A Pencil In Need of Sharpening

The Black Balloon

March 2008 •English

Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?

Christmas Peace

Invalid date •Swedish

When Cecilia visits her parents for Christmas, they soon realize she has changed a lot since she moved out.

Akshara

February 2021 •Telugu

A physics teacher at a corporate educational institution, who aims to lessen the stress on students, at loggerheads with an ambitious educationalist who wants his students to secure top ranks at any cost so that he can gain monopoly in corporate education.

First Impression

Invalid date •English

When Ryan’s new girlfriend takes him to a dinner party to meet her friends, he realises he knows more about them than he should and it all takes a turn.

Sivaji: The Boss

June 2007 •Tamil

A wealthy engineer arrives in India with the mission of serving the nation and investing in the country's welfare but is met with strong opposition from corrupt officials and politicians. After being faced with insurmountable hardships, he decides to take drastic measures.

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age

March 2017 •English

Eight months after we first meet the Gabriels, Patricia, the family matriarch, joins her children and daughters-in-law as they prepare a meal from the past and consider the future of their country, town and home. Paying tribute to the difficult year behind them, the Gabriels compare notes on the search for empathy and authenticity at a time when the game seems rigged and the rules are forever changing.

Divided By Three

Invalid date •Indonesian

On a Sunday morning approaching noon at a traffic light intersection in Jakarta, Alvin (7), Riki (7), and Jaki (7), three young silver buskers, were doing their usual routine. A Korean tourist gave them a 50,000 won Korean currency note. However, due to their limited education and knowledge, they had to figure out how to divide the money equally. They tried various methods, but all failed, until they finally met Arif (23), a mathematics teacher.

Scar

January 2020 •Spanish

David attends a family meeting. During the lunch, David remembers a terrible moment that happened years ago in the family swimming pool.

Wei Baba

September 2024 •English

A woman introduces her Chinese dad to her American Jewish boyfriend and manipulates their language barrier to keep everyone happy.

Yefon

January 2015 •English

An illiterate village girl defies the customs of her tribe, discriminatory to women, only to become the spark of a Literary Revolution.

Make-Believers

April 2024 •Japanese

Masa hires rental actress and aspiring dancer, Kanako, to pose as his fiancée to impress his estranged, terminally-ill father. But as his father's death delays, Masa is forced to confront the spiraling web of lies and to learn to follow his heart.

Home, Sweet Home

November 2019 •Spanish

A father and his son have a vicious confrontation when the former returns after 5 years of absence.

Hindi Medium

May 2017 •Hindi

Mita and Raj Batra, an affluent couple from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, are grappling with getting their daughter admission into an English medium school. But there is one big problem. Their zubaan is Hindi, and the elitist snobs won’t let the Hindi speaking hoi-polloi fit in.

That's Fine

March 2021 •Italian

In Faenza, Italy, a dysfunctional family gathers for occasional dinners, and as untold truths are revealed, things gradually become rocky.

La Patro

January 2007 •Esperanto

The Ladder

November 2022 •English

In the twilight of his life, an aging Alaskan fisherman must decide between accepting old age or restarting his life with a mysterious new scientific procedure. The original short film that the 2025 feature film is based on.

That Hopey Changey Thing

April 2020 •English

Set on election day, November 2, 2010. Uncle Benjamin’s dog has died, and his nieces and nephew have gathered for dinner in Rhinebeck, New York, to surprise him with a new one. While the polls close, the Apple Family discusses memory, manners, and politics.

Lobster Dinner

April 2018 •Italian

Left home alone one evening, a 12-year-old boy steals some live lobsters from his parents fridge. He brings these, as a gift, to the single mother of his best friend, only to claim in his house a place that goes beyond that of a dinner seat.

Christmas Waltz

November 2020 •English

After Avery’s storybook Christmas wedding is canceled unexpectedly, dance instructor Roman helps her rebuild her dreams.

The Ask

August 2024 •English

Three siblings are forced to band together when their mother informs them of her plan to adopt another child.