Manic Behavior

Someone always seems to be acting a little manic. These films, each in their own way, depict the hysterical breakdowns and psychological pitfalls that their characters experience. Someone always seems to be HAVING AN EPISODE. Films from NoBudge Collection #007.

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  • Stigmata

    A retired magician turned aquatic fish salesman is visited by an obsessed fan. Ben Gordon’s “Stigmata” is a bizarre, fever-dream drama witnessing a man’s persistent effort to learn a forbidden spell. Brad Christian closes up his fish and supplies store for the night, but there’s a knock at the do...

  • Flail
    Movie + 1 extra

    Flail

    Movie + 1 extra

    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...

  • Swordhaver
    Movie + 1 extra

    Swordhaver

    Movie + 1 extra

    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...

  • There's No Werewolves in Newark

    Movie + 1 extra

    After a disillusioned EMT quits his job in Newark, he becomes entangled on a wild adventure that begins with a mysterious Craigslist ad. Fiona Kane’s “There’s No Werewolves in Newark” is a moody character study of a modern floater. Dead-ends double down for Bill when he’s dumped by his girlfriend...

  • Trash Moth
    Movie + 2 extras

    Trash Moth

    Movie + 2 extras

    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 ...

  • GINGER BOY and The Purpose of Life on Earth

    Movie + 1 extra

    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...

  • Compounding Negativity

    Movie + 2 extras

    A young man achieves success on the internet. Alex Sovoda of Enzo the Magazine directs “Compounding Negativity,” a character comedy where a young man, played by Will Duncan, drops a drill freestyle that opens some new doors. After walking his date home, Will is approached by two young men who are...

  • LACY_audition.tape_cocktailvilla.mp4

    Movie + 1 extra

    A young woman seeks verification. Pervers3cowgirls presents “LACY_audition.tape_cocktailvilla.mp4,” a sketch-style mockumentary set in England following a multi-talented scenester in her effort to reach new heights. Lacy submits an audition tape for Cocktail Villa—a supposed influencer reality TV...

  • The Consequences of Taking Without Asking

    Movie + 1 extra

    A middle-aged man wants to become a world-renowned rapper under the stage name "Wum Dum Dilly Willy X2396YY" but his girlfriend strongly disapproves. Max DeFalco directs “The Consequences of Taking Without Asking,” a close look at the outcomes of a man’s delusional dreams and impulsive choices. I...

  • People Person
    Movie + 1 extra

    People Person

    Movie + 1 extra

    A lonely chatterbox, fed up with the anti-social nature of the world, seeks to find himself a friend at all costs. Set in sunny Los Angeles, “People Person,” directed by Taylor Thompson, is an upbeat character study looking at social connections and interpersonal expectations. Immensely desperate...

  • Steakhouse

    When a conspiracy theorist’s internet goes out, he calls the cable company to fix the problem. Ft Langley directs “Steakhouse,” a bizarre sci-fi-inspired comedy where one man’s delusions lead to some questionable reactions toward his sudden visitor. Our main character wakes up at his desk; it see...

  • WILK
    Movie + 1 extra

    WILK

    Movie + 1 extra

    A woman and her ex-boyfriend reconnect at the vet after their dog gets sick, as a new boyfriend experiences jealousy. “WILK,” directed by Peg, is an experimental comedy with its own absurd cinematic language and esoteric scene-building. Joseph watches from the car as his girlfriend, Tallie, is co...

  • xx_luv.kitten_xx
    Movie + 1 extra

    xx_luv.kitten_xx

    Movie + 1 extra

    Hustling up quick cash and alienating her loved ones, a struggling Twitch streamer stops at nothing to make it to an influencer meetup at Buffalo Wild Wings. Bobby McCoy directs “xX_luv.kitten_Xx,” an uncomfortably current character study that captures a type of youthful desperation that amalgam...

  • Empath

    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...

  • Friyay
    Movie + 1 extra

    Friyay

    Movie + 1 extra

    Ellie doesn’t feel like going out even though it’s Friday night. Katie Colosimo directs “Friyay,” a social satire that considers the dilemmas of going out on a rainy night in Brooklyn. It’s Friday, darkness has fallen, and Ellie does the dishes. Despite what seems to be a quiet evening in the mak...

  • The Length of Your Rage

    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...

  • Next Stop
    Movie + 1 extra

    Next Stop

    Movie + 1 extra

    A woman turning 30 returns home dejected from life not living up to expectations. Chanel Dupree directs “Next Stop,” a surrealistic dark comedy that renders a dream-like quality in its melange of annoyances. She repeats affirmations to herself (“my destiny is bright and full”) while she avoids te...

  • Ratking

    Another lazy day in Los Angeles is undermined by strange occurrences. Eric Colonna directs “Ratking,” an enigmatic drama that observes a young couple in North East L.A. as they deal with an odd visitor. Under a greenish tungsten hue, we meet the woman as she recalls a disturbing dream. Later, a d...

  • Monster

    A stay-at-home mom experiences an unexpected upheaval during her daily routine. This Super 16mm short is about the other side of motherhood, beyond the joys. Directed by Jake Kolton. Written by Jake Kolton, Audrey Findlay. Starring Mascha Mareen.

  • Close the Gap

    During the 2020 BLM protests, a white protester loses his head trying to corral a group of fellow demonstrators. Alex Bliss directs “Close the Gap,” a satirical character study that boldly examines the loose ends of a young man’s mind amidst a high-tense moment. As he marches, he broadcasts live ...

  • Yamashiro Live!

    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...

  • Medical Drama

    A struggling actor abandons all logic when she finds a stranger unconscious in her laundry room. Sophie Jarvis directs “Medical Drama,” a character study at turns surreal and darkly funny about a young woman going through a rough couple of days. Doing whatever she can for work, she finds herself ...

  • Hernia

     Rudy, a grouchy, putty-colored naif rocking a Mennonite center-part, is thrown off of his normal afternoon routine of shuffling around looking glum by an intense pain in his groin. According to a not-very-trustworthy looking dude outside the bodega, it’s a hernia. Instead of wisely staying home ...

  • Tommy John

    A baseball player’s press conference about a season ending injury devolves into an existential breakdown. “Tommy John,” directed by Alex Goldberg, is a darkly comedic ride through the fractured psyche of a baseball star. What begins as your average sports press conference hits a tailspin when Jos...