We’re in the penultimate month of the year, and with it comes a celebration of all the incredible films we’ve been able to see and show off this year. Hundreds of films have graced our screens, and as 2025 nears a close, we’ve still got plenty in the tank. This month has some absolutely incredible films, all of which are their own unique pieces of art and worth a watch. With over a dozen films to view, it’s going to be an excellent night on November 19th when the screening takes place at the LOOK! Dine-In Cinema in Glendale, California for those who can attend in person. (Tickets available here.) For those who can’t attend, it’ll still be an excellent day, afternoon, evening or whenever you get the chance to check out the screening as it becomes available on BitPix from the 19th to November 23rd. With all that being said, let’s get going on this month’s selections!
More Than Santa Baby – Tamar Springer presents a documentary film dedicated to her father, legendary composer and songwriter Phillip Springer, whose name is synonymous with so many hits of the mid-20th century. While his song “Santa Baby” has become a holiday staple that has permeated the entirety of Christmas media, his body of work is so much more, with hits performed by the likes of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, among others. Springer presents a loving and detailed tribute to her father, which includes clips from interviews past, both from Springer himself and those who’ve worked with him, as well as more modern conversations filmed by Springer herself. It’s a loving celebration of the life of a composer whose work has stood the test of time, and whose most significant hit is only scratching the surface of his illustrious career.
The Last Fry – Sam Zarrin’s drama about a man recently diagnosed with cancer and looking to create a lasting memory with his family is a wonderfully crafted film that uses some impressive casting to tell its story. Comedic actors tend to bring layers to dramatic works, and stars Mel Rodriguez and Sarah Burns are very notable comedic actors who bring so much emotional range to this film. Also starring Michael McClane and Charles Baker, the film sees Rodriguez as Bruce Salinger, who after the will reading of his wife Sandy’s (Burns) late father, discovers he has cancer. Joined by son Joey (McClane), Bruce’s bad day gets worse and worse as he attempts to have just one happy memory with his family after learning the news, only for things to continue to spiral out. It’s darkly funny in a lot of ways, with the cast delivering excellently on the comedy of errors that happens around the Salingers as they attempt to have a moment of bonding.
Shallow End – Written and directed by Maria de la Cruz, it sees Camila Rivera as Agatha, a young woman going through a difficult time, as she returns home from rehab for her alcohol addiction. Once she’s back, the best friend she’s had for most of her life has distanced themselves without explanation, only for fleeting memories to explain why. It’s a tragic film that shows how addiction and poor decisions can affect relationships, and how friendships and forgiveness are things that are earned, not given. Rivera is excellent in the film, as is Sojourner Brown, who plays her best friend Maggie. While it’ll definitely tug on some heartstrings, it’s absolutely worth every moment to watch.
Marilyn’s Dark Paradise – Stephanie Stuart and Remi Gangarossa (who also writes and directs) star in this film about connection, tragedy and loss as a time-traveler makes their way into the past in an attempt to save Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe from the fate that befell her. Silent aside from music, this film is gorgeously shot and acted, the lack of audible dialog adding to the emotional impact of seeing someone try everything to save someone else, only to have things get in the way. Also starring Addelyn Workman as the younger, pre-fame Marilyn when she was still Norma Jeane, this film is a incredibly poignant and touching story that was executed beautifully.
Eyestring – Javier Devitt delivers on a tense and uncomfortable piece of body horror, as Veronica (Alena Chinault, who co-wrote the film with Devitt) finds an impossibly long string emerging from her eye, causing a very justified freak out. After attempting to consult with help from a hotline service she was using, Veronica has to seek out more desperate measures as the horror of this long, nearly endless string continues to plague her. It’s hard to watch in parts, but in a great way, as Chinault really displays the depth of fear needed to pull this off realistically. While coming in under ten minutes, this film maximizes its moments to fantastic results.
Anachronism – This Nick Talarico film, written alongside Sofia Ribeiro, this film is a time travel story, but instead of focusing on the events of the world, it’s narrowed down to the events in the life of the inventor itself, who is visited by their future self with a warning about dedicating too much time to his family and not enough to his invention, despite the amount of time he already spends in pursuit. Ryan Hennessy and Tony Nassif are both excellent as Ryan (both present and future respectively), bringing a really personal story to the genre alongside co-star Nevada Grey, all of whom deliver on a touching story of priorities and sacrifice for the good and happiness of themselves and those they love.
Quiet Please – Nick Stanich’s tennis film shows what happens when the pressures to succeed combine with a desperate need to reach the heights that will get you remembered. Emma (star Anna Sitar) is a talented and dedicated player without any major wins, the pressure mounting to secure a title this far into her career. When her opponents start to collapse and the tournament is on the verge of cancellation, Emma’s mask of control and calmness shatters, revealing just how far she’ll go for the sport she loves and her place in it. Sitar is excellent, really walking that line between dedicated and fanatic, especially as the plot of the film shows her further descent. It’s quick, fun and a bit surprising, making it an excellent watch.
Dream Machine – Dan Egan writes and directs this short that focuses on the decline of the old ways in favor of the new, this time with the emergence of flying cars and their market dominance, making standard cars a dying breed. The spiral into irrelevance for ground-based commercial vehicles also means a hit to those who make them work, such as auto mechanic Marco (Javier Ronceros), whose business is slowly dying due to the emergence of the Dream Machine flying car. While his wife Maria (Rosa Delgado) supports his craft, his anger and increased drinking as a response to his woes pushes her as well, leading to a rift between them. It’s only when one of these flying cars crash and Marco assists in getting it back together is he able to realize what’s important as he’s offered the choice to join the new wave or stick with the life he knows and loves. It’s a beautiful, vibrant film that allows itself to feel lived in, despite some of its more fantastical elements.
Family Business – It can be tough to deal with the fallout of a parent’s passing, especially when they’re a ruthless and powerful investment magnate who didn’t exactly leave the best impression on his children. But at the will reading Jack (Jon Bangle) and Jill (Isabel Hainer) discover that not only is their father ruthless, but into some pretty dark things that will only come to light after his passing. When read out by a lawyer (Lou DiMaggio), the rules are simple: 50/50 split, or play a best of three game of Rock, Paper, Scissors for it all, with the winner getting everything. The implications are much more complicated, and this film does an excellent job of taking some unfamiliar roads in a way that totally pays off. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker and director Kalif Fuller really found a way to make this feel totally unique while also leave some familiar trails in the family fallout style of film. It’s a wonderfully fun bottle film that will leave viewers with some surprised but satisfied looks.
Arcadia Station – Hunter Bushwell pulls off something that is very difficult to do with a short that feels so obviously to be a preview of something much larger: do it well. The film, which stars Zak Steiner and Samson Moeakiola, focuses on a world where AI basically runs the entire justice system under the auspices of fairness and accuracy, with very few humans left to hold onto the old ways and really engage with the process. When Franklin Fox is accused of murdering his fiancee’s ex, it’s up to this automated system to decide his guilt to 99% accuracy, and only his lawyer and best friend Irving, one of the last people to be given the ability to practice law, to get him out of it. This is a film that really needs to be a feature, given more time, more explanation, more story and the ability to fully flesh out a world that is engaging and absolutely terrifying. Steiner and Moeakiola are very engaging, and this small piece of the puzzle really leaves the viewer wanting much, much more.
Trauma Bonds – Sarah Coffey, Kimball Farley and Al Warren star in this film by Daniel Collins and Matt McDonald that is a thrilling look into a traumatic event that truly changes a relationship. When Vanessa (Coffey) is attacked and nearly kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night, her fear turns to relief when boyfriend Teddy (Farley) comes to her rescue. After being questioned by a detective (Warren), there’s a theory that this might be far more complicated than it looks, putting the relationship between Vanessa and Teddy to the test. It’s an excellent film that really does a good job of building tension and suspense, exploring traumatic events and how they’re handled once the dust settles.
Track 7 – The pilot of a series, Sean Perry’s crime drama focuses on law student Makei, back home for the summer and looking to reconnect with his loved ones, as well as his sister Kamden, whose own career is starting to blossom as an artist. While Kamden attempts to make her mark, Makei is secretly doing work for Violette, a drug queenpin, as a way to cover his tuition. The pilot lays out Makei’s return, introduces their friend group and the ways in which Makei’s secret life and the nightlife of Kamden’s path as an artist will collide, looking to cause a whole slew of problems as a result. The cast is wonderful, with the ensemble of Anesia Saunders, Jovan E’Sean, Yahrock Bates, Eloise Gordon, Kaylin Lavena, Jose Rodriguez and Connor Woods all showing excellent chemistry together as a group.
Are You A Friend Of Dorothy? – Andrés Garcia delivers on an important reminder of what things used to be like in this film that sees a detective (Evan Strand) looking into a report of a homosexual couple in the neighborhood during the 1950’s. After receiving the call, he goes to the home of Thomas (Nicco Caruso) and Ross (Will Domke), investigating whether or not these two men are in a relationship, something that would require him to take intense action. It’s presented in a way that is both humorous and challenging, presented as an instructional video that also shows the dangers of being out during that time period. It’s extremely well done, and should leave an impact with viewers.
Hermandad – Tristan L. Juárez presents this film and stars Daniel and Gabriel Gualajara, telling the story of a deep familial bond that goes well beyond each of their own lives. Santana (Daniel Gualajara) is a young boxer living the shadow of his brother, (Gabriel Gualajara) who trained and mentored him until his passing. Now faced with a familiar space that feels empty with his brother’s absence, Santana must stop running from his grief and face it, with the memories and images of his brother in his mind. It’s a brief but powerful exploration of grief, loss and connection, with both actors doing excellent work, both together and in the short moments apart. It’s an emotional piece from Juárez, but is done in a beautifully frenetic and unique style that really lends itself to the story.
Lit – Natalie Lomske writes and directs this Easerseals Disability Challenge short that sees a group of friends celebrating a birthday, only for danger to present itself in the form of a fireplace leaking natural gas as they attempt to light the birthday candles. It’s a really engaging short, with the tension really rising the more they try to find a way to light the candles, each failure creating more of a rising threat. The cast of Dusting Vuong Nguyen, Sierra Rae Lewis, Sawson Zakaria, Carly Keyes and Justine Raczy are all also doing a great job, really making this film feels like a very dangerous slice of life film.
Killed It – A fantastic Easterseals Disability Challenge film, it stars writer Marisa Hamamoto as Mariko, an autistic actress looking to audition for a part in a film. When she walks in to the casting director (Mariko Takahashi), a woman who is also disabled, Mariko asks that she be given very literal directions so she can understand them properly, an aspect of her autism. This leads Mariko to a very strange but utterly captivating audition, as she takes the somewhat vague direction from the casting director onto interesting paths, many of them very literal. It’s really, really well done by the cast, with Hamamoto and Takahashi especially deserving of praise. Director Kenzo Le also really crafts an excellent visual with the film, each shot really enhancing the way this piece is presented, using wide shots, interesting angles and great uses of color to hammer the point of the film home.
That’ll do it for this month! Make sure to check back with us for more news, reviews and updates! Also be on the lookout for the final screening of 2025 next month! Until next time!
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