A woman finds a strange rock on the beach, a landscaper is down on his luck, and a man licks his girlfriend. Ella Sinskey’s multi-format “MANPOWER 4 HIRE” is an experimental portrait fluctuating between the everyday and the unusual. On an American seaside, the young woman searches for a stone. Up...

As the date of her first televised appearance draws near, a cello prodigy and her stage mother grapple with public expectations. Clara Mamet directs and stars in “Nell,” an enthralling dark comedy dissecting and disassembling themes of fame and physical appearance. A slow punch-in brings us into ...

A busker on Hollywood Boulevard with an affinity for classic horror films reflects on his life and troubles. Jonah Bergman’s “Conversations with a Monster” is a docu-fictional portrait of a nostalgic L.A. persona captured on the textures of Super 8mm film. The middle-aged man touches up his green...

A woman struggles to make sense of her daughter’s disappearance. “Lolo,” directed by Owynn Kaye, is a moody experimental thriller with a constantly shifting point of view. The woman, an aspiring musician, sneaks out with her boyfriend (played by NB veteran, Jordan Raf). After her sudden disappear...

Over the course of a muggy summer day in New England, two friends meander from place to place, getting high and avoiding the aftermath of a recent family tragedy. “Out of Body,” directed by Miles Dixon, is a moment-to-moment observation of both the joy and aloofness of a youthful bond. Cam and Ry...

A manager at a clothing shop gives his list of top five songs. Brad Howe stars in “Dressbarn Greg's Top Five Jams,” directed by Whit Conway, a stylized comedy video that takes an unexpected turn into an awkward domestic scene. Reporting from an abandoned parking lot, Greg enthusiastically names h...

A dramatically trained actor spirals out of control trying to decide if she should take an unusual acting gig. “Porch Girl,” directed by Sari Rae Eichenblatt, comically tracks the woman’s chaotic decision-making process as she resorts to asking strangers for advice. Reluctant to take a role she’s...

What begins as a documentary about surfing evolves into a tale of a guy trying to get rid of a surfboard. Jack Galvin’s lengthily-titled “NADIR: A documentary about surfing in Newport, Rhode Island in the summer and most of the other times as well” is a comedic look at a New England town and a ma...

A girl sends a sexually explicit DM to her celebrity crush. In Jessica Ryan’s “I Swear to God I’m not Crazy,” a young woman from Worcester, Massachusetts attempts to craft a raunchy video through a series of peculiar role-played performances and an amusing narration. Piper Conley stands in front ...

On an idyllic girls trip, a woman recounts whether a sex dream about her best friend actually happened or not. From L.A. to the California coast, Allison Bunce’s “Ladies” is a 16mm drama observing female friendship and the intimate in-betweens of a low-key bachelorette party weekend. Cheese board...

Two buds take a weekend getaway to address one of their major personal problems; meanwhile, four girls have double-booked the same Airbnb. In Michael Rees’ “His Parents Never Taught Him,” we watch a misunderstanding unfold between hyperactive personalities of colliding friend groups. Kyle and Lia...

Two friends decide to start a band even though they can’t really play music. Clara Ribot and Maple Leung direct “Come on Let’s Go,” a medium-length, lo-fi hangout film about two recently reconvening friends impulsively embarking on a new project. It’s been a while since seeing each other but afte...

Set in a near-future industrial wasteland, a desperate woman turns to a questionable temp agency in hope of a fresh start. Veronica Rutledge directs “Citizen Zero,” a dystopian satire focused on the hopelessness of a woman named Lulu in a crumbling world. On her way home one day, she notices a fl...

A man finds out that his lover's ex-boyfriend resembles his personal hero. Free Man Agyapong’s “Malcom Ex” is a darkly humorous look at navigating insecurities in a new relationship. A group of friends kick it on the beach. Guy and Nairobi have been seeing each other recently. With the rest of th...

While waiting for a delayed bus, a woman kills time in Downtown Brooklyn and is confronted by her dependence on a brand new massage vest. Victoria Pandeirada’s “Massage Vest” is a telephoto comedy observing the peculiar behavior of a woman who is newly addicted to shoulder and neck relief. When t...