Monthly Film Festival

May 10, 2025 02:30pm PDT - 09:45pm PDT

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its May Monthly Film Festival, which features its annual InFocus: Disabilities program, along with May Shorts, writer-director Jess Dang’s debut feature narrative Surrender, and an opening  selection of student animation with the CSULB Animation Showcase.

The day opens with the CSULB Animation Showcase, a  juried selection of student short films from California State University, Long Beach’s Animation program will show a variety of films in different mediums from CG, stop motion,  traditional hand drawn and hybrid approaches. Each film is a result of at least 1 year of work and development and represents each director’s unique perspective and creative vision.  

The day continues with May Shorts, a collection of comedy, drama and interpersonal tension of all stripes. This block of films is introspective, deeply thoughtful and delves into complicated dynamics, survival and fierce protective instincts.  

Next in the line-up is InFocus: Disabilities, a program that spotlights disability both in front of and behind the camera. It features a blend of storytelling through the lens of visible and invisible disability, centering work made by disabled filmmakers and stories of disability told in close collaboration with their subjects or protagonists. From coming of age stories to romance to dramas to comedies and documentary work, this program showcases an impressive range of work from emerging talent.

The night concludes with writer-director Jess Dang’s first feature film, Surrender, a deeply personal and intimate story of a young woman grappling with gambling addiction, shining an honest and vulnerable light on the taboo yet much-needed conversation about addiction in Asian American communities. Surrender was expanded from a short film of the same name that graced the screen at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles in May of 2023, and NFMLA is proud to welcome Dang back with the feature adaptation.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. We request captioned films from all filmmakers participating at our Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Schedule Details

Special Program – CSULB Animation Showcase
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM – Pre-Reception
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM – Program & Q&A
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Post Reception

Program #1 – May Shorts
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Pre-Reception
3:00 PM – 4:45 PM – Program
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #2 – InFocus: Disabilities
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Pre-Reception
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM – Program
7:00 PM – 7:15 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #3 – Feature Narrative | Surrender
7:15 PM – 7:45 PM – Pre-Reception
7:45 PM – 9:30 PM – Program
9:30 PM – 9:45 PM – Audience Q&A

Event Location

Event Entrance
1139 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions


Paid Parking
1133 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions

CSULB Animation Showcase
Coming Soon
CSULB Animation Showcase 2025
90 Mins | USA
May Shorts
Supercritical
Dir. John Osment, Writ. John Osment & Prod. Hayley Ulmer, John Osment
7 Mins | USA
Sourdough
Dir. Hallie Haas, Alec Cohen, Writ. Hallie Haas & Prod. Hallie Haas, Meagan Kensil
11 Mins | USA
Do It To Me If You Want
Dir. Elise Kibler, James Udom, Writ. Elise Kibler & Prod. Gabe Wilson, James Udom, Elise Kibler
20 Mins | USA
Closure Thumbnail
Closure
Dir. Faraz Alam, Writ. Faraz Alam & Prod. Laura Di Nitto
4 Mins | Czech Republic
Shells
Dir. Josh S. Rose, Writ. Josh S. Rose & Prod. Sean Levitan, Rae Niwa
10 Mins | USA
Will You Please Hit Me? Thumbnail
Will You Please Hit Me?
Dir. Jack Frederick, Writ. Jack Frederick, Melissa Aquiles, Lia Bonfilio & Prod. Melissa Aquiles, Jack Frederick
15 Mins | USA
The Price of Freedom
Dir. Lori Webster Fore, Writ. Lori Webster Fore & Prod. Chao Thao, Jamari Perry
11 Mins | USA
The Mealybug
Dir. Anthony Notarile, Nicholas Stoesser, Writ. Anthony Notarile, Nicholas Stoesser & Prod. Conor Hibbler, Stephanie Hepner, Jasmine McLeish, Chris Angelis
25 Mins | USA
InFocus: Disabilities
Existing Patient
Dir. Aaron Abolt, Writ. Aaron Abolt & Prod. Aaron Abolt
17 Mins | USA
Lake Day
Dir. Sophia Varnai, Writ. Sophia Varnai & Prod. Sophia Varnai
13 Mins | USA
Out of Reach Thumbnail
Out of Reach
Dir. Cosmo Rudd, Writ. Hannah Burcaw, Shane Burcaw, Cosmo Rudd & Prod. Sawsan Zakaria, Hannah Burcaw, Shane Burcaw, Cosmo Rudd
5 Mins | USA
Contours
Dir. Aisha Amin, Writ. Brian Cohen & Prod. Vivy Yupanqui
12 Mins | USA
All the Words on the Page
Dir. Hunter Gause, Writ. Hunter Gause & Prod. Hunter Gause, Hope Lennox
7 Mins | USA
You Are the Blue
Dir. Beatrice King, Writ. Beatrice King & Prod. James Kot, Eduard Witzke, Michael Khazen, Beatrice King
14 Mins | Canada
Heading for the Light Thumbnail
Heading for the Light
Dir. Prudence Oliver, Writ. Prudence Oliver & Prod. Prudence Oliver
4 Mins | United Kingdom
The 17%
Dir. Aaron Johnson, Writ. & Prod. Rachel Karalnik, Aaron Johnson
13 Mins | USA
Feature Narrative | Surrender
Surrender Thumbnail
Surrender
Dir. Jess Dang, Writ. Jess Dang & Prod. Jessica Olthof, Darren Haruo Rae
98 Mins | USA