Melina Valdez

Weapons and Their Names

Struggling to connect with her grieving family after the sudden death of her stepfather, a teenager sneaks off to shoot guns in rural Florida with her best friend.

Pangea

Rita spends her last day in the city trying to resurrect the artist her ex-lover used to be.

Violence

A woman's finds a disturbing photograph on the supermarket floor. It leads to her own abduction.

Yelling Fire in an Empty Theater

In this MiniDV curio, a young woman moves to New York and becomes entangled in her roommates’ tumultuous relationship.

August at Twenty-Two

Cal, a floundering New York actress, is crushed to learn that her childhood “soulmate” Jacob has a new girlfriend, Emily. But as Cal inserts herself into the couple’s world and the three bond, their relationships become increasingly tangled.

Please Enjoy Your Stay

An anxious musician finds himself unable to leave his hotel room. Dan Arnés writes and stars in “Please Enjoy Your Stay,” a surreal comedy that employs an ever-shifting dream logic to explore issues of identity and artistic process. Surrounded by slips of paper with scattered notes, a man attempts to check out of a hotel room and move on with his life, whatever that may be. He calls the front desk, but the Concierge (voiced by Conner O'Malley) suggests he stay in the room, as does The Bellhop (Carmen Christopher) and The Maid (Caroline Yost), as they take turns entering his space and attempting to capture his vibe through photographs and music recordings. Directed by NoBudge veteran, Tynan DeLong (continuing to try new things and expand his range), the film is lifted by dreamy, colorful visuals and a lovely score from Arnés himself, alongside its lively comedic performances.

12pm EST

A young woman struggles with the frustration and rage of being ignored.