Echoes of Departure

Eu Vi a Mula

When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Connor and Web Smith are called in to investigate. Although Connor has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.

"A socially anxious college student reluctantly heads to a party attempting to make new friends. Nande Walters directs “Who Are You Really?”, an experimental portrait of insecurity characterized by a raw, youthful energy. Anya walks into the room and immediately feels like everyone is judging her. Eventually she strikes up a conversation with a young man, but neither really knows what to say and it doesn’t go anywhere. After struggling through the awkward night, she’s surprised to learn that an extroverted friend didn’t fare much better. Walters is only 19 years old, one of the youngest we’ve ever featured on NoBudge, and her film is the work of an artist still learning her craft but she clearly knows the feeling she’s after and captures it with pops of style and a touching closing monologue." -Kentucker Audley

In the wake of a confusing personal loss, a college photography student quietly unravels, finding new ways to connect with the world around her.

As Samay nears his thirtieth birthday, he and his girlfriend Meenakshi embark on a road trip to a tranquil hill spot on a Saturday afternoon. Between winding roads and quiet moments, their conversations unravel reflections on life’s twists and turns—career choices, societal expectations, relationships, and the delicate balance between personal aspirations and external pressures. A journey filled with warmth, scenic beauty, and unfiltered thoughts, Tree Roots Through Concrete captures the essence of love, change, and the pursuit of meaning.

Before heading off to college, an overthinking teenager asks out a former girlfriend in an effort to reconnect and hold on to his past.

Four men enter a bidding contest for a pencil, and everything begins to spiral out of control.

After the death of his brother, a young man is forced to confront his grave through memories and a quiet conversation with his mother.

Two friends, Mia and Teo, meet up one evening and over a glass of wine, they debate the philosophy of love into its very depths. Being polar opposites, Mia argues over the inevitable end and pain that comes with the start of every relationship while Teo is more concerned with the loss of self and the change that occurs in someone over a relationship. By trying to preserve a memory that will forever exist in their minds, they choose to play pretend for the evening and live out the perfect relationship. The film offers a quick glimpse into an alternate universe where after years spent together, Mia moves out of the apartment where Teo and her lived together. A short peek into what could have been and also asking - would it have even been worth it in the end? However, once the hour has passed, they have to return to reality.

A troubled young man spends a night in town with an animated girl.

A quick conversation between friends takes a very unexpected turn.

Nine fictitious documentaries and films reflect the mood of late 1970s Germany, particularly the two-month period in 1977 when a businessman was kidnapped by the RAF (Red Army Faction). The kidnap had been made to orchestrate the release of the original leaders of the RAF, aka the Baader-Meinhof.

Two strangers visit the penthouse of a recently deceased lover, only to find themselves learning more about each other.

What is the true cost of a bargain? Subtotal is a story of an nontraditional encounter between a Swedish salesman and a Norwegian couple on their monthly bargain hunting at the border between Norway and Sweden.

A day in the life of several drifting characters, both friends and strangers, hanging out in the suburbs of Richmond Hill, Ontario.

A young woman meets a stranger at the train station. Their train was cancelled, and they both have to wait for the next one. They decide to spend the four-hour wait in each other’s company.

Two friends resort to playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, flipping a coin, and detailed, yet petty analyzation of their friendship to determine which of them will call the mother of their recently deceased best friend, informing her of his demise.

A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student, asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.

Several lost-soul night-owls, including a nightclub owner, a talk radio relationship counselor, and an itinerant stranger have encounters that expose their contradictions and anxieties about love and acceptance.

Stories are everywhere: at the park, on the beach, in coffee shops. We don't necessarily need to know everything about them to wonder what brought them to where they are today, what they're going throough or what comes next...Every coffee drinker has a story. In this collection, be a fly on the wall where you, the viewer, are brought into their intimate conversations