A Loss and Prevention officer faces a difficult moral decision in Alexander Etseyatse’s “LP.” An attempted theft leads to a tense back-room stand-off in this riveting drama, placing complex characters in an agonizing dilemma. While it stays grounded as a personal account, it also raises larger qu...

A mail-order bride on the way to meet her new husband searches for a restroom in Chinatown, where an unassuming young man outside of a sandwich shop offers his nearby apartment. “Persimmon Night,” directed by Scarlett Li, highlights a brief encounter between two strangers that opens up a window i...

A dancer reflects on a recent injury in Anne Hollowday’s “Physical Thoughts.” A vivid portrait rendered with striking images and poetic narration, it’s a film about the limits of verbal expression (“we all have thoughts; we don’t share many of them”) and the possibilities of physical expression (...

Two brothers steal a car in Lisbon, Portugal and head for a lighthouse. Directed by George Daniell, “The Valley of the Cats,” is an inventive lo-fi comedy adventure, shot on 8mm tape, part road movie, part descent into madness. Dead Eye and Square Hands, as the brothers are known, make their way ...

Locked down at home, Kent scrambles to make a last minute sign for his co-worker’s virtual surprise party. “Hey Yú (如魚得水),” directed by Athena Han, perfectly captures a common mode of our times — being distracted, overwhelmed, and failing to live up to other’s expectations. Living alone in Vancou...

A young woman decides to carry on the family tradition of attending the county fair, this time with her dead parents. Kate Jean Hollowell directs and stars in “Are They Smiling?” a comedy about an unusual grieving process: spending the day alone at a fair carrying the ashes of your dearly departe...

A woman fantasizes about a romantic night at a bar, including a fling with her bartender. “Queendom,” directed by Nat Gee, is a lighthearted music video shot on 16mm and filled with colorful production design and costuming. A woman and a man make eyes, he makes her a drink and offers her a rose, ...

Patti and Tina are heading out for an idyllic day-trip but get sidetracked with lavender-based meditations. Ester Song Kim directs “Lavender,” a lighthearted ribbing of L.A. extreme wellness types, and a free-flowing character study about a fizzling friendship.

An easy golf swing tutorial that focuses on the essentials: grip, club choice, mindset, race, and class consciousness. | Directed by Ronald Metellus.

An intimate dinner takes a left turn when a lesbian couple receives an unsolicited offer from their unhappily married friends. | Director: Molly Schiot. Written By: Cass Buggé & Lucas Kavner. Cast: Cass Buggé, Lucas Kavner, Fay Wolf, Leah Rudick.

A young, fantasy-prone writer dances between the parallels of her reality and a fictional world she has created. | Directed by Johanna Block. Starring: Zora Casabere. Co-Starring: Delia Cunningham & Samantha Goldman.

Three women’s excitement for their 50th birthday quickly turns sour as they open up presents from family and friends. | Directed by Jasmine De Silva. Producer and Writer: Samantha Shirazi.

In 1968, a young flight attendant bought 900 lbs of marijuana in Jamaica and tried to smuggle it out. Directed by Matthew Salton.

In this striking avant-garde animation by Cassie Shao, we begin in a room where a group of four people sit around a table and reflect on the question, “who did it?” Focusing on the sensory and dreamlike, the film offers free-flowing vignettes that resist easy comprehension. Through its abstract ...

A mother and daughter trip on Mushrooms together on the Jersey Shore. Part documentary - part scripted - part improv - this film is an exploration of what it means to be a mother and daughter and how we cope with love and death. | Directed by Rivka Rivera. Cast: Amy Berkman, Rivka Rivera.

With the ghosts of his father and brother haunting his household, Reza gets pressured into getting a tattoo, a rite of passage to the only community that allowed him to seek refuge from his home. | Directed by Yasir Masood.

A first date on Valentine’s Day takes an unexpected turn. | Written By Maame-Yaa Aforo. Directed by Justin Casselle. Starring Maame-Yaa Aforo and William Basham.

With the world on coronavirus lockdown, a college professor and a troubled student struggle to connect over Zoom. | Writer/Director: Nelson Kim.

A young photographer reckons with race and opportunity as he struggles to make a name for himself in the art world. | Directed by Rochée Jeffrey. Cast: J. Mallory McCree, Tonya Pinkins.

A person with a broken elbow writes holiday cards at the start of 2021. Directed by Jasia Ka.

An American Muslim teenager tries to maintain both her family and friends' approval. | Directed by Karina Adriana Dandashi.

Two best friends rob a house to get fast cash for an abortion. | Writer and Director: Kerry LeVielle. Cast, Phoebe Amirault, Cassidy Stanley, Kristine Gallo.

A troubled teen ventures into an unfamiliar city seeking a bond with his estranged father. | Directed by Rashad Frett. Starring Jadiah Bailey, Janice Dias, and Yarc Lewinson.

A hybrid documentary about two trans men, who used to date in middle school, reconnecting 10 years later to develop a narrative film about their past. Brit Fryer and Noah Schamus direct “Across, Beyond, and Over,” a film made with warmth and vulnerability about the creative process and revisiting...