An eclectic mix of ten new short films made by emerging indie filmmakers, ranging from Cannes and Sundance official selections, to thus far unscreened experimental work. Several of the films are based around the holidays, from the Mississippi Christmas Party of “Kim Bush’s Abduction” (2018 Nitehawk Shorts Fest jury winner!) to the powerful Scottish drama, “Blue Christmas,” which takes place on Christmas Eve, 1968. Others like “Caroline” and “The Happiest Guy in the World,” are offered as drastic warm weather counterpoints.

Among the lineup is a mix of comedy, drama and documentary, and each filmmaker will be on hand to discuss afterward in a Q&A hosted by NoBudge founder and programmer, Kentucker Audley. NoBudge is an online movies club that presents a hand-picked selection of new indie movies daily. “One of the best places to sample what’s happening in low-budget cinema worldwide,” says Glenn Kenny of The New York Times. Its mission is to provide a supportive home for emerging indie filmmakers working with limited resources and without major industry connections, and to be a trusted discovery platform helping audiences find their new favorite movies and filmmakers.

100% of sales from our special paired cocktail, The Half-Shell, will go towards the Ali Forney Center’s “Homeless for the Holidays” campaign.

The Movies: 

Jane, Jean, John, & Jesus Make an Experimental Song
Director Nimay Ndolo present.
Jean and her band of snobs make an experimental song.
(6 minutes)

Kim Bush’s Abduction
Directors Courtney Bush, Will Carington, and Jake Goicoechea present.
Several hours of unanswered texts and phone calls have everyone at a Christmas party wondering: where is Kim Bush?
(9 minutes)

Goodbye, Brooklyn
Director Daniel Jaffe and Writer/Star Michelle Uranowitz present.
Struggling with New York living, Dana Schapiro decides to move, saying goodbye to a neighborhood that can barely remember who she is
(9 minutes)

One Eye Small
Director Jane Stiles present.
Eleanore and Irene are brought together by fate and decide to keep each other company during a night out in the city.
(10 minutes)

Boundaries
Director Rhys Marc Jones present.
Jared takes extreme measures in order to gain the sympathy of his ex-boyfriend.
(9 minutes)

Disposable Time
Director Lorenzo Benitez present.
An experimental short capturing the episodic and fragmented nature of our youthful memories.
(2 minutes)

Caroline
Directors Logan George and Celine Held present.
In the middle of a Texas summer, plans for a babysitter fall through and six-year-old Caroline is left in charge of her two younger siblings.
(12 minutes)

The Happiest Guy in the World
Director Lance Oppenheim present.
Mario Salcedo, known as Super Mario, has lived on cruise ships for almost 19 years and has no plans of stopping.
(11 minutes)

Blue Christmas
Directed by Charlotte Wells.
On Christmas Eve, 1968, in a Scottish coastal town, a debt collector goes to work to avoid confronting his wife’s worsening psychosis at home.
(16 minutes)

Christmas Light Killer
Director James P. Gannon present.
Every night in December, people in a small suburb of Philadelphia flock to a holiday light show. At the end of each night, one man drives the stretch alone, turning off all of the lights.
(6 minutes)