Screening Room
The Maddening Disconnect of Phone Therapy in “Happy to Help You,” featuring Amy Sedaris
Jeremy Beiler’s short film follows a mental-health volunteer’s unravelling after a caller gets under his skin.
A Young Girl Questions Wearing a Head Scarf in “Rizoo”
Azadeh Navai’s short film follows a rebellious girl who asks questions about when and why she needs to wear a hijab.
A Woman Wonders if She’s Human in “I’m Not a Robot”
In Victoria Warmerdam’s short film, a series of failed CAPTCHA tests plunges a woman into a strange new reality.
A Relationship and a Nation in Turmoil in “Bogotá Story”
Esteban Pedraza’s short film examines the strain a young woman endures when she has to choose between her dreams and her family.
A Life-or-Death Decision Among Friends, in “Hamster”
A tragic accident turns a lighthearted gathering into a moral quandary for a young Iranian couple.
A Father-Daughter Swearing Lesson in “The F-Word”
In Alex Cannon’s comedic short, starring Chris Gethard, a dad struggles to give an age-appropriate explanation of the expletive.
Flirtation and Confrontation in “Sparring Partner”
In J. J. Kandel’s short film, the lunch-break banter of a flirtatious pair of co-workers, played by Cecily Strong and KeiLyn Durrel Jones, gives way to uncomfortable revelations.
A Family Reunion with High Jinks and Catharsis in “Cousins”
In Karina Dandashi’s short film, a night out shortens the distance between two cousins.
Richard Kind on Making a Short Film About Making a Short Film
Max Cohn and Ellie Sachs’s short film, “Proof of Concept,” offers a humorous meta-riff on the movie business and a tour of the Upper West Side.
Coming of Age While Confronting Arab Stereotypes, in “Simo”
An Egyptian teen-ager, living in the suburbs of Montreal with his brother and father, confronts the sting of racism at home, in the writer and director Aziz Zoromba’s film “Simo.”