After hearing a priest’s sermon, a man decides to focus all his energy on the first person he sees leaving church — a birder named Maude. Samuel Centore directs “Wise Words,” an eccentric comedy about a misguided effort to demonstrate compassion. After being convinced that he “must be there for a...

A young Jewish woman sleeps with a series of Catholic men and forgets the Mourner's Kaddish. Ava Burka writes, directs, and stars in “A-Men,” a fourth-wall-breaking dramatic comedy that explores the sexual escapism of its defiant character. We meet Esther as she explains her recent forays with Ja...

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...

Traveling the continental United States, two vagabond thieves rob from sick, twisted sexual deviants. Griffin Sauter directs “Mousetrap,” an experimental road film following two drifters as they traverse a crude American landscape. From warehouse to ghost town, the two partners front as a “critte...

An actor living on the edge of one of the most polluted zip codes in the United States prepares for a role. Kevin Steen directs “Daron, Daron Colbert,” an atmospheric portrait of a young man’s day-to-day life while he aspires to a career in acting. We’re introduced to Delray, a heavily polluted n...

Two Nigerian cousins have a meditative evening and discuss the prospect of leaving New York. Adesola Thomas directs “Ola Ola,” a small-scale conversational piece that offers a tender specificity in the identities and relationship of its two characters. For Abisola, it starts as a quiet evening. W...

Two best friends wrestle with their masculinity as they attend what they thought was going to be a typical circuit party. Bill Benz’s “A Time for Men” is a social comedy that places two unsuspecting gay men in a hive of men's rights activism. With their QR Code flyers in hand, Todd and Nathan arr...

A van-dwelling comic stalks an industrial zone at night. Calvin Lee Reeder writes and directs “Harbor Island,” a character study where a comedian, played by Josh Fadem, experiences solitude as he paces through a spot of desolation in the Pacific Northwest. In 2020, the Census Bureau reported a to...

During the summer semester at a NYC arts school, boundaries begin to blur between an adjunct professor and the students in her filmmaking class. “Personal Documentary,” a long-form feature directed by Jinho Myung, is a real-time exploration of various modes of intimate filmmaking — both a discuss...

As her children gather home on the eve of a funeral, a mother copes with her husband's confession of infidelity. Molly Longwell directs “Bad Mother,” a dramatic comedy where the behavior and decisions of a peculiar family slowly unravels into chaos. As she anticipates the arrival of her two child...

A landscaper finds something in the dirt that leads down a rabbit hole. Dave Paige directs “Cuxball,” an eerie comedy about an odd discovery and the mystery and paranoia it reveals. At an early morning landscaping job, Sam finds a cassette tape buried in the ground under some weeds. After Sam man...

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...

A woman receives a phone call regarding her fertility results before a night out. Emma Pillsbury’s “I am Never Having Kids” is a melancholic silhouette that looks at young adulthood in respect to maternity and womanhood. Through a 4:3 frame and discrete points of view, we observe the young woman ...

A woman practices a speech for her sister's wedding. Chester Vincent Toye directs “Francesca,” a slice-of-life vignette where a young woman’s efforts to workshop a speech snowballs into a self-reflective consideration of her own life. Late at night, Francesca walks around the moon-lit city in a d...

A bodybuilding fever dream fueled by childhood trauma, food porn and acid techno music. Raymond Knudsen directs “Prep,” a highly-stimulating portrait of a man who goes to extremes with his mind and body. Surrounded by rubber floor mats and stainless steel, we meet an unnamed bodybuilder with head...

On Valentine's Day in Toronto, a young couple's relationship is fragmented by performance. “V-DAY,” directed by Zachary Lacosse, is a slow-burn drama that’s highly observant of a long-distance couple and their awaited encounter to see each other on the February holiday. We meet a young man, in hi...

When a young musician visits her musical collaborators’ place for a studio session, a revelation brings the dynamics of their friendship into question. LaChelle Chrysanne directs “One of the Guys,” an upbeat episodic drama where a group of young musicians manage a kickback and mixing session whil...