While making a documentary about a heavily polluted town, a filmmaker takes interest in a neighborhood teenager as a compelling subject. Max Drexler’s “Phillips” is a docu-fictional portrait of an American town and the grim anxieties cast over a particular resident. The filmmaker walks us through...

A college student attempts to walk from his dorm room in midtown Manhattan to the end of Long Island in 36 hours. Legyaan Thapa directs “36 Hour Walk,” a personal documentary of a half-hearted journey built with wry, self-deprecating commentary. Vowing not to eat or sleep for a day and a half, th...

A filmmaker documents his grandfather’s reflections on time and the environment. Elijah Guess’s “Wise River, MT” embarks on a brief, but meditative piece of portraiture documentary. As we observe the 86-year-old man’s spry interactions with his remote Montana surroundings, we listen as he reckons...

Through an unexpected phone call, a young man asks his ex-girlfriend if she would be willing to reflect on a road trip three years ago. Elijah Smith presents “The Road Trip,” a lo-fi personal documentary that recollects memories from a relationship and re-lives heartbreak. Elijah calls his ex on ...

On the sprawling grounds of one of France’s largest leisure villages, vacationers spend their days floating in a pool or congregating under the sun. Joanny Causse’s “Cigales” is an observational documentary on the summer season, an artful exploration of relaxation. In a series of photo-like compo...

A comedian's break-up leads her to a surprising journey with a community of LARPers. “Sad LARP,” directed by Marissa Goldman, is a personal documentary where a down-bad individual turns to “live action role play” as a means of overcoming sadness. Reserving some details, Marissa lets us know she’s...

In the suburbs of Miami, a Cuban family’s lives are upended when a father is dealt news of a terminal illness on the first day of his retirement. Adrian Cardenas Rubio directs “In an Orderly Fashion,” a layered hybrid film that combines real-life home videos with fictional elements. As the narrat...

A fictionalized research group explores the mystery behind why many skateboarders chose the streets over the skate park. “Spots,” directed by Daniel Paese, is a warm, curious study of skate subculture, spot-hunting, and the spirit behind it all. We’re introduced to the world of street-skating by ...

An Iranian mother living in Queens sends a letter to her far-away daughter. Armon Mahdavi directs “Untitled, Jackson Heights,” an experimental personal documentary presenting the place and anecdotes of a transplant in America. Through static frames of the city, we overhear a mother’s recorded mes...

Charlie Hill has been living in Cuba as a fugitive since 1971 after being accused of killing a police officer and hijacking a plane (he admits to the hijacking but not the killing). Here we have an intimate profile of the man today as he relives the incident while reading a letter to his nine-yea...

Tired of everyone ignoring her, a filmmaker rides the London Underground from one end to the other. Julia Mervis directs “The Misery Line,” a quaint and comedic satirical documentary on modern commuter-culture and transit. Dressed in her sized-up suit and red tie, Mervis makes it clear that she w...

Two young men based in Minneapolis spend the day foraging at a local park for mushrooms. “Mush Luv,” directed by N’namdi Andersen, is a short documentary offering a low-key glimpse into the world of mushrooming and the intimate experiences with nature that come with it. Tony and Ajani meander thr...

In the Fall of 2020, a financially struggling actor explores early Mormon historical sites as he anxiously awaits national broadcast for his Domino’s Pizza commercial. “Cash Cow,” directed by and starring Matt Barats, is an epic one-man comedy documentary overflowing with deadpan monologues and p...

Two friends start a t-shirt company as a ruse to engage their friends into joining their club. Hannah Marianetti and James Yu direct “Asian Cinema Club,” a docu-fictional reflection on Asian identity and making/appreciating art. Through an alternating GoPro-forehead POV, we casually follow Hannah...

An inter-dimensional fever dream about DMT and the margins of human perception. Ian Clark’s “Animal in Ascension” is a psychedelic documentary that follows a young man as he shares his thoughts and reflections on life while we also observe his day-to-day living in Miami. Julian, our subject, invi...

An archival exploration of a St. Louis housing project, Pruitt–Igoe, that tends to the dark spaces concealed in a collective past. Lorenzo Bradford’s “shadow work” is an experimental archival documentary where awashed materials are recycled and used to examine Black life and dispossession. Broken...

A documentary about the end of a young man’s musical project told through the anecdotes and recollections of everyone who helped along the way. “The Death of Art Slob,” directed by musician Amar Ahmad, is a poignant ode to suburban scenes, house shows, college towns, and the American enclaves whe...

An aging synth-pop musician reflects on her past as a “street-level superstar” and her present isolation in rural Colorado. “Space Lady,” directed by Sophia Feuer, is a quietly absorbing documentary portrait of an outsider, a mystic with paranormal intuitions. As she tells it, the Space Lady (aka...

A young boy in rural America moves through a typical day trying to keep himself entertained and out of trouble. The observational documentary, “Mason,” directed by Oliver Shahery, follows the titular subject as he shoots at squirrels, plays with toy cars, and drinks Coke. Shahery refrains from ex...

A mix of archival and new footage documents a spiritual and philosophical movement founded in Bulgaria in the early 20th century that embraces the greater good. Alice Fassi directs “In Light,” part documentary, part visual poem, about the Universal White Brotherhood, a practice of living in harmo...

A poetic rumination on a former relationship told through the locations it took place in New York City, part personal reflection, part film essay. “Lucky Strike,” directed by Benjamin Ades, frames its meditations on love and film with memories of the romance and philosophical musings on fate. Hav...

After 35 years as the official Elvis impersonator of Las Vegas, Jessie Garon confronts an uncertain future as his public persona begins to fade away. “A King,” directed by Ivan Olita, is a stylized documentary portrait on the sexuality, and loss of self, of an aging performer. With a sparkling fa...

Fifty years ago Jack and Betty were hit by a train and survived. In the unexpectedly comedic memoir documentary, “Deerwoods Deathtrap,” they recount the story to their son, filmmaker James P. Gannon. On a trip to New Jersey from their native Pennsylvania, with two young children and a mother in t...

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...