An aspiring pop star travels to Hollywood to meet a music producer she met over Instagram. Samantha Carroll directs and stars in “Love Liz,” a dryly comedic take on an evergreen tale — dreamer seeks fame. From Delaware, Liz has just flown into L.A. with the hopes of making it big. After a pit sto...

On a laid-back summer day, a young woman spends some time with her casual partner. Irmak Akgur directs “Limerence,” a slice-of-life portrait that flows in uninhibited vignettes. Minimally plotted but tonally sharp, Akgur’s film captures a couple of free spirits in their element — spending the day...

The morning after a new love affair, a woman reflects on her past relationships. “Four Chairs,” directed by Ester Song Kim and Nika Burnett, is a poetic portrait that unfolds with sensory detail and surreal shifts. Waking up for the first time with a new man, a woman prepares coffee and tries to ...

A man at the park wants something from a group of teen skaters. Johnny Frohman directs “Trick,” a comedy from a couple of NoBudge regulars that focuses on a shady exchange. Matt Barats stars as a man loitering around a trio of skateboarders, commenting on their form, letting the kids know that ba...

A woman searches for meaning in her life, where all days seem to blend into one. Varya Rootwood directs “Groundhog Year,” an experimental film poem rendered with striking, darkly funny compositions and sarcastic monologue. She spends her day gardening, drinking coffee, and reading. Except, she’s ...

A woman is having a mental breakdown in her bathroom when her past and future selves appear in the mirror. Ella May Sahlman and Kyle Kallman direct “Crimson Mirror,” experimental horror crafted with gothic flourish built around an intensely despairing lead performance from Flora Wildes. The young...

On a snowy night, a mysterious woman arrives at a hotel and captures the attention of a trio of men.“Through Her Eyes,” directed by Stella Gatti, is gothic noir based on the mythical archetype of Medusa. The glamorous woman with dark sunglasses and overcoat enters a candle lit lobby with faded ch...

In a moment of crisis, a young writer sparks to a new idea. “Cowards,” written by and starring Ava Hase, is a study of self doubt and flailing career ambition that sharply touches on a host of insecurities related to a life in the performing arts. Mave is on the verge of giving up her dream of “m...

A young girl desperately tries to fit in with a group of South Florida teenagers. Kathy Mitrani directs “Buzzkill,” an evocative coming-of-age drama that unfolds in vivid waves of longing, curiosity, and recklessness. Adrian looks for an opportunity to join the roving band of teens as they frolic...

A lonely weed dealer spirals when she tries to make conversation with an uninterested client. “Sativa,” directed by Kelly Cooper and Johnny Frohman, is an absurd sketch film built around a loopy performance from Cooper and a pointless query. Tynan DeLong plays a musician working on a dog food com...

Two aspiring writers in L.A. are secretly writing novels about each other as they spend their first evening together. Jens Josephs directs “Based on a True Story,” a sharp comedy exploring the personalities and inner monologues of a couple of egotistical dreamers, mutually repulsed by each other ...

A young couple surveys the state of their relationship, calling into question everything they once knew about each other. “Breaking Up,” directed by Claudia Nankervis and Jessica Sofarnos, is a heated drama about partnership and communication, and the punctures that threaten to dissolve such. Ste...

A colorful compendium pairing musical genres with varieties of flowers. Luke Strickler directs and animates “Music for Plants,” which visualizes a series of melodic mash ups — “Sunflower Ska,” “Punk Petunias,” “Dandelion Dubstep,” et al. Morphing seamlessly between styles and tones, each chapter ...

Four friends parked in a car do a ceremony in the middle of the woods. It goes badly. Made by the preeminent Brooklyn comedy group, Simple Town, “Scary Car” is lo-fi horror comedy at its finest, a brilliantly executed account of an unexplainable occurrence. After a passionate conversation about U...

Between parties and dips in the river, Lou abandons herself to roam freely through the summer. “Eau Vive (Whitewater),” directed by the Swiss filmmaker Lucia Martinez Garcia, is a poetic snapshot attuned to the spaces and dispositions of a certain type of youth. In a dark room, Lou watches pornog...

Two friends spend the day together, one is a floating orb. “Digital Fortune Teller,” directed by Cooper Vacheron, is a homemade sci-fi vignette that follows a human and a digital assistant through a typical day in L.A. Tracking their exercise routines, water intake, general health and well-being,...