Neuman directs “Semen Retention For A Better Tomorrow,” a claymation musical that displays a colorful landscape of flora and fauna while reckoning with the patriarchy and the climate crisis. After making love, the woman refle...
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The Singles Retreat
Two 75-year-old ladies attend a seniors-only singles retreat in the Poconos with the hopes of meeting some nice gentlemen. Jo Firestone directs “The Singles Retreat,” a charming comedy that observes the weekend pursuits and awkward run-ins of some magnetic seniors. Excited for what the weekend h...
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“(ಥ﹏ಥ) ✧_My parents are cia PSY0PS_!!!* ಠ_ಠ”
From the desktop screen of a 2004 computer, a child dissociates into conspiracy sites, malware, porn, and anon forums. ““(ಥ﹏ಥ) ✧_My parents are cia PSY0PS_!!!* ಠ_ಠ”,” directed by Haydon Mayer, takes us through deep corners of the world wide web and slowly away from reality. Greeting us in what se...
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Blue Summer
The screening event for a debut indie feature gets turbulent. Allie Viti and Zach Schiffman present “Blue Summer,” a purported document of the technical and natural disasters that occur during the screening of their first feature film. Amongst a sold-out audience of eager indie film watchers, eve...
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How to Cry on Command
Movie + 1 extra
At a dystopian grade school, a determined 11-year-old girl struggles during her final exams. Wylie Anderson directs “How to Cry on Command,” a hilarious satire looking at the requirements and consequences of pursuing stardom. At “Celebrity Preparatory for Girls,” there are classes on how to speak...
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Ratking
Another lazy day in Los Angeles is undermined by strange occurrences. Eric Colonna directs “Ratking,” an enigmatic drama that observes a young couple in North East L.A. as they deal with an odd visitor. Under a greenish tungsten hue, we meet the woman as she recalls a disturbing dream. Later, a d...
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The 15
Movie + 2 extras
A portrait of a young woman on the day of her Quinceñera in Los Angeles. Austin Spies directs “The 15,” a vérité style documentary that observes scenes and moments from a teenager's 15th birthday celebration. Sasha Sanchez sits in the chair of a beauty salon receiving touch ups for the big evenin...
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Albedo or Apples and Oranges
In a small east coast town, two teenage boys ruminate on their first stirrings of desire. “Albedo or Apples and Oranges,” directed by Yiro Hu and Sean Dahlberg, is a mood piece that explores longing without sex and the silences between friends. First, we observe Shane. He sits quietly in the pass...
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Close the Gap
During the 2020 BLM protests, a white protester loses his head trying to corral a group of fellow demonstrators. Alex Bliss directs “Close the Gap,” a satirical character study that boldly examines the loose ends of a young man’s mind amidst a high-tense moment. As he marches, he broadcasts live ...
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How is the Dog
Deranged by a sudden death in the family, a young woman flees to the countryside in the hopes of establishing an idyllic rural life. Mick Robertson directs “How is the Dog,” a creeping psychological horror film where physical distance doesn’t seem to be enough for what a young woman hopes to evad...
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A Reason To Be Larry
Movie + 1 extra
A high-schooler named Larry tries to embrace the harsh reality that he may never be one of the “Great Larrys.” Oszkar Nosek directs “A Reason to be Larry,” a surreal character study of a young man trying to conceptualize his persona. Larry struggles to find confidence toward his own name, especia...
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Up and Coming
An actress is challenged by an eccentric director when rehearsing a gruesome kill scene for his horror movie. Taryn Segal’s “Up and Coming” is a handheld satire that pokes fun at the expectations of performance and the day-to-day lives of actors. As Taryn lies on the floor of what looks like any ...
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Down by the Water
Movie + 1 extra
In a church-run town, a young woman experiments with new desires and role-play as she prepares for a Purity Ball. Gabrielle Carrubba directs “Down by the Water,” a small-town drama observing early explorations of queerness through the intimacies of female friendship. We first meet Susannah as she...
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River One
The first river returns to Earth on a holographic tour. Robert Sommerlad directs “River One,” the story of a post-natural future told through 2D animation and an ambient being’s narration. Announcing the grand return of a river, exhibited for the first time to a young generation, the film weaves ...
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Middle Sized Things
Debate sparks when a steadfast student challenges a guest lecturer and his presentation on metaphysics. Michael Rees directs “Middle Sized Things,” a comedic commentary on moral ambiguity and hierarchies in the higher education space. A visiting speaker, played by Al Warren, opens his lecture wit...
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Sir Isengord and the Theory of the Magnificent Spinning Quanto Quasi Table
Movie + 2 extras
An esoteric philosopher and scientist from the 19th century is rediscovered and analyzed into oblivion by a series of scholars and researchers. A satirical documentary directed by Dylan Mars Greenberg, “Sir Isengord and the Theory of the Magnificent Spinning Quanto Quasi Table” operates as an any...
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Bellybutton
A Y2K teenager struggles to connect fantasy and reality when she gets a piercing on her birthday. Hilary Eden directs “Bellybutton,” a coming-of-age glance at the factors shaping a teenage girl’s self-understanding of beauty and identity. Parents out of sight, Lissy observes her older brother and...
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Wild Card
Two strangers are brought together by a video dating service. Tipper Newton directs and stars in “Wild Card,” a retro romantic thriller shot on 16mm and set in 1980's Los Angeles. We meet Daniel, shy and soft spoken, as he records his introduction video for a VHS subscription dating service. Intr...
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Amor to Love
Movie + 1 extra
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...
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Redbirds
Movie + 2 extras
A supercut compilation of an early 2000’s New York City. Nicolas Umpierrez compiles “Redbirds,” a poignant found-footage piece gathering clips from various YouTube accounts. Although simple in its technical aspect, Umpierrez’s film memorializes the scenes of a short-lived moment in time — the be...
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I Don't Need To Know
A woman tries to convince her boyfriend to speak openly about his sexual fantasies. Erin Murray directs “I Don’t Need to Know,” a four minute conversation between an LA couple that quickly escalates with a simple question, ‘what kind of porn do you watch?’ After a large house-plant haul, the coup...
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Organic Girl
A young woman comes home to her roommate sitting on their sofa topless. Andy Hones and Shelby Alayne Antel direct “Organic Girl,'' a satirical piece examining the diplomatic approach of a roommate confrontation. Anissa doesn’t quite know how to react when she comes home to her roommate, Shelby, s...
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Side Walks
Two twenty-somethings, unrelated, struggle to maintain their personal relationships going about their day-to-day life in Vancouver. Brian Daniel Johnson directs “Side Walks,” a simple, yet cinematic, look at the lives of two young adults mainly told through their phone calls. Simon lives with his...
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Hector's Woman
Movie + 1 extra
Wrestling with the responsibilities of being a mother and also the wife to an incarcerated husband, a young woman tries to find herself. Ricardo J. Varona directs “Hector’s Woman,” a drama set in Puerto Rico a year after Hurricane María. Paola, with her daughter in her arms, goes to visit her hus...