2025 Films

Presenting Qatar as a microcosm of a global crisis, 25 Cats from Qatar asks searching questions about the role of public and private players in animal welfare, all within a ticking-clock narrative about the nuts and bolts of a rescue mission. From the filmmakers behind the award winning CAT DADDIES, the film is both an urgent wake-up call and a heartwarming portrayal of strangers overcoming international barriers to reach a common goal.

40 Watts from Nowhere is a documentary about Los Angeles pirate radio station KBLT. It is based around vintage footage shot in 1998 that shows the station operating 24/7 out of an apartment closet in Silver Lake with DJs running the gamut from Keith Morris (Circle Jerks), Mike Watt (Minutemen) and Don Bolles (Germs) to garden-variety music fans playing everything from jungle and punk to vintage country and French pop. Sue Carpenter started the 40-watt FM station in 1995, exploiting a legal case that allowed hundreds of low-power illegal radio operators to proliferate throughout the country and gave birth to the legal LPFM movement. Carpenter was 28 years old, a secretary and an aspiring journalist when she first set up KBLT and invited strangers into her house to spin whatever the hell they wanted. It soon took on a life of its own, drawing Mazzy Starr to headline a benefit concert and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to play live in her living room.The vintage footage captures the arc of the story, from its full-tilt heyday in the summer of 1998 to its FCC shutdown later that year. Shot by a DJ who intended to make a documentary but never did, the vintage footage is rounded out with interviews Carpenter conducted in 2023, including Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and pirate radio activist Stephen Dunifer.

After a mysterious girl shows up at Gray’s doorstep holding the corpse of a bird that had just cracked her window, an impromptu bird funeral changes the way Gray views herself and her lesbian identity.

A legal educator reflects on her work as an activist along the US-Mexico border, a journey that guides her and her students to a compassionate Texas community where generosity and empathy are deeply intertwined.

Death takes centre stage and faceless spectators applaud the inevitable in a series of murderous dreams.

During a hunting day in rural Spain, a father struggles to accept that his adult son is moving abroad, dealing with the feelings of being left alone.

Winnie, an ailing Chinese grandma, embarks on a journey to reunite with her late husband.

By day, the Patterson brothers operate a metal shop together, crafting beautiful pieces of heirloom iron-work. After hours, the blacksmiths turn their forge into a film set where they write, produce and perform in whimsical heavy metal music videos that reflect their philosophies on life and art.Their talent, energy and creativity are undeniable — but why, and for whom, do these middle-aged brothers do this?
In this intimate exploration of art and family bonds, metal, in all forms, shines as a powerful tool in overcoming unconventional childhoods marked by a shared disability.

Amidst the picturesque serenity of Amish country, a courageous queer photographer unearths the hidden gems of LGBTQ+ nightlife, while navigating a personal journey of reclaiming religion and community. Through their lens, witness a captivating fusion of tradition and modernity, as they redefine belonging, acceptance, and the power of self-expression.

A lost R&B star who eclipsed Etta James and Little Richard, trans soul singer Jackie Shane blazed an extraordinary trail with an unbreakable commitment to her truth. Forty years after vanishing from public view, this 20th century icon finally gets her second act.

When trusted midwives are arrested in a tight-knit Amish and Mennonite enclave, a quiet community is thrust into turmoil. With their way of life under threat, these women— once expected to stay silent— emerge as unexpected activists, defying tradition and fighting for justice.With rare and intimate access, director Elaine Epstein crafts a powerful David-and-Goliath story of resilience, resistance, and solidarity. Set against the backdrop of the U.S. maternal mortality crisis and the ongoing erosion of reproductive rights, ARREST THE MIDWIFE reveals how a local struggle can ignite a broader reckoning — uniting unlikely allies in a shared battle for the right to choose how, where, and with whom to give birth.

A teen battles heartbreak while spending Friday out with her father.

Banana Tree focuses on Ann, a divorced woman who is diagnosed with brain cancer and has a difficult time deciding whether or not to proceed with treatments. Ann’s Dad expects her to always consider her family first by wanting her to get treatment. For all of Ann’s life, she has blamed her parents for never allowing her to make her own decisions: her career, her marriage, and now her life.

Three balding brothers travel to Istanbul to get a hair transplant. Stuck with each other in a hotel far from home, their insecurities grow faster than their hair.

In avoidance of the nagging fear that she has spoiled her life’s potential, a woman begins hip thrusting a lot and obsessing over her ass. While reflecting on her childhood dreams unfulfilled and hyper-focusing on what a toned ass would enable her to do, she loses sight of the present moment and pushes herself too far.

In the 1960s, Jule Campbell shattered glass ceilings, transforming a struggling magazine into a media empire: the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The documentary chronicles her 32-year reign, where she championed intelligence and empowered supermodels like Christie Brinkley. Weaving together her journey with feminism’s evolution, the film explores the changing gaze on beauty, from objectification to body positivity. Through stunning visuals and intimate interviews with a wise, nonagenarian Campbell, witness a legacy that continues to inspire.

In the corporate world, being FIRST is all that matters. Two women, a generation apart, find themselves locked in an absurd battle for a coveted promotion. Desperate to outshine each other, the ladies escalate their rivalry from petty arguments to an all-out race to the office. “B!tch I’m Early” delivers a masterclass in comedic timing and mounting tension with an eclectic, diverse cast to back it up. This six-minute gem manages to pack the punch of a full feature, hilariously skewering corporate culture while reminding us that in the rat race, we’re all running in circles.

Camp Widow is a gathering for widowed people by widowed people. Over the course of three days, attendees speak candidly about death, forge connections with others over shared experiences of loss, and find ways to navigate the tricky waters of grief. Founded by Michele Neff Hernandez, who suddenly became a widow at age 35 when her husband died in a bike accident, the camp offers a way to both recognize tremendous loss, while at the same time celebrating continued life. The film follows an ensemble of campers who are weary of platitudes about grief, and speak to one another from a place of radical honesty that is by turns heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression. This documentary shows the transformative power and therapeutic value of human connection, among those who have experienced loss and trauma. Ultimately, the film asks viewers to think about how we can recognize the grief of others, as well as find resilience during loss in our own lives.

Skateboarding at a community funded and built skatepark.

In “Crab Claw”, Dale and Cathy’s relationship hits rock bottom, leading them to therapy. But as they navigate their issues, it becomes clear that Cathy’s recent “hand” problem isn’t just a physical ailment—it’s a shell of a situation that leaves everyone clawing for solutions. Can they claw their way back to marital bliss, or will their crustacean calamity keep them in a pinch?

A rare collaboration between shooting survivor / writer Sam Fuentes and Peabody award winning filmmaker Kim A Snyder – DEATH BY NUMBERS breaks through an American society increasingly inured to gun violence and seemingly impervious to a nation of traumatized youth. Interweaving Sam’s evocative poetry and her shooter’s harrowing sentencing trial that will determine whether he lives or dies, we follow Sam’s journey to reclaim her power. As she prepares to confront her shooter who left her wounded and killed classmates with an AR-15 in her Holocaust Studies class, she and her teacher examine complex questions of collective hate and what restorative justice looks like for the victims involved.

After surviving a house party-turned-horror film, Tara and Mitch’s escape is cut short when they realize… they forgot their cat. Now, the couple must return to the house and brave the eldritch monster that waits inside to save not only the cat, but their relationship itself.

“Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens” pays homage to the legendary Mother Cavallucci by weaving together the present and past to provide a striking portrait of belonging and memory. Joseph “Josie” Cavallucci (aka Mother Cavallucci) is a legendary New Hope drag queen that would host annual wedding celebrations in the 70s and 80s that served as fundraisers and a community party. Poetically merging archival photographs and present day footage from a community drag show, the film sparks conversation about the modern day issues Mother Cavallucci revolutionized.

Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighbourhood fox. Together they embark on a magical journey to the attic to discover the surprising things they might have in common, and how to celebrate the ways in which they differ.

A dark fairy tale about a duck village that, in order to get tourists, fakes a wild monster attack to increase fame and sympathy. But, of course, everything goes wrong.

A vivid exploration of Cuban-American artist Edel Rodriguez’s journey from his early life in Cuba to acclaim in the United States. Rodriguez’s time in Cuba and immigration has influenced iconic artwork and now his political courage in depicting the 45th president. The film explores his relentless pursuit of freedom that defines his life and work.

A meandering joke about three dreams. Recorded in English and chinuk wawa, an Indigenous language of the Columbia River.

Edward, a novelist who cares for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. Busy with the demands of his upcoming book tour, the last thing Edward needs is his friends leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a group of young dancers find themselves exiled. They come together in The Netherlands, forming the United Ukrainian Ballet Company.As the company dances to keep their culture alive, they welcome a wounded soldier into their midst who lost both his legs in the war. With freshly fitted prosthetics, the soldier discovers a newfound interest in the art of ballet, collaborating with his fellow Ukrainians on an original piece of choreography. Holding up a mirror to their lives, the soldier becomes a symbol for every brother, father, and friend they’ve left behind, igniting the dancers to channel their guilt and transform their grief.
Together, these artists strive to inform the world about the atrocities of the war and the resilience of the human spirit, taking the stage where the front row and the front line converge.

Rhys, a dedicated people pleaser, winds up at their boss’ gender reveal party with their two partners. The trans throuple soon realize that they are dealing with more than they were prepared for and their ability to survive the event comes into question.

An Indigenous man takes a Happy Thanksgiving wish from a bank teller so personally, his rage drives him to carry out a bizarre revenge plan.

A girl explores a strange game after her friends mysteriously stop talking to her.

A people-pleaser recently back in the dating pool goes on an ill-advised date with a sexually submissive man to prove to her doubtful friends that she could totally be a dom.

For a sport that revolves around expressiveness, romance and a hell of a lot of sequins, the world of figure skating has a startlingly archaic stance on sexuality and gender. Same-sex pairs and gender bending are strictly forbidden in elite competitions – but once every four years, a parallel skating universe appears. ICEBREAKERS profiles an intergenerational group of queer skaters at the Gay Games skating competition in Paris, where they push the boundaries of their sport in the hope that mainstream skating will one day encompass a richer spectrum of the human experience.

“In Between city” imitates a poetic wandering through the Central European city and its memory, through different time periods and places, blurring reality and fiction.
The film is constructed from a collection of fragments, stories, images and impressions. In the flux of images shaping the non-existing city, the film accentuates the footprints of the vanished Communist and Jewish worlds it once contained. In parallel, the film focuses on technical exploration, as it is entirely made out of stamps, carved from erasers.

A former captain, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, lives with his daughter in a humble house located by the sea. Together, they live an isolated life and have to confront the challenges of a harsh life.
Despite the captain’s deep desire to be a devoted and caring father, he finds himself unable to fulfill his role and connect with his daughter in the way that he longs to.One morning, their lives change forever when an unforeseen event occurs. Whether this event proves to be a newfound source of hope or an additional burden remains to be seen.

In the future no one can die and no one wants to live anymore. Two space pirate brothers must destroy an evil messiah to break the curse of immortality and deliver Humanity to its final resting place.

A very hungry woman tells a pizza delivery guy she can’t pay for the pizza she ordered. But can the sex she offers instead of currency possibly equate to the true value of a pizza? Is there anything that can be worthy of pizza, aside from what the market has decided? Together the two decide that their only option is to become the pizza object themselves, to make each other into pizza, in order to become free.

As Annie prepares for a date, a series of misfortunes befalls her butt.

In early 20th century midwest USA, deep underground, a group of coal miners make an incredible discovery.

In a Cuban school, a group of girls who call themselves “Las Perdularias” find ways to cope with an island becoming emptier every day.

In the quiet seaside town of Worthing, Marlon and Murry (Murewa) form a deep friendship, bonding over skateboarding, photography and the carefree adventures of youth. But as they grow older, their lives take different turns. Marlon leaves for university in London, while Murry, facing mounting pressure at home, makes choices that lead to prison. Through years of home video, Murewa reflects on the complexities of growing up, and how opportunity and circumstance shape the futures of young people in ways they don’t fully grasp at the time. Intimate and deeply personal, the film explores boyhood, belonging and the lingering question of what might have been.

A portrait of Mitch Blank, the world’s foremost collector of Bob Dylan memorabilia and recordings, all kept in his tiny New York City apartment. This short documentary follows Mitch as he donates his life’s work to the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a voyage into the ephemera of one of the greatest American musicians, a study on the nature of collecting and what it means to devote your life to something – then let it go forever.

Fasten your seatbelts and adjust your tray tables cause Nancy’s got another delicious cocktail for you!!! -don’t forget to wash your hands!!

Eric tries to figure out how to help his friend Jaime after catching him doing something he wasn’t supposed to see.

A young Black ballerina performs her Sunday rituals, while facing the pressures to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards.

A wintry poem about the Nordic nature. The sun moves low and days get shorter. Birds fly South, porcelain animals and insects hide from the freezing wind and snow. Only a small porcelain girl wanders the abandoned landscape with no way out.

When terminally ill Joanna makes the difficult decision to pursue end of life options through the Death With Dignity law, the systems set up to make her death peaceful and dignified become the opposite.When terminally ill Joanna makes the difficult decision to pursue end of life options through the Death With Dignity law, the systems set up to make her death peaceful and dignified become the opposite.

Paradise Man searches for meaning in an unknowable universe.

The hope of a grassroots funded skatepark offers an outlet for a small Pennsylvania town affected by the opioid epidemic.The first iteration of the Quakertown Skatepark was built in 2003. By 2008, many in the town wanted to see it permanently closed due to vandalism and safety concerns.

A local Pastor, Dave Kratz, got involved in changing the atmosphere of the park. With the help of students, local businesses and the township, the group raised over one million dollars to fund the creation of a world-class skatepark and community center.

Plunge tells the story of Katie who found empowerment, friendship, and healing by plunging into frigid waters of the sea. As her voice relates to us the physical and mental struggles that have plagued her for decades, her animated form darts confidently through kelp forests on the ocean floor. She tells us about her strong community and the tremendous physical benefits of cold-water swimming. Through Katie’s story this beautiful, animated film addresses themes of isolation, connection, mental health & wellbeing and empowerment.

When a disgruntled music journalist accuses a global pop star of queerbaiting, the singer’s devoted fans descend on his remote cabin to seek retribution.

At apathy with his life, Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) dreams of the beauty and joy he will find in retirement.

Blending whimsical and experimental animation with a meditative tone, “Rivercobble” explores themes of inner potential and the mystical connection between nature and magic.

Rooted follows the stories of a handful of artists who spent their lives creating in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, beginning in the mid-1970s. What were the hardest challenges they faced? What did they learn, the values that came to typify their work? And what might it all mean for the generations of future art creators to come? Partnering with the SouthSide Film Institute and led by a team of regional artists – Doug Roysdon, Mock Turtle Marionette Theatre; Dave Fry, Godfrey Daniels Folk Music Club; Bridget George, Bach Choir of Bethlehem and Touchstone Theatre; Bill George, Touchstone Theatre; and filmmaker Aidan Gilrain McKenna, the 75-minute documentary draws from over 200 hours of interviews, and new and archival video, music, and photos — a 50-year celebration of a community transformed by art, and of artists transformed by a community.

A contemporary portrait of America, observed within the walls of former Pizza Hut buildings across the country. These nostalgic spaces hold memories of a bygone era, but through the power of transformation, they provide something new and special for the communities that continue to flow through them.From an LGBTQ+ church in Florida, to a karaoke bar in Texas, to a cannabis dispensary in rural Colorado, these modern-day portraits are paralleled with the origin story of Pizza Hut – one of America’s most iconic brands, and the two brothers who founded the company in Wichita, Kansas in 1958.

Three curious young girls stumble upon an obscure urban legend and summon the infamous entity known as Sweaty Larry. They were warned…they were warned.

One woman’s valiant attempt to log into her email.

When a rapper is summoned to his grandmother’s deathbed, he engages in a madcap freestyle in a desperate attempt to prevent her from dying.

Trapped in a shower in Amsterdam for six hours.

In a large manor house identical figures eat the same, move the same, look the same. But everything will change for one woman when she gets given an orange by an unknown figure. She has never seen an orange. In the exploration of this new and exciting discovery, she gets transported into another realm of lichens, slugs and sensuous fluidity. But how can she balance this with the world she knows? She must make a choice: abandon her discovery, or step forwards into a new way of being.

The Last Puppet Show dives into the unique world of West Virginia University’s endangered puppetry major, where a group of talented students fights to save their program with a puppet-powered performance of Hamlet. As creative arts programs are being axed across the country, these students use passion and puppets to make their case for the value of arts degrees. The film spotlights the real people impacted by these cuts, and proves that sometimes, the most unexpected heroes are made of felt and fur.

An extreme lack of self awareness prevents a patient from seeing why an obvious pattern is perpetuated in his life.

Icons but short lives Scottish Punk band the Skids burned bright when they hit the scene in the 1970s forty years later they are back and and they are still anrgy at a World on Fire.

Sing your soul. The world’s listening.Cassandra Berry brings music to public park stages, to worshiping congregations, to neighborhood bars and to many places in between. Her family’s legacy of song knows no boundaries, no racial divide or no age that’s too young or too old. Mother Jerusha Smith wraps every day and every person in prayer. Together they sing out and the take away? The world listens.

Three sisters live a lonely life on an isolated island, each in their own small house. One day, circumstances develop in such a way that they are forced to rent out one of the houses.

An impulsive Chinese American teen and her boyfriend try to buy the morning after pill in post-Roe America.

Upon entrance of her boyfriend’s apartment for the first time, Kat is encountered with her biggest, most unexpected rival; his cat. There can only be one to win his love and affection….So, who will it be?

Set in the conservative world of the 1950s, Jan checks into a hotel seeking to escape the outside world. Once alone, they are free to shed the identity society has imposed upon them. Jan embraces the chance to explore who they truly believe they are. As they relish this new identity, a surge of confidence emerges, but they soon realize that not everything is as it seems. Faced with a choice between internal pressures and embracing their authentic self, Jan takes a bold step forward.

Dana Tiger was just five years old when her father, legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, passed away. She turned to his art as a way to know him, the richness of her culture, and the bounty of her family’s artistic tradition.In memory of Jerome’s art and to support their family, Dana’s mother and uncle started a booming t-shirt printing business in the 1980s. Then, tragedy struck their family once more. Dana’s younger brother, Chris Tiger, was relentlessly murdered and their business was brought to a halt.

Dana and her family have been working for nearly 30 years to revitalize the iconic Tiger t-shirt company, through immense grief and suffering from Parkinson’s. Now, everybody wants their hands on a Tiger T-shirt.

A stubborn demon and a tenacious angel quarrel about the fate of a young man’s soul after a botched exorcism.

In the heart of Leith, Edinburgh, a unique sanctuary exists where cherished childhood toys are given a second chance. This short documentary delves into the Toy Hospital, a heartwarming haven where Kiaz, the dedicated “toy doctor,” works his magic. Through meticulous restoration, Kiaz brings old, worn-out toys back to life, rekindling precious memories for their owners.The film captures the profound emotional impact these toys hold, exploring the deep connections people have with their childhood companions. It also highlights the broader significance of repair over disposal, advocating for a more sustainable approach to consumption by emphasizing the importance of fixing rather than discarding.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the small Pennsylvania town of New Hope was among a few safe havens outside of major cities for gay men to find community. Over 30 years later, the town’s legacy remained, but now for a different community: transgender women.”Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania” explores the untold story of legendary, weekend-long parties that saw hundreds of transgender women and self-identified crossdressers take over the town, traveling from all over the country to meet other people like them. Through both interviews and stunning animation sequences that utilize never-before-seen archival photography, audiences not only get a glimpse into the heyday of these events in the early 2010s but also the iconic gay bar The Raven which became the unlikely cornerstone of these weekends.

This dialogue-free stop-motion film tells the story of two bicycles that fall in love while parked outside a café, where their riders stop each morning for coffee. They realize that, to stay together, they must get their humans to fall in love. Despite missteps and obstacles, they keep trying.

A collection of home movies languish on a shelf, longing to be watched again. Little do they know, there’s a fate far worse than being forgotten.
VHX is a stop motion animated short made with real vintage VHS tapes.

In pursuit of a life on stage, a singer without legs confronts exploitation and imposter syndrome as she chases her dreams and those around her chase inspiration porn.

Sometimes, finding your tribe requires a bit of magic. For attendees of a live action role-playing (LARP) camp in upstate New York, the deeply accepting environment has given neurodivergent, queer, and self-proclaimed “nerdy” teenagers the space and community for self-discovery that they have never found anywhere else. As the campers immerse themselves in this imaginative world, they discover inner strength, heal from past traumas, and emerge as the heroes they are meant to be, both in the fantasy realm and in real life.From directors Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons, WE CAN BE HEROES perfectly captures and celebrates the small, fleeting, but profoundly formative moments that make up the most intense years of adolescence, with a little help from foam swords.

After putting her daughter to bed, Aura discovers an intruder in her house: an elderly lady who acts strangely familiar, and who is hell-bent on performing a bloody ritual before midnight.

In August 1965, Regina Jones was just 21 years old. She and her husband Ken, an aspiring news reporter, had five small children and they were broke.Ken worked a series of odd jobs. “He was a dreamer,” Regina says. And he aspired to be the first African-American anchor in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Regina worked as an LAPD dispatcher on the second shift. On August 11th, 1965, she took a call she’d never forget. “I can still feel it in my chest.” It was the first distress call in what would become the Watts Rebellion – six days of violent turmoil, an uprising by a long disenfranchised and brutalized community that became a defining moment of urban unrest in the 20th century. Neither Regina nor her family’s lives would ever be the same again.

Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? is a powerful testimony of the dignity, beauty, strength, and perseverance of a survivor and fighter, mother, grandmother, business leader, and history-maker, a story of her extraordinary American life.

A kick-ass high school basketball team takes a stand against their sexist principal to get the name they deserve.

A nude cycling event is hounded by a right-wing picketer attempting to sabotage it….

Cartoon Slapstick Ensues! Inspired by the international event “World Naked Bike Ride”.

When a disabled dude keeps getting mistaken for other disabled dudes, him and his best friend decide to lean in when he’s mistaken again for a disabled celebrity.

**Brett Maline lives with a rare form of scoliosis called Klippel Feil syndrome.