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"You have such a clean energy." Gather round for a wacky, fun, absurdist short film that will lift your spirits with a free hug and some spiritual advice. Or not... The Happy is an 8-minute short film made by Indian-American model / actor / filmmaker Par Parekh. The short, which also serves as the pilot for a web series based on the lovelorn and spiritually-lost Par, was inspired by Parekh's initial move to Los Angeles and his subsequent discovery of this strange and magical place. "Angelenos from every walk of life seem to project onto me their hopes and dreams and seek from me spiritual enrichment, which is really pretty comical since I can barely figure out how to get to La Cienega, let alone Nirvana." Also starring Sherra Lasley as Astrid. It's a fairly simple concept, but I like that Par has no dialogue in this short, making the comedic weirdness...

Chicago – Director Jack C. Newell ended up meeting one of his great collaborators while taking classes at Columbia College Chicago. His future filmmaking partner turned out to not be a fellow peer, but his teacher, Ron Falzone. Together, they made the acclaimed short, “Typing,” about two Hollywood screenwriters whose brainstorming session draws inspiration from the clacking of typewriter keys in the next room.

Newell and Falzone’s first feature effort is “Close Quarters,” an endearing and insightful collection of parallel vignettes set in a Chicago coffee shop. Baristas Abby (Erica Unger) and Barry (Seth Unger) flirt with the possibility of long-term romance while observing the dysfunctional relationships of their customers. Two friends, Patrick (Tj Jagodowski) and Olivia (Kate Duffy), chat upstairs while their respective partners, Dina (Holly Laurent) and Cary (Dave Pasquesi), make love in the downstairs bathroom. An estranged couple (Susan Messing and Jim Carlson) argue over Skype while...