A grandson relieves himself of guilt. “Discharge,” directed by Aidan Macaluso, is a brisk dark comedy showing the phone call between a grandson and his grandmother, and the action that follows. With his grandma suffering from dementia, the young man lies about sending her gifts. It feels good in ...

A Russian immigrant looks for life beyond busking at the Brighton Beach boardwalk. Theo Belci’s “End of the Boardwalk” offers a momentary look at moving to a new place and the obstacles that come with acclimating. To stay afloat financially, the young woman busks on the Brighton Beach boardwalk w...

Trapped in a pyramid scheme of beauty products, a Korean entrepreneur finds her relentless pursuit of the American Dream in jeopardy. Stevie Szerlip’s “Young Forever” offers a flashy, compelling look at this sales woman’s endeavors and the drama that follows. As a sales rep, Young Lee makes her r...

A teenage actress begins to reconsider her endeavors. Lola Selby directs “She’s Got Substance,” a look at a comically dysfunctional family and a fifteen-year-old’s flailing pursuit of a career in performance. Ella Blue banters and bickers with her parents at the dinner table ahead of her audition...

The DOJ gives a boy bad news, and a choice. Luke Strickler’s “My Brief Conversation with the Department Of Justice” comedically examines a teenager’s train of thought upon receiving the news that he’s been photoshopped by a pedophile. In a Spongebob t-shirt, he paces in front of his suburban home...

A distracted personal assistant frantically prepares for her boss’s birthday party. Ben Gauthier’s “Flail” hilariously dives into a young woman’s effort to complete an urgent errand as she battles a bombardment of phone calls, texts, and email notifications. Darting around L.A on a Saturday for b...

At the apex of California’s fire season, 16-year-old Mae is watched by a ghost whose gaze blurs lust and violation. Chloe Xtina directs “Ghost of You,” an elliptical slice-of-life portrait composed of a series of poetic fragments. Living in a secluded cabin in the woods with her sisters, Mae pine...

Men turn 26 and make having a sword their entire personality. Bobby McCoy directs “Swordhaver,” a comedic look at youthful detachment told through a man’s recent acquisition of a medieval blade. Played by McCoy, the man sits on the edge of a park and gazes at the Los Angeles skyline. He wears a c...

A found footage compilation of a young drifter’s Mini-DV adventures. Michael Santos’s “trash moth” offers a series of vignettes discovered from a young man’s handycam that becomes progressively darker. Felix makes friends with a group of hooligans in hopes they will give him a beer. Next, he has ...

After viewing a botched depiction of himself, a nude drawing model sprouts an ear from the back of his head. Nathan Ginter’s “The Third Ear” is an understated thriller with a surreal take on self image. Working as a janitor, a middle-aged man mops the floor of an art gallery space. At the end of ...

The most beautiful woman in the galaxy is less interesting than Brad Pitt aging backwards. “Alien in Love,” directed by Corinne James, is a brief, colorfully animated satire on modern socio-filmic culture and its primary users. A young cinephile reviews a film on Letterboxd while his girlfriend p...

Trying to get ahead in Hollywood, a struggling actor claims to be the illegitimate son of a celebrity. Ariel Gardner directs “Let’s Keep the Party Going,” a comedic glimpse at a man’s desperate attempts to become a working actor. Stuck in a loop of preparation and unsuccessful auditions, Hunter m...

A narcissistic woman gives an insincere apology after creating a deepfake video of her brother-in-law for her social issue documentary. Brooke Bundy and Jerzy Rose direct “Deepfake Apology Video,” a darkly comedic two-hander about the irresponsible behavior of a wannabe filmmaker. Joy sets up a b...

When a friend group mistakenly receives a massive pizza delivery, they seize the opportunity to throw an epic pizza party. Gabe Ross-Reich, Will Duncan, and Eli Leonard present “Pizza Party,” a sprawling sketch comedy where a boys night reaches new heights. What’s set out to be a chill evening pl...

An American comedy group documents their first trip to London performing what may be their last show together. “Simple Town Goes to London” is a docu-fictional look at the antics and conflicts behind-the-scenes of a Brooklyn alt comedy group across the pond. Serenaded by a baroque choir, we obser...

On their anniversary, a spontaneous sex-tape forces a 30-something couple to confront dormant issues in their relationship. Alex Bliss directs “A Real, Sexual Relationship,” a provocative exploration of the unsatisfied sex life and communication issues between Edy and Eric. After blindfolding her...

Tension between a young man and his musician roommate prompts a late-night meeting. Jens Josephs directs “Roommate Fight,” a comedy about two men navigating their disdain of living with one another. In hopes of addressing some recent qualms in the apartment, Bill sits down with his roommate, Tim....

After a year of isolation, a young woman reluctantly ventures out from her small studio apartment to host a funeral for her friend's pet. “Recluse,” directed by Alexis Sundman, is a tender look at confronting and reconnecting with the real world. Speaking directly to the audience, Leona informs u...

On the evening of her birthday, a young woman hopes to unwind in solitude but is disrupted by her best friend’s good intentions. Caroline Falls writes and directs “SURPRISE!,” a dramatic comedy contending with complex friendships and projected expectations. Kayla, the birthday girl, returns home ...

After a decade away, a stripper returns to her conservative hometown to interrogate her past. “A Forgotten Place,” directed by Alice Leigh Barrós, is a sci-fi drama considering one’s relationship to home and the traumas that linger. Upon news of her mother’s illness, Kat returns to the rural outs...

Over the course of a tense Halloween week, a black man navigates his fraught friendships with white people. Cory Nixon directs and stars in “Blind,” a prickly satire on the sociopolitical climate of 2020 with its newly unlocked conversations on race, white fragility, and colonizer mindset. After ...

An actress contends with the struggle of a run-of-the-mill callback experience. Elizabeth Cappuccino directs “one take,” a flowing drama that’s reflective of the struggling actor’s day-to-day life and the sterility and awkwardness that comes from the audition process. Never breaking from a single...

Growing disconnected from the world around her, a young artist slips from reality. Ahmad Bakrin directs “moulded,” a subdued thriller with a unique consideration of dissociation as a result of modern social realities and fabricated persona. In a post-breakup reality, a young woman struggles to re...

A perpetually stoned pothead floats past life’s responsibilities on a cloud of smoke until accidentally smoking an ounce of K2 and descending into an existential rabbit-hole of increasing perplexity. Spencer Witmer directs “GINGER BOY and The Purpose of Life on Earth,” a rich, experimental charac...