While seeking peace through meditation, a woman is disrupted by eerie omens—only to have her stillness shattered by a call from her sister, confessing to one body of a problem. Director bio: Mary McDade (she/her) is a New Orleans-based filmmaker. She holds an MFA in Film Production from the University of New Orleans and is a member of IATSE Local 600. Her work is characterized by the decaying landscapes of the Southern United States and the marginalized women who thrive there.

(Om)en

While seeking peace through meditation, a woman is disrupted by eerie omens—only to have her stillness shattered by a call from her sister, confessing to one body of a problem.

Muay Thai training, cooks, and musicians move through a surreal warehouse surrounded by ancestors and a surreal being, illuminating working-class solidarity and inherited purpose among people of color. Director bio: Auro Angeli Earley (Angie), born to a Mexican-Irish mother from LA and a Tamil father, was raised in a jungle off the Bay of Bengal. With a background in custom fabrication and construction, she is now a New Orleans-based filmmaker recognized for her unique eye, production methods, and multicultural approach to narrative building.

For the Grind

Muay Thai training, cooks, and musicians move through a surreal warehouse surrounded by ancestors and a surreal being, illuminating working-class solidarity and inherited purpose among people of color.

When the electricity is shut off one hot summer morning, a mother scrambles to find money to pay the bill while her two daughters—Kya, the eldest, and her asthmatic little sister—face the heat with courage and creativity. Left to care for her sister, Kya’s day becomes a quiet journey of determination and imagination as she searches for a way to ease her mother’s burden. Grounded in the rhythms of every day life in New Orleans, "Sugar Water" is a story about resilience, childhood, and the sweetness that can still be found amid struggle. Director bio: Jordan Joseph is an actor, writer, director, proud New Orleanian and self proclaimed "all-purpose storyteller.” Her work is rooted in reality but sprinkled with light and love—resulting in warm, deeply humanistic narratives. Ultimately, her mission is to showcase the beauty of her heritage through cinema that is as lively, vibrant, and resilient as the city she calls home.

Sugar Water

When the electricity is shut off one hot summer morning, a mother scrambles to find money to pay the bill. Meanwhile, her eldest daughter's day becomes a quiet journey of determination and imagination as she searches for a way to ease her mother’s burden.

Citizenship Test is a dark comedy about an Americanized immigrant who's dragged through an absurd and byzantine immigration system that makes her question everything she used to believe about the USA. Director bio: Alejandro de los Rios is an award-winning Cuban-Venezuelan writer and filmmaker based in New Orleans. He is the Virtuous Video Producer for NOVAC and has directed narrative and documentary shorts, documentary features and music videos that highlight the city’s rich cultural traditions. His narrative work examines the Latino immigrant experience through a darkly comedic lens.

Citizenship Test

Citizenship Test is a dark comedy about an Americanized immigrant who's dragged through an absurd and byzantine immigration system that makes her question everything she used to believe about the USA.

Prince lives in a sad little rotten castle on the bayou waiting for love until unexpectedly, his make-up sales queen comes calling! Director bio: A New Orleans native filmmaker and writer trying to give back!

Prince

Prince lives in a sad little rotten castle on the bayou waiting for love and unexpectedly, his make up sales queen comes calling!

Two strangers realize they have more in common than anticipated, as they get vulnerable and share "the worst things" they have ever done. A 20-minute, continuous take. Director bio: Dave Davis is a writer, musician, artist, performer, and now director, with "The Worst Thing" marking his directorial debut. In addition to directing and producing, Davis acts in the film and composed and performed an original song.

The Worst Thing

Two strangers realize they have more in common than anticipated, as they get vulnerable and share "the worst things" they have ever done. A 20-minute, continuous take.

Poet Randy Gonzales journeys along Louisiana’s coast, discovering his family’s forgotten past and the enduring legacy of the earliest Filipino settlements in the United States. Director bio: Virgile Beddok is an independent filmmaker from France and Film Professor at UL Lafayette. His first documentary "New Orleans Music Renaissance" was about the post-Katrina music scene. He has since kept partnering with local musicians and institutions to portray the rich culture the region has to offer. He also directed the short "The Perfect Day" and produced the horror short "When The Time Comes."

Settling St. Malo

Poet Randy Gonzales journeys along Louisiana’s coast, discovering his family’s forgotten past and the enduring legacy of the earliest Filipino settlements in the United States.

A woman returns to her Louisiana hometown to honor her grandmother’s legacy, uncovering the story of a one-room schoolhouse that once educated generations of African-American children in the segregated South. Director bio: Jonathan Presson is a documentary filmmaker from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who studied film at Loyola University New Orleans. His directorial debut, "Last of the Shrimpers," premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival (2025) and won Best Short Documentary at the Oxford Film Festival (2026). He is dedicated to sharing underrepresented stories through documentary.

Stories From a One-Room School

A woman returns to her Louisiana hometown to honor her grandmother’s legacy, uncovering the story of a one-room schoolhouse that once educated generations of African-American children in the segregated South.

Youth Friendly Louisiana Shorts

Virtual Admission

We are so thankful for your gift and to consider you a part of the NOFS Family!&nbsp;Your generosity helps us continue our work for championing Southern storytelling and allowing us to bring our stories to the big screen for 40,000 moviegoers annually. You help us to nurture the careers of diverse Southern filmmakers, present the Oscar-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival, the annual French Film Festival, and produce film series and special events throughout the year. We are deeply grateful for your contribution. For tax purposes, this letter will serve as official acknowledgment of your tax-deductible contribution to the New Orleans Film Society (NOFS). NOFS Tax ID # / EIN: 72-1136068 For more information about your&nbsp;donation&nbsp;or about NOFS, please contact us at (504) 309-6633 or&nbsp;sarah<a href="mailto:megan@neworleansfilmsociety.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">@neworleansfilmsociety.org</a>. If you are not a member of NOFS yet, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://neworleansfilmsociety.org/become-a-member/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here</a>&nbsp;to join today. Best regards,Sarah Escalante, Executive Director New Orleans Film Society1215 Prytania St. Suite 371New Orleans, LA 70130(504) 309-6633 Orleans Film Festival

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Welcome to the New Orleans Film Festival Virtual Cinema! NOFF is a renowned celebration of independent filmmaking that has been championing groundbreaking storytelling for over 37 years. We are an Academy Award®-qualifying festival in the Doc Short, Narrative Short, and Animated Shorts categories.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.