Official Selections

A cat-loving woman is interview by a detective who suspects she tried to set her neighbor's house on fire

A Thousand Screaming Cats

Dir. Kelsey L. Johnson

A young woman experiences a surreal change the night after hooking up with her new roommate.

Anokhi

Dir. Rohini Jadhav

An Indian immigrant mother, Anokhi, quietly struggles in an abusive marriage, but when her daughter gets bullied, she must decide what kind of example she wants to set.

Atomic Baby

Dir. Naomi Kyle

On what seems like an ordinary first date, Amanda and James connect over dinner, sharing laughter, past wounds, and a spark of something real. But as the night unfolds, Amanda’s secret begins to surface, she is no ordinary woman. With a nuclear heart that glows, she carries the weight of a mysterious past. When trust is broken, the evening takes a shocking turn, revealing that some connections are more dangerous than they may seem.

Baby Sea Turtle

Dir. Natalie Gonzalez, Jeremiah Alexander

A satire film following a young imperfect married couple. Exploring the different dynamics in relationships. The wife gets a rise out of startling her husband!

Best Mom Ever

Dir. Chaewon Suh

Best Mom Ever Dir. by Chaewon Suh

Beyond the Moonlight

Dir. Natalie Christine Rodriguez

During a brutal dance rehearsal, a reserved dancer uncovers the disturbing truth behind her sister's intense training -- it is not for a performance...but for something far more terrifying.

BLACK ROSE

Dir. Merridith Allen

A former MMA fighter gets a second shot at her dream career, but she must choose between her family and her destiny.

Catch and Release

Dir. Cameron Keys

A young couple plans a romantic getaway in the wilderness for the upcoming solar eclipse. As the weekend progresses, a series of disturbing discoveries lead them both to a truth they could never have imagined.

Celebrity Status

Dir. Maddy "Gos" Goshorn

An internet sensation, Jackie, retells her rise to fame and the controversial deaths surrounding it. As she recounts the events that happened, she uses her social prowess to manipulate her follower's opinions, essentially and literally getting away with murder.

Clinical Case

Dir. Ksenia Ishoot

It is a complicated story about typical Russian characters affected by propaganda, unstable poisoned mental state, troubled past and each other.

Code Red

Dir. Jessica McGaugh

After a menstrual mishap on her way to class, a professor is exposed to her students and must decide whether to flee the scene or teach a lesson about shame.

FIX ME

Dir. Hannah Hope O'Briant

FIX ME (Official Music Video)

Forgive Me, Father

Dir. Lyndall Stephenson

A guilt-stricken nun desperately seeks forgiveness for her sins in the confines of her church. When a priest hears her confession, he begins to realize that something more sinister is at hand.

Giving Mom the Talk

Dir. Vidhya Iyer

In this literal "coming" of age story, an Indian daughter gives her mom "the talk."

He/She/Us Short Film

Dir. Susan Kelejian

When she meets him again for the first time in over a year and struggles with his physical transformation, he tries desperately to convince her that love is “deeper than pronouns.

Highly Explosive

Dir. Kerstin Polte

Friday 1/9/2026 Block 3

A tragicomic episodic film that weaves together stories of resilience and connection in a city on the brink. Captivating, human, and deeply moving.

Hit-Woman

Dir. Malachi Lewis

A hit-woman's mission takes a deadly turn when her slippery target fights back. In this battle of wits and survival, only one will walk away alive. Who will it be?

HOME

Dir. Kelvin Wade Garvanne

Estelle Gilmore is an upbeat African American GenZer living with her family;parents Anthony, Ruth,and older sister Isabelle in Los Angeles. She is preparing to visit Hannah, her aging grandmother in Boston. The tone of her visit changes when she realizes it is a welfare check on the aging matriarch. Hannah's neighbor Bill is a long time neighbor who watches out for her. However, Bill isn't capable of helping Hannah with everything. When Estelle arrives in Boston with her parents they quickly realize a decison must be made about her care. However, Hannah is steadfast about staying in her home and protecting the legacy embodied in her home.

Jade Earrings of the Last Empress

Dir. Lin Zuo, Marlin Darrah

Intrigued by a pair of jade earrings once worn by the last Empress of China, a young Asian American woman “travels back in time” — journeying to three vibrant worlds: cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s, the twilight of the Qing dynasty in the early 1900s, and the dazzling yet conflicted Hollywood of the 1950s and 60s.

Letters to a Stranger

Dir. Caroline Kauffman

Carly is learning to live her life, alone. Haunted by her memories of a past relationship, Carly's monotonous routine is the only thing keeping her sane in her isolated life. When her memories become overwhelming, Carly must learn to find her own happiness or suffer in the memory of a past one.

Love, Grace

Dir. Patricia Robson

When an estranged father gets an unexpected letter from his daughter, he must confront his past for their future.

Maculate

Dir. Ondine Bader

Maculate is a film about a girl in the ‘50s, sent to a nunnery by her parents as a last resort for her bad behavior. After being kicked out of countless schools, her parents make it clear it’s either the Almighty’s house or the streets. Soon after her arrival at the abbey she realizes she’s pregnant - not wanting to end up homeless- what’s a girl to do but fake an immaculate conception?

May I Put You On Hold?

Dir. Ash Blodgett

While dealing with telephone customer service, Liz is accidentally transferred to the Afterlife. Now, stuck between death and hold music, Liz must outwit cosmic bureaucracy and discover what really matters, if she wants to get back to the land of the living.

Mother On The Mountain

Dir. Camilla Edwards

"Mother on the Mountain" is an inspiring and visually breathtaking film featuring professional skier Lexi DuPont and professional alpinist Caroline George. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Vallée Blanche in Chamonix, France, the film explores the profound connection between feminine strength and the masculine mountains.

Mushroom

Dir. Ziyan He

Trapped in a lifeless marriage, a woman anxieties come to life in a space made increasingly surreal when she begins to suspect her husband is cheating on her. She is forced to confront her own desires made manifest in their darkest and also purest form.

My Voice & Me

Dir. Carolina Takagi

A woman confronts her own voice in a deeply personal monologue, unraveling layers of memory, identity, and self-worth in a search for the courage to finally speak her truth.

Node

Dir. Sara Kirby

A young girl diagnosed with cancer in a small Idaho town explores her feelings on mortality, self-acceptance, and the importance of family. Through her innocent yet profound perspective, NODE uses tender vignettes to open a dialogue on facing hardship and leaning on those around you.

Patience

Dir. Adrian Hernandez

Based on a real 1917 case study, housewife Pearl Curran fakes a writing partnership with a ghost to have a career as a professional author.

Photography

Dir. Adam N White

In 1964, Manhattan, Margaret is a renowned world-traveling photographer, working for a popular global magazine. Having fought for every success she’s had, Margaret is now tasked with mentoring a new, younger photographer. Will she help this new threat to her career thrive, or will she protect what was so hard to gain?

Quartz Kid

Dir. Ashley Ann Eberbach

The day Xayden decides to quit his retail job to follow his destiny, he is unexpectedly approached by Voss, a mysterious henchman from the future who claims they already know each other. An adrenaline filled chase and combat ensues to finally reveal Xayden's most secret super powers in this action packed sci fi thriller.

Rage Rhonda

Dir. Emily Troedson

Rhonda's working on herself. Between the recent loss of her mom and cleaning up other people's messes at her toxic job, Rhonda's got a lot on her mind. When her job takes a turn for the worst, Rhonda decides to start therapy. Maybe that’s where she’ll find a safe space. Afterall, patient confidentiality, right? A darkly comedic look at female rage within the context of loss and toxic work culture, Rage Rhonda is a story about self-acceptance and keeping your cool, which as Rhonda discovers, just takes a little… practice.

Redo

Dir. Ashley Eberbach

When Vivian finds herself trapped in her failing marriage she must navigate a way to choose herself or forever repeat an infinite loop on a deterred path.

Reminisce

Dir. Leslie Morris

25 years younger than her husband, a woman's world is turned upside down when her husband's college classmates come to visit.

Rinse Cycle

Dir. Caroline Kauffman

Doing laundry on a quiet Saturday night, Erin opens up to a nosey stranger.

Rosalie

Dir. Erin McGuff-Pennington

An unplanned pregnancy leaves an overwhelmed mother of four determined to end it—and her infertile best friend determined to stop her.

Seen

Dir. Olivia Martini

After being invited to join an acting class, Carolina, an introverted and solitary teenager, develops an eating disorder after her new two-faced boyfriend sexually assaults her.

Sorry For Your Loss

Dir. Courtney Karwal

Meg, trying to stay sober after losing her mom, is doing everything in her power to push people away- including her sister- who she wants to connect with the most. She doesn't want to face her grief, causing her and her sister to be at odds as they both navigate loss differently. They're hurting and want their mom back...but what they really find, is that they want each other. After all, it's all they've got left.

Streetlights - Scott Frenzel

Dir. Alissa Wyle

Set in the 1950s, two young men fall for each other in a secret romance. But when things get too serious, can their love survive the fallout?

Sweet Dreams

Dir. Gary David Alvarez

Set in the near future when most people can no longer dream, "Sweet Dreams" follows the story of Esperanza, a young woman who's excited to be a mom for the first time. Weeks before the baby is due, her partner Kiké goes missing. As she searches for him and her savings dwindle, she comes across an opportunity to make some quick money: surrogate dreaming, a new technological advancement which allows her to sell the dreams of her unborn child through a dreamcatcher clinic. After a trial run, Esperanza begins to suspect that the clinic is somehow connected to Kiké's disappearance.

The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause (Perimenopause)

Dir. Jacoba Atlas

The (M) Factor: Before the Pause pulls back the curtain on perimenopause, the overlooked decade before menopause that quietly derails women’s health, work, and relationships.

The Crit(ique)

Dir. Zoey Hudson

A meek transfer student who has left the Amish community for art school attends her first class. The class consists of drawing the nude male figure and to overcome her trepidations, she starts with the penis. Before she knows it, it’s time to present, their full sketches, yet all she has is a lone, life-like piece of anatomy on the page.

The Edge of Silence

Dir. Maricar Bella

"The Edge of Silence" explores a woman's twenty-year journey to reconcile with her mother's suicide. Haunted by the consuming "silence of the deep," she navigates a bustling city whose overwhelming noise becomes a reflection of her internal chaos. This poetic film delves into the disorienting nature of grief and the fight to shed inherited despair, ultimately charting a path toward rewriting her own story.

The House of Mycelium

Dir. Jordyn Diebolt

A blossoming flower named Annie confronts her captor, a mushroom-like shadow creature called The Gardener, and makes a daring escape from the dilapidated greenhouse imprisoning her in darkness.

The Pink Skirt

Dir. Hannah Hope O'Briant

The Pink Skirt is about a single mom and her 10-year old son who wants to be a ballerina for halloween. The short delves into themes of acceptance and the struggles of raising a child as a single mom.

The Rocky Cumbia

Dir. Adelaide Pilar Benavides

Music video for and by artist Adelaide Pilar. The song is a medley of the 3 most popular songs from the Rocky Trilogy rearranged into the Latin style of Cumbia. (“Gonna Fly Now” aka “The Rocky Theme”, “Eye of the TIger”, and “The Final Countdown”) The video is a Chicano themed parody of workout scenes from the Rocky Movies as well as musician performances.

The Things We Do

Dir. Clotilde Delavennat

Pushed to her breaking point by the guilt of betraying someone she loves, Sianne struggles to piece her life back together and make things right.

The Victim

Dir. Annie Liones Nguyen

Elsie, a nobody who went viral in a bullying video, taking revenge after getting invited to her bullies’ party as a joke.

THIEF

Dir. Poppy Damon

A professional thief falls in love with her mark.

This is a Story about Love

Dir. Jessie Lee Mills

This is a Story about Love is a kaleidoscopic slice-of-life glimpse into the experience of a mother with a chronic illness.

Unfurled

Dir. Gail Willumsen

At mid-career, queer artist Eve Wood still chases success. “The art world is a horrible business, so why do I keep doing this?” With a solo exhibition looming, she waits in anxious anticipation: “Will anyone come? Will they like my work?” Will Eve ever get the recognition she craves?

We Can Never Go Back

Dir. Aminah Hughes

Two old friends seek refuge from a terrifying mass-extinction event, one desperate to reunite with his family, the other pushing them both towards a utopian future.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Dir. Guja Quaranta