An anniversary gift leads two young lovers into a black hole of misunderstanding. “Love Machine,” directed by Michael Rees, is a squirm-inducing dark comedy about the delusions and insensitivities of a dysfunctional couple. What at first appears to be a straightforward relationship study soon dev...

During a weekend getaway, Alex meets her boyfriend's friends and it doesn’t go well. Alex Forrest and Joe Gleason, known as Home Planet, are the writers of “Boyfriend’s Boyfriends,” a sketch comedy film that unfolds as a three day extravaganza of juvenile antics. From the jump, the boys are obliv...

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...

Two souls meet on the New York City subway and communicate with each other through telepathy. Gabriel Guzman directs “Speak in My Language,” a poetic portrait of a cosmic romance that seems fated to last forever. After meeting on the train and discovering they share the same ability to read each ...

While pondering the need to endlessly capture her life in photos and videos, a filmmaker attempts to be present in the moment. Shereen Lani Younes directs “how can i be present when photographs exist,” a self-reflective video essay narrated with stream-of-consciousness musings over a smorgasborg ...

Sara experiences another woman's orgasm and gets a new view on life. “ARE YOU OK,” directed by Mattis Ohana Goksøyr, is a sex comedy from Norway built around a series of striking compositions and rendered with dry wit. Two young couples are vacationing together when an intimate sexual encounter s...

*Click CC for English Subtitles* Nearing her 16th birthday, Maya tries to convince her friends to run away and party with her in a spot they call HQ. Kenz Benmosbah directs “I’m Leaving Tonight,” a coming-of-age snapshot that frames anxious teenage drama within a picturesque French countryside. A...

On New Year's Eve 2080, a new age radiologist travels from outer space to Earth to practice some desert yoga. Grace Sloan directs “Death Valley,” a scrappy sci-fi oddity built with charmingly hand-crafted sets and analog VFX. Floating through space in a one-person capsule, Zadie video chats with ...

An inspired photographer tries to connect with the working man. “Fly on the Wall” is the third collaboration from Matt Barats and Doron Max Hagay about struggling artists with misaligned priorities. Each film pinpoints and incisively exaggerates tension between the self-serious artist and the wor...

On the day of her mother's wedding, fifteen-year-old, Delia, reckons with a strange incident from the night before with her soon-to-be stepfather. Emma Hall-Martin directs “Congratulations,” an edgy coming-of-age drama that’s precisely observed and beautifully visualized (color scheme, production...

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 ...

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...

In their early twenties, a Brooklyn couple contemplates the ramifications of unprotected sex. Jinho Myung directs “When it comes to the inside of you,” a candid discussion between friends that authentically captures the perspective and foundational knowledge / naivety of four young friends. Dual ...

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...

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...

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 house full of men with nothing to talk about. To boot, no one knows each other, or whose house they're in, or whether the football game they’re watching is being broadcast via Cable or Dish. An unbelievably funny exposé on men's small talk, which takes every moment of social awkwardness & magni...

After an angry fight with his boyfriend, Thomas walks across Manhattan to cool off. Juan Pablo Rivera Garza & Charlie Sosnick direct “The Length of Your Rage,” a charmingly ragged comedy oozing with strange encounters between NYC oddballs. So says an Inuit tradition about anger, the length of one...

When Sherri gets arrested for shoplifting from work, she needs to find money for legal fees. Amandine Thomas writes, directs and stars in “Cherry Cola,” a dramatic portrait delivered with sharp-edged dialogue and vivid characterizations about a young woman on the verge of a breakdown. Living with...

In this unsparing portrait of a contentious relationship between father and child, a young filmmaker explores family history through impromptu interviews and old photographs. A reflexive essay documentary, “Father, Can’t You See I’m Burning?”, directed by Grant Conversano, offers a penetrating st...

Across a freezing night, confused dropout Cooper Townsend tries to make it home. “Townsend’s Last Night,” directed by Rhys Scarabosio, is a chaotic, lo-fi fever dream about a young man who has lost his way. Left desperately clinging to his only refuge — scribbling lyrics in an old notebook — the ...

Afflicted by a mysterious case of hyper-empathy, a young woman stumbles across a group that claims to treat the disorder. “Empath,” directed by Alec Moeller, is an engrossing character study lifted by a powerhouse performance by Betsey Brown. Moving through everyday life is a minefield of emotion...

A fashion-forward model questions his self-image when he crosses paths with the "cooler" version of himself on a photoshoot. “Coolguy,” directed by Nicky & Z, is a pop comedy sketch about overthinking one’s appearance. A man struts onto set exuding confidence and swagger, owing to his carefully c...

When Cass’s expectations about her first time aren’t met, she confronts the boy who took her virginity. Connie O’Connor directs “In Your Sheets,” a coming-of-age snapshot that captures a complex set of feelings pre and post first-time sex. Early in the evening, Cass is filled with jitters and exc...