2023 Spring Hot Films

Born in Korea without legs, a Korean-American artist and athlete finds the courage to search for the truth surrounding his birth and abandonment at 2 weeks old.

In a Queens apartment in 1982, a recently immigrated Iranian couple must balance their political activism in their home country with the struggles of making a new life in New York. 40 years later, in the same apartment, their granddaughter finds herself in a period of uncertainty when she loses a job and a roommate in the same week.

Tara and Julia go on a trip to the dessert because Tara robbed money from a bad guy, but Julia, her girlfriend, doesn't know it. They meet the Hechicero (the Sorcerer, a nickname). When Julia finds out about the robbery, she breaks ties with Tara, and the Hechicero invites her to stay with him. When the bad guy she robbed arrives there, looking for her after torturing her best friend, the Hechicero helps her save that friend who has no blame.

A repressed tough guy’s desire to get in touch with his feelings at a self-help seminar is put to the test when he encounters an unexpected adversary in the form of a mysterious bathroom sink. THE FAUCET is a twisted and uplifting comedy short about love, fear, and good hygiene, from the acclaimed team of writer Steve Young (LETTERMAN, THE SIMPSONS) and Tribeca & WGA Award-winning director Dava Whisenant (BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY).

A support group in Southern California provides comfort and community for people who have been abducted by aliens. Their collective experiences challenge conventional realities as they seek to comprehend the incomprehensible.

THE BOMB WITH NO NAME’ is about gullibility, about how unprotected we are when things go wrong. Especially when it comes to bombs. We rely on formal bodies to be there for us – but often they’re not, as this film proves. Taking advantage of this openness, on the 25th of April 1994, a day before the first multi-racial election in South Africa, several large bombs exploded in many black townships across the nation's capital city, killing almost 50, and injuring over 150. Thirty years after, the perpetrators are still not found, and putting the nation under pressure, operate confidently under the notion that they’re likely to get away with their gameplay and cause more havoc.

Keeping oneself entertained will always be a lifelong pursuit, and while scholars and critics alike debate the merits of some of the more common forms of entertainment, perhaps none is more accessible or as overlooked as the coin-operated amusement.

From Pinball to Pac-Man, kiddy rides, sticker machines and everything in between, this feature-length documentary tells the story of those behind the machines, whose passion and hustle continues to help craft this unique American pastime… one quarter at a time.

A single father of Wasco/Samoan Origin must fight prejudice and create a community event in a bid to keep the tribal mustangs alive in the face of climate change.

When a young single mother’s baby is murdered by a close friend, she and her family struggle with each other and regret about the past before
they find peace through the sound of a beating heart.

After 20 years apart, a family shattered by the foster care and prison systems reunites to heal old wounds and rebuild their family, starting with finding their mom who is houseless in the streets of Sacramento.

Three trans women fight to overturn a law that prohibits people with felony convictions, like themselves, from legally changing their names. Tania Cordova, Eisha Love, and Reyna Ortiz are the outspoken advocates for HB2542, the Name Change Modernization Bill, which passed in January of 2023.

OUR GUYS is the story of five New England mothers who find each other in the early 1970s when they bring their babies with Down syndrome and autism home from the hospital to a landscape that has little to offer in terms of medical, social or educational support. Phone calls and mutual acquaintances connect these strangers, who have one thing in common: bucking their doctors’ advice to “put their kids away and forget about them.”

The founding members of The South Shore Mothers Group share stories from the past and invite us into their lives in the present. The images of their sons as they grow up juxtaposes with the real-time journey of their lives now as grown men.

Two individuals from vastly different backgrounds navigate the ups and downs of their tumultuous relationship in the diverse and vibrant neighborhood of Brooklyn, as they explore themes of love, loyalty, forgiveness, and the complexities of modern-day relationships, interwoven with relatable supporting characters who mirror the trials and triumphs experienced by millennials everywhere.

After years of harboring guilt about her younger sisters disappearance from Russia, a young girl comes to Tokyo in hopes of finding out what happened to her. Ultimately she gets pulled into the same underground world that consumed her sister, and is forced to not just find her way out, but to find her peace along the way.

BOMB WITH NO NAME’ is about gullibility, and how unprotected we are when things go wrong. Especially when it comes to bombs. We rely on formal bodies to be there for us - but often they’re not, as this film proves. Taking advantage of this openness, on the 25th. April 1994, a day before the first multi-racial election that resulted in the first elected Black president of South Africa, several large bombs exploded in many townships across the nation's capital city of Pretoria. Thirty years after, the nation is still afraid to talk about the dreadful incidents. The perpetrators of the bombs have since locked themselves away, and operate confidently under the notion that the system is corrupt.

Uncovering the dark and heartbreaking reality of human trafficking of young males, #BoysToo is an eye-opening documentary that challenges the misconceptions about who can be a victim of this heinous crime with a powerful and nuanced look at the struggles of young boys and men who have fallen prey to this injustice, the film highlights the shocking inadequacy of services currently available for these victims with a vital exploration into the all too often-overlooked aspect of human trafficking.

When her grandfather loses his voice and vocal cords to cancer, filmmaker Gabriella Canal captures the personal journey before and after his procedure, revealing a portrait of grief and resilience as her family's patriarch loses what once defined him.

A group of young people spend a nice weekend at their best friend's house for her birthday, a deadly virus forces the young people are forced to stay locked up,causing them stress and mental health problems. One of them discovers a strange and immense cloud dominating the sky. The young people try to understand if there is a link between the cloud and the deadly virus.This story is inspired by a real-life phenomenon, a cloud shaped like a mother
ship with a yellow light in its center, appeared in the city of Cartagena de
Indias, Colombia in 2015, made international news, and covered the media
and networks.

The Queen of Junkanno Angelique McKay and The Genesis Warhawks navigate Junkanoo for the first time in 2 years as the culture and history of The Bahamas, as well as its connections to the African Diaspora are explored. The second in a series of love letters to Black people living in the diaspora, Who in Da Mornin’ takes us to the Bahamas where Junkanoo, a celebration based on West African culture, is the highlight of every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day celebration. Through artful storytelling, interviews, and cinema verité, the audience embarks on a discovery of the warrior Jan Kwaw, uncovering the origins of the Bahamian identity and its connections to the African Diaspora.