Extremophiles are organisms that exist when nothing else can survive. In this environmental documentary about pollution, director Leah Shore presents a slide show of lethal hot spots in Brooklyn as a duo in matching grey suits strike ominous poses. Beginning with the infamous Gowanus Canal, which...

A retired CIA agent fakes being abducted by aliens so that he can abandon his family. Taylor Cohan directs “Vibrations,” an absurdist sci-fi comedy stuffed with ludicrous plotting, off-key performances, and a child-like silliness. The ex-government worker, Vincent, lives with his wife and son, a ...

A young man cycles through a series of personas in a manic attempt to find himself. “Yamashiro LIVE!”, directed by Blake James Reid and Max Frumkin, is a fever dream odyssey carved from pure provocation, a melting-down outsider vision of an ineffectual shape-shifter. The man floods each of his un...

In this stylized personal essay, a renter says goodbye to their apartment. “What I Had to Leave Behind,” directed by Sean David Christensen, is a lovely ode to moving out, built around a self-deprecating voiceover and jazzy score. Memories spring to mind about every corner of the apartment — the ...

In this surreal odyssey, a young boy walks through a series of doors opening up visions of the past and future. “Mi,” made by Masayoshi Nakamura and Zak Engel, is beautifully animated, vibrating with color, shape and possibility. Emerging from abstract geometric landscapes, we lock in on a boy wi...

A passionate young photographer in Berlin fixates on a series of self-portraits as her boyfriend questions her approach. A mediation on artistic process and ambition, “Spiegel,” directed by Ewan Waddell, is a stylistically assured character study that gets deep into the head of a hip but vulnerab...

A date to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July turns into a weird night of discovery for a shy teenage girl. “Lightstreet,” directed by Billie Michael, is an understated coming-of-age drama that captures the awkwardness and uncertainties of youth in a quiet small town. The young couple wanders...

On an afternoon at a skatepark, a 17-year-old girl makes an effort to fit in with her edgier friends while also tending to her shaky relationship with her younger sister. Emma Hall-Martin directs “Daughter of Wands,” a coming-of-age story set in the suburbs about teen pressures and the complexiti...

A harrowing account of a leadership seminar gone rogue in 1970’s California. In “You've Never Been Completely Honest,” a hybrid-documentary directed by Joey Izzo, a mixture of animation and reenactment footage brings to life a brutal audio interview. In 1972, a man named Gene recounts his experie...

In Philadelphia, an aspiring rapper tries to carve out a space for himself but begins to lose hope. “Out of Focus,” directed by Alex Sulock, is a cinema verite snapshot about artistic pursuit that maneuvers in a flow of spontaneous energy. Over the course of a couple weeks, Ray roams around his h...

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...

The lives of a group of thirty-something artists weave together as they grapple with the idea of parenthood. Allegra Oxborough directs “A Blue Morning: Conversations Among Artists on Parenthood,” a slice-of-life docu-fiction following two couples with kids, and a third contemplating a family. Cap...

A tale of sibling betrayal and revenge as told by a ranch horse. “Horse Brothers,” directed by Milos Mitrovic and Fabian Velasco, is a surreal fantasy tale and family melodrama built with inventive lo-fi visuals and a fever dream tone. After an absence, Frodo arrives back to the family farm in a ...

A man reconnects with an old friend from his days in the theater. “My Breakfast with Barf,” is an animated comedy directed by Peter Javidpour, a lighthearted send-up of the 1981 film, “My Dinner with Andre.” Leonard, a man of culture and intellect (whose head is shaped like an egg), meets up for ...

A twenty-something filmmaker and actor, Zoë, is making a movie based on her attraction to another woman. “Untitled Movie,” directed by Annie Brennen, is a layered meta comedy, an exploration of sexuality and the creative process. Currently in a relationship with a man, Zoë fantasizes about kissin...

An alien comes to Earth landing in an ordinary American backyard. Or so goes the game of imagination that a group of siblings think up and play out. Stephen Wardell directs “Uriah Plays the Alien,” a vastly original piece of avant-garde filmmaking observed in a dream-like haze of childhood creati...

*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...

*Note: Click CC for English Captions* While her fish struggles to survive in a jar, a troubled young girl fixates on becoming famous on social media. “Tina,” directed by Antonio Vasaturo, is gritty realism from Italy rendered with sensory detail and richly saturated visuals. Though her dream seem...

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...

Living in a car with his fugitive mom, a young boy yearns for a normal family life. “Beneath the Grass,” directed by Sam Friedman and William Bermudez, is an artful drama carried by a terrifically natural lead performance from Joshua Garcia. With his frantic mother clawing to keep it together, Le...

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 ...

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 ...

A young couple retreats to a glass house for two weeks of digital detox where they are disturbed by a lost hiker. “Earth Over Earth,” directed by Owen Campbell, is an enigmatic sci-fi drama that establishes itself as a convincing relationship study before wandering into an unclassifiable realm. L...

A dispirited young musician living out of her car comes to a crossroads when she reconnects with an ex-girlfriend for one night. Chloe Jury-Fogel directs “Five Song Tour,” a portrait of solitude and longing set around Christmas that highlights the flip side of holiday frivolity. Making her way t...