2023 CDJ Student Grant Hot Films List

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharka, a scrappy expressionistic painter, finds respite from the isolation of her small apartment on a park bench, where she stations herself to paint. When Bridget, a self-possessed lone traveler encroaches and sits down next to her, angry sparks fly until the two find unexpected common ground. Based on a play by John Patrick Shanley and directed by filmmaker Tara Young.

Aloo Poori follows the story of a mother and daughter during their last day of living together in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. 27-year-old Sejal is on the cusp of leaving her home and mother behind, unsure if she's scared to go, or scared to stay. Her mother Madhuri is avoiding a recent mental health diagnosis and her daughter's departure by throwing her heart into her cooking.

The two have never had to function without each other, and on the eve of Sejal's departure, they realize they might not know how to. A comfort food dinner shared by the family, and an argument over the making of 'aloo poori' test what forgiveness and farewell mean to this household.

A short documentary exploring the diverse human perspective on aging, Over the Years invites the audience on an introspective journey, challenging conventional notions and hoping to inspire a positive shift in how society views the aging process.

In a prison cell, five women accused of witchcraft unite to defy their tragic fate, forging an unbreakable community for solace and strength.

Martha, a single mother, must come to terms with her daughter, Olivia, growing up as they spend time together before she leaves for college.

A machine known as a Food Synthesizer can create any meal, no matter the rarity, in a few minutes at the press of a button. A once-renowned food critic discovers a forgotten, highly exotic dish that cannot be synthesized, and in their hedonistic desire to consume it, distorts the last natural meal in existence.