Short films by Joe Pera, John Early & Kate Berlant, Andrew DeYoung, Lucy Munger and Eleanore Pienta

This blissfully bonkers whatzit from unclassifiable dance-comedy trio Cocoon Central Dance Team – Sunita Mani (Glow, Mr. Robot), Tallie Medel (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Eleanore Pienta (A Different Man) – is part psychotropic performance art spectacle, part absurdist sketch show. The three Bing Bongs lounge about, fight beach balls and periodically break into wondrously strange dance routines, with outer space interludes, a serious consideration of doctor boners and a 90s-style girl group meltdown along the way. It all plays like a live action cartoon piped in from a cotton candy-colored alternate universe.

Produced by the Academy Award-winning Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once). Featuring Kate Berlant (Would It Kill You to Laugh?), Joe Pera (Joe Pera Talks with You), Keith Poulson (I Blame Society) and Reggie Watts (Comedy Bang Bang). Written and Directed by Rachel Wolther (The French Italian) and Alex H Fischer (Wicker, Save Yourselves!).

From the Academy Award-winning filmmakers behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and Navalny; a father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created… and what’s at stake if we get it wrong.

Pasha Talankin is an unlikely hero—a beloved Russian primary school teacher, known as a mentor and prankster who offers students a safe haven in his office. After Russia invades Ukraine, Pasha’s role in the school changes dramatically as he is reluctantly drawn into Putin’s propaganda machine. Forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and horrified by the transformation of his school and community, he struggles with guilt and a sense of powerlessness, leading him to become an international whistleblower.

As the school’s videographer, Pasha documents intimate and revealing footage of Putin’s regime, capturing the rise of militarized children’s groups, repressive laws, fervent nationalism, and the recruitment of graduating students to fight in the war. When he learns his own life may be at risk, Pasha is forced to plan a dangerous escape from Russia.

Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children.

Starring: Jamie Gillis, John Alderman, Georgina Spelvin, Laurien Dominique, Leslie Bovee, Serena

Jerry (Jamie Gillis) is a struggling actor who makes more money working as an escort to the rich and famous than he does in his nominal profession. His two professions collide when the wealthy J.C. Church (John Alderman) hires Jerry to seduce his sister (Georgina Spelvin) and four nieces (Laurien Dominique, Leslie Bovee and Serena in a double role) as a means of having them taken out of his dying brother’s will. One of the first hardcore features from prolific filmmaker, cinematographer and one-time Orson Welles collaborator Gary Graver, The Ecstasy Girls is a classic sex comedy with an all-star cast.

35mm print courtesy of Michael Drumbore

This XXX film is an important part of film history, and should be celebrated and viewed as such. Any inappropriate behavior during this screening will not be tolerated and will result in permanent banishment from Nitehawk Cinema. Forever. Thank you!

We wrap up this year’s festival with a strong program of pieces that find people revealing themselves in myriad ways, realizing things may not go according to plan. Some characters seek resolution only to find it is out of their grasp, while others perform versions of themselves that they can’t sustain.

Q&A moderated by Cristina Cacioppo, Nitehawk Cinema

Golden Years
Jared Meyer, 17 min.
A newly retired man has his friendship tested when he is involved in a horrifying accident.

Lesbian Jesus Is Pregnant With Vibes
Reid Pope, 12 min.
“Lesbian Jesus” (a volatile 19-year-old pop phenom) confronts a career-defining decision during a seven minute interview before her next tour stop.

Long’s Long Lost & Mini Mart
Julian Doan, 18 min.
In the seedy back rooms of a Little Saigon convenience store, a young customer seeking closure reanimates his dead father for one last conversation.

Last Knife
Allie Viti, 15 min.
Shelby is one knife set sale away from the vacation of her dreams, if her fantasies don’t get in the way.

Interloper
Kerry O’Neill, 16 min.
A troubled 16 year old girl disturbs the harmony in her new foster home.

All You Can Eat
Kelly Ann Schiesswohl, 14 min.
A small town crumbles as it prepares for the annual pie-eating contest.

NoBudge is excited to take part in the 2026 Nitehawk Shorts Festival to co-present a program of new work from a group of emerging indie filmmakers. The lineup features eight short films, a broad sampling of off-the-cuff documentaries, heavy dramas, goofy comedies and a taste of animation. Each has its own self-assured style and tone, packing a punch working with limited budgets and resources.

Q&A moderated by Kentucker Audley, NoBudge

Lotion
Bri Rodebaugh, 10 min., world premiere
On a quiet night amidst mid-80s suburban bliss, privileged couple Sherri and Mel suddenly face the biggest challenge they’ve ever encountered.

Ass Magic
Aelfie Oudghiri, 16 min., world premiere
A day in the life of magician Jack Grady, America’s Got Talent’s fastest loser.

Clean Slate
Emily May Jampel, 9 min.
Two Asian nonbinary best friends and actors must make some sacrifices when they go up for the same breakout role.

Blue
Ethan Romaine, 5 min., NYC premiere
Josh runs into an old friend.

Cafe Cafe
Dylan Waite, 14 min., world premiere
A lonely Queens professional seeks answers at his local diner after a strange piece of takeout leaves him haunted by sinister visions.

Buffalo 10
Trisha Pickelhaupt, 12 min., NYC premiere
A glamorous trans woman aching for the simplicity of her upbringing moves back to Buffalo, where she tumbles into a dalliance at the local bowling alley.

Don’t Get Me Wrong
Corey Sherman, 10 min.
A young man becomes obsessed with a mysterious device that allows him to hear every bad thing anyone has ever said about him behind his back.

The Contestant
Patrick Xavier Bresnan, 14 min.
In 1996 a young prankster entered a contest hosted by David Hasselhof to visit the set of Baywatch, the highest rated TV show in the world at that time.

For this year’s Opening Nite program we have shorts from several festival alumni and other first time filmmakers. With stories grappling with devotion and desire takes on relationships that are sometimes hilarious, other times haunting, each demonstrates a form of connection, whether it spans time or falls flat, or is complicated by outside forces.

Q&A moderated by Cristina Cacioppo, Nitehawk Cinema

Main Man
John de Menil, 10 min.
Abe and Erwin are two minor guys connected across history by their feelings of having peaked.

Crab Diane
Ryan McCown, 17 min.
A young woman, tired of working at a seaside diner, reaches out to cosmic forces.

Going Dark
Kate diRienzi, 10 min., world premiere
A catholic school girl competes with her drama teacher for her friend’s affection.

HoleY
Bavly Soliman, 20 min.
While visiting New York from Egypt, Christian-Orthodox Mark decides to lose his virginity, confronting cultural and religious restrictions.

Leaf Peeper
Vito A. Rowlands, 2 min.
A frantic frolic in Fall foliage. A stop-motion autumn adventure. A symphony in blaze orange.

Even in the Light (Hasta en la Luz)
Valeria A Avina, 15 min., NYC premiere
This visceral psychological drama follows Sofia, a tender and imaginative child navigating a fractured home filled with silence, secrets, and shadows.

Doctor Death Grip
Amber Schaefer, 20 min., NYC premiere
An autofiction writer’s viral essay about her six-fingered boyfriend’s porn addiction tests a couple’s already deteriorating relationship.

This year’s Matinee One program is another section within the festival that offers a close examination of our most intimate connections, ranging from parent-child relationships and lost loves to new flings and close friendships. These short films invite us to reflect on the various relationships in our own lives as we kick off the morning’s screenings.

Q&A moderated by Caryn Coleman, The Future of Film is Female

SECOND BEDROOM
Beatrix Chu, 12 min., NYC premiere
Over the course of a day, 12-year-old Agnes goes apartment hunting in Brooklyn with her dad Peter, and struggles to come to terms with her parents’ separation.

Let’s Fly Away
Griffin Boucher, 13 min.
Two inseparable friends wrestle with fear, excitement, and uncertainty as they face the possibility of leaving their small town behind for something larger.

Subject of Desire
Benett Holgerson, 10 min.
Moses, a seasonal worker on Fire Island, navigates the tempestuous waters of pleasure and connection in a journey to become an artist seen on their own terms.

A Grieving Heart
Wendy Cong Zhao, 12 min., NYC premiere
An immigrant woman examines her past in the wake of her American ex-boyfriend’s death.

IS GANG STALKING REAL
Theodore Collatos, 16 min., NYC premiere
A raw, unflinching look at a friendship haunted by meth-fueled paranoia, and fragile moments of clarity behind bars.

CUB
Sofia Rubin, 9 min.
A tween MMA fighter grapples with her suffocating sports bra and her domineering dad, pushing her changing body to surreal limits during her toughest match yet.

In The Flesh
Emily Frances Kaplan, 15 min.
The perfect housewife has a secret: She’s obsessed with expensive meat, and the local butcher who knows how to handle it.

Awit Natin (Our Song)
Pacqui Pascual, 10 min.
When their father dies during their mother’s hospitalization, a Filipino family goes to extreme and absurd lengths to hide the truth.

The 2026 edition of the Matinee Two program presents very distinctly human stories told in a variety of ways. People searching for connections, survival, advancement and closure amongst other deeply felt things. Many different worlds and environments are explored and it’s fascinating to watch this group of individuals navigate and move through the real and imagined worlds they dwell in.

Q&A moderated by Shay Filmore, Film Programmer

ALPHABET BACKWARDS
Taryn Ward, 12 min., NYC premiere
A wandering porn addict attempts to write the next great American novel. After many lonely miles traveled, inspiration is found in an unlikely friendship.

I Love You So Much But You Are So Difficult
Berenicé Brino, 13 min.
Through a collaborative art performance and open dialogue, a daughter-mother duo explore their tense and nuanced relationship.

Kasey Cartoon
Veronica Kedar, 10 min.
Since diversity is dead in media, Veronica the animator decides to kill off Kasey, one of her diverse cartoons. But Kasey is not going anywhere without a fight.

Dear Shop Girl
Nira Burstein, 14 min.
A quirky vintage shop owner, who’s behind on her rent, contends with a new customer searching for the outfit he’ll wear when he kills himself.

Bent
Sam B. Jones, 17 min., world premiere
A boy from a family of demolition derby drivers tries to prove himself by competing in his first derby, but finds the validation he’s seeking is elusive.

Good Neighbors Care
Kate E. Hinshaw, 3 min., NYC premiere
A chemical company in North Carolina promises environmental stewardship, while neighbors suffer due to the ecological disaster they caused.

Nuke
Kelsea Bauman-Murphy, 13 min.
A struggling comedian forces herself onto the lineup of New York’s most coveted comedy showcase, using the fallout of a nuclear missile alert to her advantage.

Wholesome
Kimmy Campbell, 12 min., world premiere
After accidentally breaking into their favorite deli when it closes without notice, two friends attempt to recreate the home they once found.

Once again the Music Driven program for the 2026 edition delivers on all levels. A remarkably varied and explosive selection of music videos which let us know the new golden age only grows stronger and ups the ante with each passing year. From beat based tracks to meditative songs which thrive on subtle tonality it’s an impressive and sincere selection of music book-ended with two of the most well thought out and produced documentaries you’ll be taken on quite a journey this year.

Q&A moderated by John Woods, Nitehawk Cinema

“Joy, Joy!” / Valerie June
Taylor Washington, 3 min.
Tennessee roots rock fave Valerie June’s music video for her uplifting new single.

Tessitura
Lydia Cornett, Brit Fryer, 18 min.
Blending character portraits with historical context, Tessitura explores how voice and gender are continuously reformulated in opera.

“Sandrail Silhouette” / Avalon Emerson & the Charm
Felix Geen, Hayden Martin, 4 min.
From Avalon Emerson’s debut album “& the Charm”, Sandrail Silhoutte represents scales of time through it’s collage-like nature.

“EURO-COUNTRY” / CMAT
Eilis Doherty, 5 min.
Set in the Omni shopping centre in North Dublin, CMAT sings about her experiences of the economic crash in Ireland.

“Say She She” / Cut&Rewind
Alyssa Boni, 3 min.
Cut&Rewind is both a playful celebration of feminine grit and a graphic exploration of the New York City grind.

I QUIT.
Gordy De St. Jeor, 2 min., World premiere
A janitor is forced to clean up after a clown.

LÜCY – X
Haoyan of America, 9 min., World premiere
Techno-mysticism, the occult, and reincarnation converge when a beekeeper believes her deceased lover has returned to her in the form of a bee.

“Well Henry” / The Screaming Multitudes
Ellen Callaghan, 5 min.
Set under the blazing sun of a desert wasteland, “Well Henry” finds desperate cowboys in search of water and a place to let their tired hobby horsies rest.

Lethe Music Video
Mike Enright, 4 min., World premiere
An animated journey through Hades’s river of oblivion. Rebirth awaits at the end of tunnel’s light.

“Not Broken” / Tōth
Daniel Fox, 4 min.
Not Broken off Tōth’s third solo album “And The Voice Said” offers a sonic hug to his inner child.

“Slowly” / Tru Pierone
Brian Herrera Gladstone 4 min. Slowly is about the space between desire and expectation, a meditation on light, composition, and the vulnerability in unguarded performance.

“Kimberly” / MZZTR
Mr. Man, 4 min., World premiere
“Kimberly” is the debut single from NYC based band MZZTR, a masked horde emerging from the sexy bowels of NYC, who channel rage, seduction, and absurdity.

OH YEAH!
Nick Canfield, 17 min.
The story of the iconic electronic music duo Yello and the phenomenon of their 80s hit song