In Corona, Queens, two Ecuadorian siblings are placed at odds when one reveals an urge to leave their home. Emilio Subia’s “Naños” drops us into the bumbling lives of two brothers and the high-stakes drama that allures them. Fleeing a petty heist, Diego sprints through the subway alongside his pa...

When Sherri gets arrested for shoplifting from work, she needs to find money for legal fees. Amandine Thomas writes, directs and stars in “Cherry Cola,” a dramatic portrait delivered with sharp-edged dialogue and vivid characterizations about a young woman on the verge of a breakdown. Living with...

Thirteen year old Dani, and their mother, Anne, embark on an all-day odyssey to flip a stolen laptop. Kerry O'Neill directs “Walk Out Nice and Smooth,” a coming-of-age comedy-drama observing the dynamics and tensions between a swindling mother and her stressed-out child in Los Angeles. Anne, play...

An entrepreneur pivots with the market. “Trash Scab,” directed by Philip Steiger, is a scarily plausible, bitingly funny vision of a dystopian nightmare. The circumstances have been exaggerated from our current reality but not by much: a pandemic rages on, a citywide curfew in place, police have ...

In Los Angeles, a young man working as a doumi - a host/hostess who entertains clients in private karaoke rooms - encounters a strange request. “Koreatown,” directed by Grant Hyun, is a stylish drama full of controlled tension and striking neon visuals. The handsome Kyeong sings to patrons who ha...

A documentary tracking a day in the life of three gig workers - driver, content creator, and dogwalker - goes off the rails in this satirical comedy directed by Jake Fertig. “Gigging” takes aim at the gig economy which finds desperate freelancers working for pennies to support tech behemoths. Fra...

A skater is offered a job by a mysterious businessman. Jon Ryan Sugimoto directs “Full Time,” a social satire on corporate America and modern work culture where a recent high-school graduate is given a lucrative opportunity: to stand in a square all day for the rest of his life. Still in their gr...

While making a documentary about the female orgasm, a filmmaker tries to get her conservative parents to see her side of her own sexual explorations. Allison Bunce directs “Gas Money,” a provocatively funny dissection of repressive sexual standards and the resulting shame and emotional wreckage. ...

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...

A recently engaged couple deals with the stress of competing for $10,000 on a public access gameshow. “Two Words” is a strangely endearing concoction of lo-fi satire and hi-fi love story. Written, Directed & Produced by Jordan Michael Blake. Starring Anu Valia, Brendan O’Brien & Jordan Michael Bl...

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...

Set in 1991, this comedic portrait of a mumbling and indecisive young man trying to collect rent from his eccentric roommates taps into the grand lineage of poor college kids living as weirdo artists in houses with way too many people. It’s tried and true and "White and Lazy" captures it with per...

Vincent, a neurotic millennial with a middling credit score, needs work bad. A life of crime could certainly pay if he ever gets a chance, and one night he does. “Auxiliary Man,” directed by and starring Max Roux, infuses its 90’s style crime tale with bumbling humor and energetic soul tunes. The...

Freshly divorced and new to the US, Jeanne finds herself navigating the world of housemates for the first time. Madeline Mack directs “Hot Water,” a complex drama exploring social misunderstandings, power dynamics, subtle manipulation, and misogyny. Arriving in L.A. with no job or place to stay, ...

A lonely insurance adjuster in Florida becomes consumed by his desire to meet his internet girlfriend, who claims to be a princess from a faraway country. Blair Waters directs “Princess Rita,” a uniquely realized portrait of an odd man dreaming of a new life. While composing a series of love lett...

Three devoted Cornholio enthusiasts struggle to make ends meet in New York. Presented as a direct cinema black and white documentary by the Maysles' Brothers, “Cornholios” (actually directed by Jess Lane), is an inspired low-art gag about being obsessed with a character from “Beavis and Butthead”...