Presentation
By Danielle Kampf |
DramaAn anxiety-ridden high school girl is faced with the challenge of giving a class presentation.
Young teen Holly is tasked with the assignment of giving a presentation in front of class. But she finds the idea beyond daunting, and feelings of crippling doubt and self-consciousness begin to bubble up in her.
She tries to get help, whether it’s in the form of her family or a clueless guidance counselor. But all her attempts only make her feel freakish and alone — as if she’s the only one in the world who has these feelings. Holly then must face her fear despite her lack of support, and get through this hurdle on her own.
Writer-director Danielle Kampf takes the dilemmas and struggles of its young protagonist seriously, crafting a perceptive, keenly observed drama about a rising issue among teenagers, who are struggling nowadays with higher rates of depression and anxiety than in the past. Through its solid and sensitive storytelling, it takes us on the inside of what it feels like to feel anxiety and shame so intense that it can get in the way of everyday life.
The film’s biggest strength in this is its performances, particularly by its young lead Emily Rey, who gives a grounded, relatable performance while navigating turbulent emotions and reactions to the situations and people around her. Finely observed camerawork and well-paced editing give the story clarity and shape, allowing viewers to enter into Holly’s struggles and dilemmas with compassion.
Holly’s story has a fundamental honesty about the emotional intensity and vulnerabilities of teenage life, treating its stakes and conflicts with respect. In a genre where these are often played for comedy or melodrama, the film offers genuine empathy and openness. In a world where complicated emotion is often flattened or seen as inconvenient and unreasonable, “Presentation” honors emotional complexity, leading the way to acceptance and empowerment.
By Andrew Goldsmith and Bradley Slabe |
Animation
A clumsy crochet dinosaur must unravel itself to save the love of its life.
A once-legendary farmer takes a chance and invest his life savings in a thoroughbred piglet.
Two strangers, trying to avoid the crowd at a wedding reception, end up making an unexpected connection.
Two brothers caught in a time loop must traverse a series of maze-like events in order to prevent a catastrophic fire from occurring.
A young woman wakes up in a strange place, with a strange guy. Then, she start to piece together how she got there.
A couple's love life begins to slump, forcing them to reconsider the relationship and confront how intertwined they've become.
A bullied college student seeks out shooting lessons with an ex-militia member to prove his manhood.
A young man finds himself in between a food-truck and a brothel. Then, he meets his dream girl.
By Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart |
Romance
A heartbroken woman finds a one-night stand. But the guy lives two hours away... via public transit.
A man is convinced he'll die on his 10,000th day. But when he meets a girl at his cousin's funeral, things don't go to plan.
By Tyrees A. Lamptey |
Drama
A WW1 soldier is trapped in a trench with the enemy... and it restores their faith in humanity.
A hopeless romantic takes desperate measures to win her former lover back. But he already has a new girl at his side.
By Justin Robinson |
Drama
A marriage, broken by death, is kept alive by the memories held through grape soda.
The streets of Los Angeles have become a hotbed of racial tension and hate about to burst.
An inmate is selected to undergo a radical new justice program under the State's revised stance on capital crime.
