Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Meredith Garretson, Meredith Garretson, Josh Segarra, Jon Glaser

A man tries to befriend his charismatic new neighbor, but it soon threatens to ruin both of their lives.

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, Sandrine Holt, Jennifer Dale

Inconsolable since the death of his wife, Karsh, a prominent businessman, invents a revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated, and he sets out to track down the perpetrators.

Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Matt Walsh

When the girl of his dreams gets kidnapped, a man turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected advantage as he fights a bunch of thugs to get her back.

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, Adam Garcia, Glenne Headly, Alison Pill, Eli Marienthal, Carol Kane

Mary Elizabeth Cep (Lindsay Lohan) is an ambitious teen girl who goes by the name of Lola and aspires to be a famous stage actress. Lola’s dream of performing on Broadway suffers a setback when her family moves from New York City to suburban New Jersey. Determined to make the best of it, however, Lola embarks on a mission to become the most popular girl at her high school, a goal that sets her on a collision course with the catty Carla Santini (Megan Fox).

A cultural phenomenon for our time: Spike Lee captures the comic geniuses behind the successful “Kings of Comedy” tour. In the concert feature film The Original Kings of Comedy, acclaimed director Spike Lee brings his aesthetic sensibility and distinct style to the comedy concert film genre, as he documents the individual talents of Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer and Bernie Mac and reveals the behind the scenes activities of a tour that continues to sell out arenas.

Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lio Tipton, Adam Brody, Megalyn Echikunwoke

Violet (Greta Gerwig) fancies herself an important force at her liberal arts school. With a small but devoted friend group in tow, she seeks to improve the lives of her peers, offering up donuts, if not useful advice, at a suicide prevention center, and making projects out of potential love interests, boys she considers her inferiors. Though on its surface it seems like the behavior of a narcissist, Violet is as earnest as she is naive, seriously reflecting on criticisms offered to her by transfer student Lily (Lio Tipton).

Released over a decade after his previous feature (The Last Days of Disco), Whit Stillman retains his unique brand of humor and wit in Damsels in Distress, drawing the kinds of would-be popular girls as altruistic eccentrics.

Warning: Images are not from the movies we’re showing. Trust us, you can’t imagine what we’re showing!

A star-studded, action-packed extravaganza, this movie is the sequel to one of the biggest hits in Hong Kong history, however no familiarity with the original is required. In true Hong Kong fashion, when the original movie became a much-imitated blockbuster, its director and producer began to make their own knock-offs, send-ups, and parodies, biding their time until they could afford to hire the original superstar who played that film’s most iconic role to return. Then they added a few more megastars just to be safe, and turned it into not only a huge action movie but also a parody of huge action movies. There are martial arts battles, heroic bloodshed shoot-outs, gambling duels, and even a brief break for some song and dance, plus razor sharp satire. Because when Hong Kong does something a second time, they always go bigger, badder, and totally and completely over the top.

We’re ready to dazzle you with our kickoff program, which includes several World Premieres and directorial debuts. Settings include the wasteland of a kid’s birthday party, an evangelical community in Oregon and the conflicted mind of a kidnapped woman. Grief, humorous interpersonal strife, and tough choices all play out to great effect.

Q&A moderated by Cristina Cacioppo, Nitehawk Cinema

You’re Invited to Tuscan’s 5th Birthday Party!
Lee Eddy / U.S. / 2023 / 14 min. / English
When her only son’s birthday party is ruined by a runaway pony, a stressed mother deals with the chaotic aftermath.

Meal Ticket
Wes Andre Goodrich / U.S. / 2024 / 13 min.  / English
Twelve minutes before showtime, a music manager is forced to decide what to do with life-changing news about his client, a hot-headed hip-hop star on the rise.

Hickey
Giovanna Molina / U.S. / 2023 / 20 min. / English
Three sisters come of age within a strict evangelical community in rural Oregon.

Homolita
Jude Dry / U.S. / 2024 / 8 min. / English
Two writers debate art and sex over a picnic date. As tensions rise, so do libidos, sparking an erotic dance between our better judgment and a need to get laid.

It Burns
Kate Maveau / Belgium / 2024 / 11 min. N/A
As the boundaries between the living and the dead blur, Irène’s denial navigates through the five stages of grief.

Baby Tooth
Olivia Accardo / U.S. / 2024 / 6 min. English
Marina has enlisted the help of a stranger to get rid of either her baby tooth, or her boat, whichever he prefers.

Female Captive
Brit Crawshaw, Josh Hayward / U.S. / 2023 / 12 min. / English
Dive inside the mind of a female captive as all the conflicting parts of her fight over what is true and what to do.

Dead On Arrival
Don Ahmad / U.S. / 2024 / 19 min. / English
After learning his abusive father is dying in the hospital, a troubled young man investigates a strange dream.

Fiercely creative musicians and filmmakers effectively using multiple techniques dazzle in this fantastic program. The artists and subjects presented here bring you on a real journey to Intense and engaging collaborations. Featuring animation, documentaries, and terrific performances. The new golden age of the music video continues strongly with possibly the most diverse and varied Music Driven yet. Turn it up!

Q&A moderated by John Woods, Nitehawk Cinema

“Mood Ring” / Dehd
Glamhag / U.S. / 2024 / 7 min. / English
A woman going about her mundane life, is entranced by an ad for a perfume called Mood Ring.

“the evidence” / Yaya Bey
Chassidy David, Yaya Bey / U.S. / 2023 / 3 min. / English
An exploration of Black spirituality through music.

“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” / Colleen Green
Mary Dauterman / U.S. / 2024 / 5 min. / English
Colleen Green has a very unusual experience singing Karaoke.

Mount Vernon and Fairway
Phill Skokos, Edel Ferri / U.S. / 2024 / 12 min. / English
Based on the eponymous Beach Boys EP, a young prince embarks on a technicolor adventure when he discovers a magic transistor radio in his attic.

“How We’ve Faded” / Ilithios
Emmanuel Nomikos, Jen Meller / U.S. / 2023 / 4 min. / English
How We’ve Faded’ was designed to be a visual representation of the utter exhaustion of continuously trying to persevere.

Mountain Punk Arts
Ethan Romaine / U.S. / 2023 – 2024 / 15 min. / English
In rural Appalachia, some punks come together to re-establish a surprisingly familiar sense of community.

“Somebody Else’s Country House” / Westinghouse Atom Smasher
Lindsey Shaw / U.S. / 2024 / 4 min. / English
Music video for Pittsburgh ‘post-country’ band, Westinghouse Atom Smasher, featuring the song “Somebody Else’s Country House” from their album, Pittsburgh, Transylvania.

“Smolder” / A Very Special Episode
Jen Meller / U.S. / 2024 / 5 min. / English
A woman in isolation begins to slip as she imagines a past love.

“The World’s Biggest Paving Slab” / EnglishTeacher
Claryn Chong / 3 min.

My Back Pages
Nick Canfield, Paul Lovelace / U.S. / 2024 / 10 min. / English
A portrait of the world’s foremost collector of Bob Dylan memorabilia and recordings, as he donates his life’s work to the Bob Dylan Center.

“Slow Rider” / LILLIMURE
Emily Massey / U.S. / 2025 / 3 min. / English
Through humid clubs to dreamed worlds in the bright colors of her grandmother’s house, Lilli explores a world of vivid movement & simmering feelings.

“I’d Race” / Sofia Garcia
Lexi Lane / U.S. / 2024 / 2 min. / English
A young woman dances through the eerie woods in an enchanting music video.

“Mother of Mothers” / Anna Wise
Sandy Ismail / U.S. / 2023 / 7 min. / English
The film centers on the theme of motherhood, conveying the duality of solace and angst with carrying a new life.

Harpo’s Blues
Sally Eckhoff / U.S. / 2025 / 7 min. / English
Phoebe Snow wasn’t her real name. But she was the voice of her generation. Her success was huge—and then she disappeared. Who was this woman, and where did she go?

NoBudge is excited to take part in the Nitehawk Shorts Festival to co-present a program of new work from a group of emerging indie filmmakers. The lineup features seven narrative short films characterized by their unique, self-assured vision in genres ranging from naturalistic character study, coming-of-age portrait, psychological drama, and dark comedy.

Q&A moderated by Kentucker Audley, NoBudge

I’M REALLY SCARED I’M DYING TBH
Lindsay Calleran / U.S. / 2024 / 15 min. / English
An anxious young man convinces himself he is dying after experiencing mysterious symptoms of panic.

Hustle Mode
Jeffrey Liu / U.S. / 2024 / 13 min. / English
A young and idealistic single mother collects recyclable bottles from the streets of NYC, as she tries to wrangle her 2-year-old daughter and 90-year-old dog.

Robotica
Isabella Ivos / U.S. / 2024 / 14 min. / English
When a young woman begins to lose her work-life balance, she undergoes a physical transformation, jeopardizing her humanity in the relentless pursuit of productivity.

Personal Assistant
Tynan DeLong / U.S. / 2025 / 13 min. / English
A struggling artist desperate for a day job takes a suspicious personal assistant gig she finds on Craigslist.

Belay On
Johnny Frohman / U.S. / 2024 / 12 min. / English
A climbing couple navigates feelings of insecurity.

Buried
Nat Gee / U.S. / 2024 / 17 min. / English
Stalked by a sinister presence, a winemaker is suspicious her vineyard is being poisoned.

Wire & Cloth
Swetha Regunathan / U.S. / 2023 / 16 min. / English, Tamil
When opportunity comes knocking for mercurial Indian immigrant Hema, she fantasizes about becoming a sophisticated career woman.