When Olivia gets deferred from her dream college, she begins to spiral. In an attempt to regain control, she embarks on a social media-fueled rampage against those that stand in the way of her success. But as things escalate, she is forced to confront her darkest impulses in order to get ahead.
HOE is a modern-day look at marriage in the urban community from a black woman’s perspective. From the struggles of being led by an alpha male, to fighting the lusty desires of old flames, this mother decides to explore what happiness means to her, without permission or transparency. They say the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but what if you have more than one lawn? HOE is structured around an upper middle-class family’s life in southern California. A stay-at-home mom with no financial worries realizes she isn’t as happy as she portrays on social media and to her family and friends. Thirsty for fulfillment romantically and in a career, Ciara begins using her free time to test the pros and cons of attaining what she wants. Using music as the narrator, HOE will have you second-guessing the double standards society has placed on women and their role in their household.
Anna bumps into Jesper on the morning train. She’s never seen him before, but it turns out he knows everything about her. A short film about social media and surveillance in postmodern society.
Three siblings return home after their mother’s death and face their most daunting task: figuring out how to post about it on social media.
18-year-old Maria is a dreamy outsider who lives isolated from the digital world with her quirky grandparents. Bella, egocentric and obsessed with social media fame, films Maria after an alcohol binge with bleeding wounds reminiscent of Jesus' stigmata. The video goes viral and turns Maria into an internet saint. Amidst likes, online healings, and heavenly merchandise, an unexpected and deep friendship develops. But as reports of alleged healings pile up, Maria begins to believe in her “gift” herself.
In 2007, a young actress fresh from social media fame sees her life implode. Re-emerging into the public eye a decade later with a tale of captivity and murdered parents, the enigmatic Connie Castille has a story to die for.
In a world dominated by social media, an obsessive influencer fixated on her ex meets a cab driver with dark secrets. Their lives become entangled in a dangerous spiral of obsession, betrayal, and love, leading to unexpected consequences for everyone.
A content moderator is tasked with purging offensive media from the internet. When she witnesses a crime in a video, she is lured away from the safety of her keyboard as she obsessively seeks to hold someone accountable.
"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
An ambitious young woman, desperate for followers and fame, fakes a trip to Paris to up her social media presence. When a terrifying incident takes place in the real world and becomes part of her imaginary trip, her white lie becomes a moral quandary that offers her all the attention she’s wanted.
In an alternate 2019, people have lost the ability to talk to each other. James (Matthew Ruf) is in search for deeper connections within the behemoth of online dating and hookups that manifest the digital world around him.
After a popular teen falls to her death, her best friend basks in the glow of the social media attention, while their rival seeks to avenge the past and uncover the truth behind the mysterious death.
Nina, mid 20’s, is a visual artist whose art depicts the feminine beauty of all women but struggles with self-identity as a multicultural millennial woman. While flipping through social media her frustration leads her to brood over old photos of complex stages in her life. She’s inspired to create a portrait that represents her personal voyage to self confidence and finally see her beautiful self.
Mistaking the sleeping passenger on his train for a drunk, a young man posts a picture of him online, unaware of his impulsive act's ugly repercussions.
Kawamura is a promising young man with everything going for him. On the eve of his wedding, he falls into a deep manhole. Despite sustaining a debilitating injury, he is determined to attend his wedding as planned, and resorts to social networks for help.
In this gripping tale about the way social media impacts youth culture, a group of students discover how social media affects their friendships, relationships, and almost every aspect of their lives.
UJANG (12/M) is memorizing Pancasila (Indonesia’s state ideology) all night, accompanied by his MOTHER (30/F) and FATHER (35/M), for his school exam. While Ujang is studying, he faces one distraction after another, disrupting his focus. These distractions stem from issues (both in the real world and online) that conflict with the values of Pancasila that Ujang is trying to memorize.
In a near future, human DNA has been modified to receive internet signals, and by law, everyone must remain connected. Celeste is on the verge of collapse; the constant hyperconnectivity is suffocating her. But when a mysterious AI, housed in a phone-shaped building, offers her a service as tempting as it is dangerous —to disconnect from the network forever— Celeste must decide if freedom is worth the risk.
The madness after a couple exchanges their mobile phones and begins to unearth bitter truth about each other.
16-year-old Lara takes nude photos for her boyfriend, which soon flood social media. Lara's phone has been hacked, the photos published, and she's being blackmailed.